Braces: Morally licit or vain in application?

  • Thread starter Thread starter demolitionman65
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

demolitionman65

Guest
This is a current topic of discussion in our household and would like some feedback.

We are not a family of great financial means, and have taken advantage of every insurance opportunity we can to provide for the needs of our kids. They are well-cared for.

However, not all of the kids have straight teeth. Some of the kids have either gapped upper teeth or slightly crooked uppers. Our eldest did have a bite problem as well, but insurance covered that correction. Any other orthodontic (meaning braces) correction that can be made has to be made out-of-pocket. All current dental concerns are essentially cosmetic now, not medical in any sense.

One of us states quite clearly that this is a correction that needs to be made. Even if it is simply a “cosmetic” correction, as we might remove an unsightly yet harmless growth from one of our kids’s faces, so too we should fix our kids’ teeth.

The other side of this argument states that we are essentially engaging in vanity; that the appearance of teeth is not really an issue; this is akin to coloring one’s gray hair or wearing a great deal of make-up.

What do you folks think? Please keep in mind that while finances do play into the discussion, even if there was enough money the underlying conflict might still be there. Is this actually a potentially moral issue?
 
40.png
demolitionman65:
This is a current topic of discussion in our household and would like some feedback.

We are not a family of great financial means, and have taken advantage of every insurance opportunity we can to provide for the needs of our kids. They are well-cared for.

However, not all of the kids have straight teeth. Some of the kids have either gapped upper teeth or slightly crooked uppers. Our eldest did have a bite problem as well, but insurance covered that correction. Any other orthodontic (meaning braces) correction that can be made has to be made out-of-pocket. All current dental concerns are essentially cosmetic now, not medical in any sense.

One of us states quite clearly that this is a correction that needs to be made. Even if it is simply a “cosmetic” correction, as we might remove an unsightly yet harmless growth from one of our kids’s faces, so too we should fix our kids’ teeth.

The other side of this argument states that we are essentially engaging in vanity; that the appearance of teeth is not really an issue; this is akin to coloring one’s gray hair or wearing a great deal of make-up.

What do you folks think? Please keep in mind that while finances do play into the discussion, even if there was enough money the underlying conflict might still be there. Is this actually a potentially moral issue?
Click to expand...
I don’t see anything vain about the braces. As long as you can afford the expense and it doesn’t detract from necessary family expenditures, it is morally ok, IMO
 
Braces have a more significant health impact than something like hair coloring or most cosmetic surgeries do. At the same time, it depends on how serious the teeth are misaligned.

I’ve had crooked lower teeth all my life - never fixed with braces, and it’s never been a problem for me.
 
I forgot to mention that strictly speaking, it’s not a sin in itself to get braces. There’s nothing morally wrong with the action.
 
Understand the issue isn’t sinful. Sorry if my wording led to that impression.
 
40.png
demolitionman65:
What do you folks think? Please keep in mind that while finances do play into the discussion, even if there was enough money the underlying conflict might still be there. Is this actually a potentially moral issue?
Click to expand...
Well, I know many adults who got braces because they did not have them as children, so your kids could always do the same if they felt like they really needed/wanted them.

Depending on the level of “crookedness” or “gaps” the lack of braces could hurt your children in the long run as far as professional appearance goes. It may be a sad commentary on society at large, but it is a fact that personal appearance is a factor in hiring, advancement in the workplace, etc, especially for those positions dealing with customers/the public.

It is also a fact that self-consciousness about appearance can have a detrimental impact on kids. I know it would be best if we all had an other-worldly view of ourselves-- ie, focus on the inner person-- but that is not reality. We are spirit and matter, and appearance is part of who we are.

I don’t think putting braces on kids to straighten crooked or gapped teeth is giving in to any sort of sin of vanity.

Now, those who have already straight teeth who put on braces, caps, etc, might have an unhealthy relationship with their bodies and/or material things.

I do not believe it is an absolute necessity that parents pay for braces (especially if they can’t afford it), but if there is a means of perhaps saving up for them-- with the kids helping through jobs, etc-- then I would try to do it if they were my kids.
 
40.png
demolitionman65:
This is a current topic of discussion in our household and would like some feedback.

We are not a family of great financial means, and have taken advantage of every insurance opportunity we can to provide for the needs of our kids. They are well-cared for.

However, not all of the kids have straight teeth. Some of the kids have either gapped upper teeth or slightly crooked uppers. Our eldest did have a bite problem as well, but insurance covered that correction. Any other orthodontic (meaning braces) correction that can be made has to be made out-of-pocket. All current dental concerns are essentially cosmetic now, not medical in any sense.

One of us states quite clearly that this is a correction that needs to be made. Even if it is simply a “cosmetic” correction, as we might remove an unsightly yet harmless growth from one of our kids’s faces, so too we should fix our kids’ teeth.

The other side of this argument states that we are essentially engaging in vanity; that the appearance of teeth is not really an issue; this is akin to coloring one’s gray hair or wearing a great deal of make-up.

What do you folks think? Please keep in mind that while finances do play into the discussion, even if there was enough money the underlying conflict might still be there. Is this actually a potentially moral issue?
Click to expand...
I don’t see how anyone could think its immoral to get braces to correct teeth alignment.
 
40.png
demolitionman65:
The other side of this argument states that we are essentially engaging in vanity; that the appearance of teeth is not really an issue; this is akin to coloring one’s gray hair or wearing a great deal of make-up.

What do you folks think? Please keep in mind that while finances do play into the discussion, even if there was enough money the underlying conflict might still be there. Is this actually a potentially moral issue?
Click to expand...
If you take this argument to its logical conclusion you would become like an Amish - no makeup, jewellery, coloured clothing, shaving etc. Even Christ told us that when we fast we should look after our personal appearance.
 
I don’t know how many of your children require orthodontics. You might have 12 – in which case you might get weary of paying orthodontic bills – not to mention the many checkup/adjustment appointments. Do what you can to correct your children’s teeth. Teeth are among the first things I look at when talking with someone – I can’t help it-- straight healthy teeth are a signal good health. Good healthy straight teeth will also boost your child’s self-confidence. Give your child every advantage you can. Correcting teeth is not a matter of vanity…not unless you make it that way. Be sure your child understands the right reasons for orthodontics.
 
40.png
demolitionman65:
The other side of this argument states that we are essentially engaging in vanity; that the appearance of teeth is not really an issue; this is akin to coloring one’s gray hair or wearing a great deal of make-up.
Click to expand...
Coloring one’s gray hair need not be a vain move. It can be the difference between hire or fire job decisions. Being perceived as old can cost a job. I suspect that crooked teeth can play a subtle role in the same process.

I have unattractive teeth. When I smile, people can notice that they are rather yellow. They work just fine, but my enamel is odd. They are not stained. They’ve always been this color. However, in some color pictures it can stand out. It usually doesn’t, though. People do react to these things.
 
I think it is also worth pointing out that giving your children every advantage to have a better life is not sinful. (Not spoiling our kids, but making life easier in little ways in their physical appearance). If your children look extremely different or odd because of their teeth, then straightening them would probably do some good. We have to take into account that if people treat them badly bacause of the way they look, it can perhaps damage them psychologically. And even later on in life, it could even help them get a job that they might have been discriminated against in getting or even lacked the confidence to go for. Never underestimate how powerful our appearance is. My daughter has ears that stick out very far from her head and I plan on having them “pinned back” by a plastic surgeon when she is old enough. You may think I am being vain about it, but I look at it as saving her from teasing later on.
 
I’m a firm believer in braces. Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you.

This is true in all walks of life, personal and professional.

It is a life-long investment in your child’s future.
 
Also, there are subtle things–mis-aligned teeth are more likely to be difficult to brush as thoroughly as they ought to be (resulting in cavities), mild adjustments in jaw motion made in order to chew food can bring on headaches … I am very glad I had braces when I was younger (I inherited my mom’s jaw size, my dad’s tooth size–had all four wisdom teeth and four other permanent teeth removed. You cannot tell by looking at my mouth that there should be more than 24 teeth in there.)
 
Well, someone has to disagree :). In general, the Catholic Church opposes purely cosmetic surgery. Braces are not as invasive as other forms of surgery, but they are still a fairly serious manipulation of one’s body for an aesthetic affect. Normally, cosmetic surgery would only be permissible under three circumstances:
  1. The surgery also somehow enhances a person’s health in some other way. So, if someone were having trouble chewing or brushing properly, braces would be appropriate.
  2. The surgery is repairing some sort of damage to the body. For instance, if someone had one’s teeth knocked around in a car accident, braces would be appropriate.
  3. The surgery is repairing some sort of defect in the body. In cosmetic surgery, this would include something like repairing a cleft palette or a very large birthmark. The question that one would need to ask here is whether the crookedness of the teeth were a serious enough defect relative to the invasiveness of the surgery. It’s almost impossible in surgeries like this to come up with general rules; one would need to examine each case.
One shouldn’t treat braces or other cosmetic surgery as completely morally neutral. In each case, the invasiveness of a surgery would need to be weight against the seriousness of the corrected defect.

There are other issues of prudence as well. There may be better ways to spend the money than on crooked teeth. However, this isn’t strictly speaking a moral question. Certainly, one should never feel obliged to undergo cosmetic surgery as opposed to other, commensurate goods.
 
40.png
JPIIFan:
Well, someone has to disagree :). In general, the Catholic Church opposes purely cosmetic surgery. Braces are not as invasive as other forms of surgery, but they are still a fairly serious manipulation of one’s body for an aesthetic affect. Normally, cosmetic surgery would only be permissible under three circumstances:
  1. The surgery also somehow enhances a person’s health in some other way. So, if someone were having trouble chewing or brushing properly, braces would be appropriate.
  2. The surgery is repairing some sort of damage to the body. For instance, if someone had one’s teeth knocked around in a car accident, braces would be appropriate.
  3. The surgery is repairing some sort of defect in the body. In cosmetic surgery, this would include something like repairing a cleft palette or a very large birthmark. The question that one would need to ask here is whether the crookedness of the teeth were a serious enough defect relative to the invasiveness of the surgery. It’s almost impossible in surgeries like this to come up with general rules; one would need to examine each case.
One shouldn’t treat braces or other cosmetic surgery as completely morally neutral. In each case, the invasiveness of a surgery would need to be weight against the seriousness of the corrected defect.

There are other issues of prudence as well. There may be better ways to spend the money than on crooked teeth. However, this isn’t strictly speaking a moral question. Certainly, one should never feel obliged to undergo cosmetic surgery as opposed to other, commensurate goods.
Click to expand...
Where is the “surgery” in braces. Using your argument nobody should be allowed to wear glasses or contact lenses!
 
40.png
thistle:
Where is the “surgery” in braces. Using your argument nobody should be allowed to wear glasses or contact lenses!
Click to expand...
Well, if they were glued on as a semi-permanent part of your body, they would be surgery. Moreoever, glasses and contact lenses correct a defect, so it would be licit, anyway.
 
40.png
JPIIFan:
Well, if they were glued on as a semi-permanent part of your body, they would be surgery. Moreoever, glasses and contact lenses correct a defect, so it would be licit, anyway.
Click to expand...
Teeth braces are correcting a defect!!
 
40.png
thistle:
Teeth braces are correcting a defect!!
Click to expand...
And a dental defect now can cause more major problems later.

Demolitionman65,
There is nothing morally wrong with correcting your childrens teeth. If you can afford to, without causing great hardship to your family, go for it.
 
40.png
JPIIFan:
Well, someone has to disagree :). In general, the Catholic Church opposes purely cosmetic surgery… . Certainly, one should never feel obliged to undergo cosmetic surgery as opposed to other, commensurate goods.
Click to expand...
Being in opposition to something does not necessarily mean something is illicit or immoral. The Church may be “in opposition” to something without saying it is immoral.
As far as wanting to feel good about oneself, there ,too, is nothing wrong. If finances are not an issue, then why not? I do think that some people get carried away in their search for “perfection” and then I would have a problem. But, goodness, braces are generally a help in the prevention of future problems. And try telling the child with some sort of facial deformity that it would be immoral to fix it.

There are far more serious issues to think about than braces.
Kathy
 
40.png
Katie1723:
Being in opposition to something does not necessarily mean something is illicit or immoral. The Church may be “in opposition” to something without saying it is immoral.
As far as wanting to feel good about oneself, there ,too, is nothing wrong. If finances are not an issue, then why not? I do think that some people get carried away in their search for “perfection” and then I would have a problem. But, goodness, braces are generally a help in the prevention of future problems. And try telling the child with some sort of facial deformity that it would be immoral to fix it.

There are far more serious issues to think about than braces.
Code: 
                       Kathy
Click to expand...
👍
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top