Braces: Morally licit or vain in application?

[Quaere_Verum]

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.

I too had this question when our dentist recommended orthodontics for our daughter. I asked the orthodontist about health reasons for braces. I was given a list including improving dental hygeine, ensuring proper teeth alignment which would avoid tooth and bone loss in the future, avoiding problems like TMJ, etc.

What I found most interesting was that the orthodontist was surprised I asked that question. She said she hadn’t been asked about health benefits in years which just shows that inspite of any health benefits orthodontics has become strictly viewed by the public as aesthetic.

I bet this smiley guy had braces when he was but a lad, and just look at the positive impact he’s had on CA forums. I guess there’s something to be said about your smile helping you get a job.

 

[JPIIFan]

Time out . I didn’t say it was wrong. I just said the invasiveness of the surgery needed to be weighed against the seriousness of the defect. In most cases, braces are okay. I’ve seen some pretty crooked teeth out there. Certainly, if someone is having trouble chewing food or with teeth cutting gums or with hygiene, that would be a defect. Each case really needs to be weighed, and I haven’t seen everyone’s dental x-rays.

What we do need to be wary of, though, is treating normal variance in our bodies like it was a defect. If it were a cultural norm right now to have perfectly round ears, that wouldn’t make oval ears a defect. Or, say, B-cup breasts are not a defect because D-cup breasts are more culturally loved. If slightly crooked teeth function just fine, in what sense are they defective, exactly?

All I’m saying is that we shouldn’t be having surgery performed on our bodies just to conform to aesthetic conventions.

 

[demolitionman65]

What we do need to be wary of, though, is treating normal variance in our bodies like it was a defect. If it were a cultural norm right now to have perfectly round ears, that wouldn’t make oval ears a defect. Or, say, B-cup breasts are not a defect because D-cup breasts are more culturally loved. If slightly crooked teeth function just fine, in what sense are they defective, exactly?

All I’m saying is that we shouldn’t be having surgery performed on our bodies just to conform to aesthetic conventions.

Thank you.

 

[sunnygirl807]

Speaking as a dental assistant, braces are in no way surgery. If your family can afford it, your child or children will benefit in the long run. If you decide you are not going to correct it, please, please, PLEASE make sure they brush and floss where the teeth overlap. Food can get trapped in those areas, leading to interproximal caries and/or gum disease. Also, I wouldn’t think it is vain at all.

 

[Petergee]

Braces may be necessary to align the bite properly, otherwise the child may not be able to eat hard or fibrous food. They may also help correct speech impediments (such as lisping or “spraying”).

In some cases if parents can’t afford braces the only alternative is to extract several teeth and hope the rest line up a bit better into the empty spaces. This is quite an ordeal for a child and is also a consideration re the “morality” of braces.

Also, speaking from experience, before committing to braces you should very seriously consider and discuss with your child whether s/he has the patience, determination etc to take the time to clean their teeth properly while wearing braces (much more difficult than normal teeth cleaning) after every meal or snack, avoid all sticky foods etc, otherwise cavities may develop under the braces; avoid all hard foods which may break the braces; and to faithfully wear their retainer if necessary every day for several years after the braces are removed (otherwise the teeth can move back towards their former position). If your child cannot/will not do this, s/he may end up with teeth which are no better or even worse than before the braces, and you will have simply wasted a lot of money.

 

[Traditional_Ang]

thistle:

Where is the “surgery” in braces. Using your argument nobody should be allowed to wear glasses or contact lenses!

Thisrle:

Orthodontia is often done by an Oral Surgeon. That aside, I didn’t have braces (or much in the way of dental work at all) as a child or as an young adult (finances). As a result, When my wisom teeth grew in, they were impacted in bone (talk about pain), I have bilateral TMJ and my mouth is a mess (food traps, etc.).

I have to really wonder now much of that stuff could have been prevented if my misaligned teeth would have been straightened out when I was a kid.

I would just say not to use the money that should be part of the family’s tithe, or donated to charity, or to do things that aren’t medically or dentally necessary.

In Christ, Michael

 

[Traditional_Ang]

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.

JPII Fan:

Please read my reply to thistle. It’s too late for me to have orthodontia now, but it would have made a tremendous difference on my quality of life for most of the last 20 years if I had had it.

I’m not talking about looks or cosmetic appearances - I’m talking about bilateral TMJ, 4 of 4 wisdom teeth impacted in bone, and I don’t know how many times I’ve bit my cheek.

I believe a case could be made that timely orthodontia would have been a moral good in my case in in others where the teeth were as badly misaligned as mine still are.

In Christ, Michael

 

[puzzleannie]

JPIIFan:

Well, someone has to disagree . In general, the Catholic Church opposes purely cosmetic surgery. .

could you please supply an authoritative source for this astounding statement.

 

[Petergee]

puzzleannie:

could you please supply an authoritative source for this astounding statement.

Although surgeons use the term “cosmetic” to describe any surgery done to correct disfigurement, many laypeople including probably Puzzleannie understand it to mean “vanity surgery”. As such it this statement is not astounding, but is in accord with eg CCC paras 2288, 2289, 2297.

 

[thistle]

Petergee:

Although surgeons use the term “cosmetic” to describe any surgery done to correct disfigurement, many laypeople including probably Puzzleannie understand it to mean “vanity surgery”. As such it this statement is not astounding, but is in accord with eg CCC paras 2288, 2289, 2297.

Are you trying to argue that its immoral for a burn victim to want plastic surgery to help correct disfigurement or a child to wear teeth braces to correct a problem that could lead to health problems?

 

[Petergee]

thistle:

Are you trying to argue that its immoral for a burn victim to want plastic surgery to help correct disfigurement or a child to wear teeth braces to correct a problem that could lead to health problems?

Of course not. How could you possibly reach such a ridiculous conclusion from what I said?

 

[Seatuck]

There is correlation between crooked-difficult to clean teeth and gum (periodontal) disease which leads to heart disease. Studies clearly show the link between the bacteria in the gums and heart ailments.

There are health benefits for braces that far outweigh the cosmetic.
Also , my children’s orthodondists patients range in age from schoolage to adults in thier 70’s. So apparently unless all teeth have been removed it’s never too late. My DH has them as part of a program to replace bone where it has been lost due to gum disease. I’ve seen the x-rays it’s working.

 

[thistle]

Petergee:

Of course not. How could you possibly reach such a ridiculous conclusion from what I said?

Quite simply from your post when you said it is not an astounding statement that the Church is against cosmetic surgery.
Obviously I read the meaning all wrong for which I apologise.

 

[puzzleannie]

Petergee:

Although surgeons use the term “cosmetic” to describe any surgery done to correct disfigurement, many laypeople including probably Puzzleannie understand it to mean “vanity surgery”. As such it this statement is not astounding, but is in accord with eg CCC paras 2288, 2289, 2297.

clean your glasses, those paragraphs, and that entire section, is silent on cosmetic surgery.

 

[thistle]

puzzleannie:

clean your glasses, those paragraphs, and that entire section, is silent on cosmetic surgery.

To reinforce your case I’ve copied the relevant paras below.

CCC 2288 Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God. We must take reasonable care of them, taking into account the needs of others and the common good.

Concern for the health of its citizens requires that society help in the attainment of living-conditions that allow them to grow and reach maturity: food and clothing, housing, health care, basic education, employment, and social assistance.

CCC 2289 If morality requires respect for the life of the body, it does not make it an absolute value. It rejects a neo-pagan notion that tends to promote the cult of the body, to sacrifice everything for it’s sake, to idolize physical perfection and success at sports. By its selective preference of the strong over the weak, such a conception can lead to the perversion of human relationships.

CCC 2297 Kidnapping and hostage taking bring on a reign of terror; by means of threats they subject their victims to intolerable pressures. They are morally wrong. Terrorism threatens, wounds, and kills indiscriminately; it is gravely against justice and charity. Torture which uses physical or moral violence to extract confessions, punish the guilty, frighten opponents, or satisfy hatred is contrary to respect for the person and for human dignity. Except when performed for strictly therapeutic medical reasons, directly intended amputations, mutilations, and sterilizations performed on innocent persons are against the moral law

 

[cheeto1]

I never got braces for my crooked teeth. My parents couldn’t
afford it so they had 8 teeth removed instead. This semi-
straightened the teeth. In the four places where permanent
teeth were removed, it is red and sensitive often.

Braces are for your health, the brilliant smile is just an added
benefit. Everyone with crooked teeth should have braces to
prevent gum disease. My sister had a big gap in her teeth,
I don’t think you need braces for that. Hers slowly grew together
on it’s own and she has beautiful healthy teeth.

I have a funny feeling someone is pinching their pennies. Don’t.
Your children’s health is worth it. You will be doing your part to
protect your child’s teeth from periodontal disease. When there
are crooked teeth, there are areas that simply cannot be cleaned
except by a professional.

 

[Pug]

Traditional Ang:

and I don’t know how many times I’ve bit my cheek.

Doesn’t everyone bite their cheek now and then? I usually have a line down the inside of my cheek from it. I thought that was just life? (I ought to have had braces as a child, but didn’t).

 

[JimCalvin]

Just my two cents, but most of the kids I grew up with would consider braces a huge penance.

I think it makes a good example of delayed gratification - something sorely lacking in our society today. Braces now and maybe get picked on at school (a little cross), and nice, healthy looking teeth later that boost confidence, massage the ego a bit, etc. (a little heaven).

 

[Petergee]

puzzleannie:

clean your glasses, those paragraphs, and that entire section, is silent on cosmetic surgery.

I didn’t say they talked about cosmetic surgery, I said that your statement that the Church is against “purely cosmetic surgery”, which I took you to mean “purely VANITY SURGERY” is “in accord” with these paragraphs. Sorry if I caused you offence by trying to defend you.

 

[_pro-life_teen]

this is one of the funniest things I have read on here:
Quaere Verum:

I bet this smiley guy had braces when he was but a lad, and just look at the positive impact he’s had on CA forums. I guess there’s something to be said about your smile helping you get a job.

but seriously, my teeth were HORRIBLY crooked- and I hated to smile, ESPECIALLY for pictures. (which was a bummer because I love life so much!) Thankfully I got braces in 7th grade!

Now, people know me as “the girl who is always smiling” and I think my smile is my best feature. (see “after” picture (sorry, no before picture- they don’t exist with me smiling))

A smile (or lack of) is the first thing most people notice about someone else; being able to smile definitely boosts your self-confidence, and helps in getting a job, etc. as other posters have noted.