Are orthodontics worth it?

[Dicey]

It is a hesitation because he's going to need a lot of supervision with cleaning, it may be difficult for him to cope with. 

The WaterPik is your (and his) friend. Not the cordless version, though. I bought one (saving one's teeth is very mustachian) and it's just not as effective. Just budget it into the cost of the orthodontia as it's pointless to spend money on braces and emerge with stained teeth or worse, cavities.

[mathlete]

Yes.

I had braces TWICE growing up and it was awful. Wouldn't trade my smile for a million bucks though.

[Thegoblinchief]

I don't get the social stigma aspect. My wife has horribly crooked teeth and is among the most successful people in her company. Probably THE most successful, factoring in age.

To the OP's actual dilemma, more opinions. There's also a very good dental school in the area. Not sure if they do orthodontics or not - I'll have to look into that for my oldest when time comes.

[I'm a red panda]

I don't get the social stigma aspect. My wife has horribly crooked teeth and is among the most successful people in her company. Probably THE most successful, factoring in age.

She would be an outlier.

Look at the C-level of fortune 500 companies.  Most have decent teeth. 
And if you filter out those who are over 50, not only are they expected to be straight- but WHITE, blinding white. (I hate that...teeth are not meant to be neon.)

[Cassie]

2 of my 3 boys needed braces for buck teeth. They never wore their retainers as adults & their teeth have stayed fixed.  My bottom teeth are crooked & too close together & I have had tons of cavities & crowns, etc so I would do it. I would change dentists because if he is not willing to talk to you that is terrible & I would not have confidence in him. It may just be a $ mill.

[galliver]

Just wanted to chip in as someone who didn't have braces and doesn't regret it. I don't have perfect teeth,  but I would say the difference between "my house looks like a hotel" and "clean but lived-in". You can tell they haven't been "braced" but I don't think anyone has ever actually called them crooked or ugly. And FWIW, I think they were worse when I was a kid, but straightened themselves out, mostly. I have bigger "problems" with staining from tea/coffee/wine (because putting whitening chemicals in my mouth seems gross) and and remembering to floss because I wasn't taught/required to as a child :(

However, OP, it sounds like your son's teeth situation is very different in that he actually needs it for health reasons (jaw and facial muscle development, ability to eat diverse foods, ability to clean teeth well, etc). That would definitely qualify as "worth it," where "it" also includes the extra effort to supervise hygiene habits. Which are important anyway...it's shocking how many adults don't brush 2x daily. Or even once.

Oh, and finally...haven't dealt with ortho offices, but I expect this transfers: my bf and I have different dentists (different insurance and we wanted offices near work), and our experiences were WORLDS apart. Mine was exactly what I expected, high level of care, lots of time with doctor...his...was administratively mismanaged and uncomfortable, although the cleaning and fillings seem fine so far. Basically: it matters.

[Pigeon]

Re the different offices, keep in mind that you will be taking your kid there with some frequency, so distance/convenience might be a factor.

[Bruinguy]

I'll throw in my experience.  I have an underbite that was supposed to require braces and surgery to fix.  My parents didn't have the money for surgery, so I wasn't given the option to do it while a kid.  I eventually looked into it for my self in my early 30s.  I eventually opted to go for braces, but skip the surgery.  Looking back, I wish my parents would have explored options less than surgery as I would have preferred to address it younger.  But, who knows, they may not have been able to afford just braces either.

It didn't help that the orthodontist had pictures of his expensive skiing trips on the wall...

[CheapskateWife]

They might not seem worth it to you, but to them (and maybe much later down the road) they will appreciate having a straight attractive smile.

The world is horribly unfair, and looks do matter.  Lovely straight and clean teeth are a sign of a successful background, perhaps even some mild affluence.   

I am a horrible human being; and find crooked teeth rather unattractive.  We all have seen the surveys about how attractive people tend to be more successful, blah, blah....slap some metal on that face; the kid will get over it.

[TrulyStashin]

Regarding the younger kids, why not just take that as it comes?

One of the reasons that braces are a thing for kids only after about age 11 or 12 is that prior to that age, teeth are coming and going and their alignment is still changing.  You won't know what your youngers need until they get older.

Meanwhile, you will have learned a lot while undergoing Older's braces and you'll be able to decide then.

As my SIL once told me -- don't "pre-worry" about it.  ;)   This will be a great opportunity for your son to practice responsibility skills and with the right coaching, it will be a good tool for his growth and maturity. 

Good luck!