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Mountaingiraffe t1_jaw48x2 wrote

Reply to comment by Toothbinch in If teeth are mounted in sockets in the jaw bone, how do braces move them around? Do the sockets move with them? by MyCodesCumpie-ling

Just a bit off topic, but how do you view the mostly cosmetic reasons to get retainers at like 16 years old? Those things hurt enormously as a kid, and being too young to really have an informed say on things. Everyone also had them back 20 years ago.

I had a talk with someone and they remarked that you could see them as a form of child abuse if done just for cosmetics. (I had a little overbite and the orthodontist said it could wear away the back of my upper front teeth eventually)

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Toothbinch t1_jawc935 wrote

What you’re describing sounds more like someone trying to prevent wear with a retainer as a guard more than actually used as a retainer. Not abuse and can be really important to protecting your teeth. Wear is more than just cosmetic when it’s a chronic thing that happens for a long time

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darrellg_ t1_jazodka wrote

Would you mind answering the real question he asked about how prevalent it was about 20 years ago and used as a cosmetic device for developing children? If not it is fine. I just wonder how the practice has changed in time.

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