Would you consider *any* cosmetic procedure for your baby? - Page 3

[LeosMama]

Yes, I have a good friend who is 47 and is using the Invisalign braces. It seems like a good thing for her. It doesn't even seem to impair her speech (which is good, b/c I'm not very good at sign language yet) as much as I thought they would. I'm not sure why she's using them, but if it makes her happier about her smile,

[SagMom]

Originally Posted by Frankly Speaking

I know a woman that is very attractive until she smiles and then she becomes far less attractive. Because of her circumstances in life, I have no doubt that she has adequate dental care and she could certainly afford braces. Should her parents have had this done for her while she was a child?

Let the discussion continue!

Frank

Should they have? Why? So *you* would find her more attractive when she smiles?

I don't think anyone else's assessment of attractiveness should factor into it. If the individual would like to change something about themselves, then I think they should have that option. But I don't think braces or surgery or other changes should be made based on society's measure of attractiveness, or the family's measure of attractiveness.

I remember when I was a kid, there was this girl in school who always wore her hair pulled back in a severe pony tail. One day, I saw her with her hair down--she had this gorgeous, shiny, flowing hair and I told her she should wear her hair down more often because she was so pretty. She looked at me like I was a total idiot. SHE liked her hair in pony tail, thank-you-very-much. That was the last time I suggested anyone change their looks!

[MonicaS]

Originally Posted by busymomof5

And btw...I don't think doing braces for cosmetic reasons is all that bad anyway.

kris

Yeah, me either. Plus, it almost always involves a child old enough to at least understand that they are having them and why, even if they aren't actually requesting them.
My DH's dentist tried to convince his mom that he NEEDED thousands of $$ of orthodontic work when he was young b/c too much of his gums showed. His teeth are perfectly straight otherwise. They didn't have anything done.



Personally, I would love to get braces. I have a pretty nice, even smile, but my teeth are so tight and overlap a bit in the front that it causes some annoying pain. I can handle the braces pain, since it would be pain w/ a purpose and an end.

[InDaPhunk]

Originally Posted by MonicaS

Yeah, me either. Plus, it almost always involves a child old enough to at least understand that they are having them and why, even if they aren't actually requesting them.

And not too many cases of Death by Orthadonture . Cosmetic surgery has a higher mortality rate, I would imagine.

[jessjgh1]

Just a reminder that the foreskin is normal and natural not a birth abnormality- every boy is born with one. Birth marks, misaligned teeth, etc. are not something that is universal- some people are born with a birth mark, some are not. Some people have bad teeth, etc. But all boys are born with a foreskin- and if they are not then THAT would be the abnormality.

So it really isn't the same arguement.

[eightyferrettoes]

I got braces (and headgear!!!) as a kid-- but I was 13. We talked about it beforehand, discussed my responsibilities in caring for them, etc. I definitely wanted them.

I had "vampire fangs" and my last molars were very far forward in my mouth, which was doing some funky things to my chewing habits and jaw alignment, too. And my understanding is that overlapping, funky teeth are at higher risk for cavities? I'm not sure if that's true.

The dentist asked if I wanted the bottom row straightened. I said no, since they were never half as bad as the top row and aren't really visible. He agreed it wasn't important to have them straightened.

So I really had a lot of say in what happened with my own teeth, and am still very pleased with them today. If I hadn't wanted braces or been unwilling to handle the responsibility of keeping them clean, wearing the dreaded headgear, etc, nobody could force me to keep up the program. It was all under my own steam.

In the end, the braces helped my chewing, posed very little risk to my health, and resulted in a nice even smile. The bottom teeth aren't gonna get me into the Dental Hall of Fame, but I'm very pleased with my own informed decisions as a teenager. With guidance from a professional and my parents, of course.

[woobysma]

Originally Posted by jessjgh1

Just a reminder that the foreskin is normal and natural not a birth abnormality- every boy is born with one. Birth marks, misaligned teeth, etc. are not something that is universal- some people are born with a birth mark, some are not. Some people have bad teeth, etc. But all boys are born with a foreskin- and if they are not then THAT would be the abnormality.

So it really isn't the same arguement.

:

ITA - if you want to make it an apples-to-apples comparison you should think about stuff like Asian parents having their kids eyes altered to look more "western", or tat-loving parents giving their baby a full sleeve because it's "cool", or something along those lines.............

[lilyka]

a birth mark - depends. was a there a risk of cancer? would removing it now ensure that it wouldn't come back? (i had one removed, it came back ), are there less invasive procedures that would deminish it? etc . . .I certainly wouldn't rush but I wouldn't nessecarily be opposed either.

my friends son had 6 fingers on one hand. they lopped it off before they left the hospital. he is really thnkful. his older sister and brothers thought it was cool and that thier parents should leave it

my other friends kid was born with a hole in his head which had to be stitched (not cosmetic) but they scored the worst plastic surgeon in the city (they were terribly fearful when he went into surgery and teh scar was the least of thier concerns. it was a quarter sized hole right ner his soft spot. they were ar more concerned with whart it meant - he was totally fine though. just a glitch.) and they took him back in to get the scar "redone" (it goes almost from ear to ear right through his cowlick. poor kid. and it grows with him) They were going to have him circed at the same time. during the circ he had a complication, he almost died and they never got to fixing the scar. they decided to find a haircut that suits it because nothing could convince them to put him under again (not that she regrets circumsizing ) I don't know that I would put my baby under for redoing a scar. maybe when they were older and could choose though i doubt I would be opposed to it.