My son is 12.5 years old, we’re looking into grade 9 BS in Fall 2022. If he gets braces now, the process will take at least 1 year(very optimistic nearly impossible). I think it is actually more like a year and a half to say the least.
How does everyone handle this? Invisalign? I’m not sure kiddo can follow through correctly.
Our son did normal braces during end of 9th and 10th grades. He spent 11th grade forgetting to wear his retainer, like every teenager. Orthodontist appointments were during his visits home, so it just took a little longer than normal. He had minor issues, like a broken bracket, but it just waited until the next appointment to get fixed. Any major issues would have been handled by a local orthodontist.
Invisalign is only an option for some alignment issues, but cannot always replace conventional braces.
Broken brackets I got taken care of at school. I am sure every school has a list the of nearby orthodontists. This is an issue that is very common.
So to sum up. Traditional braces. Treatment from orthodontist at home. Emergencies handled by orthodontist at school.
Also, because the visits to the orthodontist are less frequent than for keeping us attending LPS, treatment time is often, but not always, longer.
This is a great place to mention that bs have regular breaks, and students do make it home multiple times in the year.
I took a lot of comfort from one school’s observation on its website that if you count Parents Weekends, you will see your kid every six weeks or so.
There’s a couple of long stretches where they don’t come home - 2.5 months at the beginning and end of the year - but well-scheduled ortho appointments minimize the delay caused by those stretches.
Many or most students make it home multiple times per year. But not all.
Quietly sobbing in the corner. 
Lol. I thought of you, and many other international students, as I wrote that. Braces would be trickier for them.
At orthodontist this morning to see if kiddo needs braces before he starts boarding school and saw the thread. From initial consultation, it looks like traditional braces are safer way than Invisalign for kids who might forget the braces at gym, dorm, etc.
I think consulting with the orthodontist about the treatment plan and working around breaks for braces would be better than Invisalign.
Regarding Invisalign:
Our orthodontist talked us into Invisalign and
I do regret it. I was worried that DS would lose them and was reassured that since they change aligners weekly that that wasn’t a major concern. However he forgets to actually wear them! So where he should have been done inside of 2 years has now stretched into a 3rd year and I feel like there’s no end in sight!
One of my kids had traditional braces and while they thought it would take 18 months, hers only took 12. She was a perfect patient, always wore her rubber bands and the night brace, never ate the bad things, never broke a bracket. She really is kind of a teeth freak. My nephew who had them at the same time was at the ortho almost every month for a broken bracket.
Other daughter had invisaline and we moved fairly close to the beginning of the program. Because it is paid up front, it actually worked out pretty well for us. She got all the trays, and in the year or more she wore them, she only went back to that ortho 2 or 3 times (had to fly back to California and got to visit her friends too). I think I had to pay our new dentist for her retainers.
Once we said our kiddo is heading to boarding school, the orthodontist said it is better not to go with Invisalign. He chose the clear ceramic wire option and just had them installed! After reading your post, I’m glad we went with a more traditional way.
My daughter was away 4 yrs in the next state. She had braces all 4 yrs. We scheduled appts. just as she returned and just before leaving for breaks. On occasion I had to drive 2.5 hrs to get her in A.M., drive back home to nearby orthodontist and 5 hrs round trip again to get her back to school by dinner. Not easy but worth it for any ortho problems. Dr. was flexible. During covid they had her pickup a plastic expansion tool to widen her mouth to take selfies of her teeth and email to dentist. Worked out fine. We were given an orthodontic tool kit in zipper case, she needed pliers, etc. to pull out a broken wire. Had a problem late at night with no help but dorm parent. Amazon has kits and tools to use temporarily. If too far from home, the school can refer you to local orthodontist for repairs and you can communicate with Dr. for billing etc. For a dentist, we scheduled cleanings at Christmas as needed and in June. Sometimes we paid for extra cleanings and she used orange Placker flossers at night (Walmart).
Indeed. Mine wasn’t wearing aligners at home. I’m scared to think what will happen when he goes to BS next month. But too late ans too costly to change now!
I’m trying to work out all the pieces of puzzle in my head as we discuss about application. We’re american living overseas so this is going to be a challenge 
kiddo can probably go back to my brother in CO should he need to see other ortho but I know how much work it is with braces(daughter went almost every month). I wonder what other international students do in similar situation.
See my first post on the thread
See my first post on the thread