My son is a rising senior in HS and applying to the USNA. He has braces which are scheduled to come off in 2 weeks (Yay!) so no problem there.
The odd thing is that he is missing his 2 adult lateral teeth -- kind of a birth defect as he had the baby teeth but no adult teeth to follow. The braces made space for adult-sized teeth, and his option is to have permanent implants or Maryland bridges (basically false teeth that will be bonded to the adjacent teeth). We have decided to hold off on implants since he is 17, and I know he is not finished growing.
We have an appointment with the dentist 3 days after the braces come off for his impressions for the Maryland bridges. The only other option would be to have false lateral teeth on his retainer, but then he'd have to wear the retainer 24/7 forever. He'll be in his retainers at night for life (I'm told), but after the first few months, he won't have to wear them during the day, just at night.
So my question is: How does the USNA feel about implants and/or permanent bridges? Is there any reason to think son would get DQ for this?
The odd thing is that he is missing his 2 adult lateral teeth -- kind of a birth defect as he had the baby teeth but no adult teeth to follow. The braces made space for adult-sized teeth, and his option is to have permanent implants or Maryland bridges (basically false teeth that will be bonded to the adjacent teeth). We have decided to hold off on implants since he is 17, and I know he is not finished growing.
We have an appointment with the dentist 3 days after the braces come off for his impressions for the Maryland bridges. The only other option would be to have false lateral teeth on his retainer, but then he'd have to wear the retainer 24/7 forever. He'll be in his retainers at night for life (I'm told), but after the first few months, he won't have to wear them during the day, just at night.
So my question is: How does the USNA feel about implants and/or permanent bridges? Is there any reason to think son would get DQ for this?