Does my orthodontist know what he's doing?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>I had to move about 3-4 months ago and got a new ortho (he’s the only one in town, which makes me think he doesn’t put effort into his patients, because there’s no competition). On my first appointment, my new ortho told me how my old ortho had used old brackets and made it sound like my old ortho had done a terrible job (which he hadn’t - he was listed a top 50 ortho in the region). Then while he was talking to me and working on my teeth at the same time, he accidentally broke one of my old brackets on my front tooth but realigned it completely wrong and now my two front teeth have become wayyyyy uneven. I asked him why my two front teeth were becoming more uneven, and he told me that that’s normal and that he’s going to shave off the unevenness and cut my gum to make it look even…he said this is a typical procedure because “brackets alone can’t make teeth straight.” Is he telling me the truth? I would believe this if my teeth were extremely crooked, but my teeth weren’t horrible to begin with, so I’m skeptical. Also, he charged me $400 apart from the transfer fee because my “old ortho didn’t provide him a good enough x-ray” but then he himself had to take it seven times because he couldn’t get it right. </p>

<p>I don’t mind the extra costs if this guy knows what he’s doing, but every appointment he takes about an hour just changing my wires and always doing things that seem unnecessary then charging me for it, and with my two front teeth becoming more uneven, I’m concerned. My right front tooth is lower than my left one, and my gum area is very uneven as well, in addition to the right one protruding out more than the left one to the extent that if I run my finger across my teeth it feels like one is in front of the other. It is so annoying to see my teeth getting weirder after having braces for 7 months now. He’s charging me almost $8000 + xray fees (for scans that don’t even show my teeth properly). My old ortho was charging me 5000.</p>

<p>I guess my biggest concern is the two front teeth - is it REALLY typical for an ortho to shave teeth off and cut the gum area to make it even? And I can’t imagine how that’s going to fix the issue of one of them protruding more than the other (horizontal front to back unevenness + vertical top to bottom unevenness)</p>

<p>any Orthodontists out there?</p>

<p>I’m paying for this myself with the money I’ve saved up from work, which makes me more upset…</p>

<p>(I waited 3 months to give him the benefit of the doubt and see if my teeth were getting better after having moved…but nope)</p>

2

<p>NO. THAT IS NOT NORMAL. Change. Drive further for a better ortho.</p>

3

<p>I don’t know diddly squat about teeth but I have been, many times, through medical procedures. Trust your instincts. You clearly need a second opinion – even if it takes some serious time and effort to get one. </p>

<p>You could also call your old dentist’s office and ask to send him an email describing your situation (you write very well!) – and get his opinion. </p>

<p>You can also sail into this current dentist’s office and request a copy of your records and most recent x rays. You could mail those to your old dentist and see what he says (or make numerous copies and send them to an assortment of dentists in the region). </p>

<p>Good luck. This sort of thing is very unnerving. Please continue to ask questions until you have a clear understanding of what is happening to your teeth and what your future options might be (I think I’d also check and see if the state dentistry board has any complaints on this guy).</p>

4

<p>Hmm… that sounds fishy to me. I had braces before and I never had to go through all the procedures like you did. I think you should go to a different orthodontist and have that person take a look; that way you can confirm if your current ortho is doing the right thing or not.</p>

5

<p>Agree with the other posters. The procedure you’ve described is not normal. If you can get back to your old orthodontist for a visit, it might be a good thing to do.</p>

6

<p>See another Ortho. I wouldn’t trust anyone who wanted to cut healthy teeth and healthy gum tissue.</p>

<p>This should be moved to the Parent Cafe’.</p>

7

<p>Sounds like your new ortho guy needs to pay his mortgage on that time share in Florida and is using you (and probably others like you) to finance it.</p>

8

<p>Ugh!! I can’t drive to my old ortho - he’s on the other coast…and I guess I could drive 3 hours to see another ortho. I will talk to him one last time to see what he REALLY plans to do with my teeth and if it sounds like he really has no plan then I’m going to move.</p>

<p>Also, his Christmas vacation is a month long and his voicemail says, “please call back when our office opens as we will not be checking this voicemail” </p>

<p>Who takes a month long christmas vacation?? and what if something happens to my teeth during that time?</p>

9

<p>Change to a different orthodontist. Based on what you’ve described in your posts, I wouldn’t trust this orthodontist to work on my teeth either. Don’t go back to that office for anything other than getting copies of your records to bring to a new orthodontist.</p>

10

<p>Change, change, change! This guy sounds like one of the worst I have ever heard of. Call your old ortho and talk to him if you want another opinion, and also ask him for a referral.</p>

11

<p>Gee, my teeth are perfectly straight after brackets alone. Run away from this guy.</p>

12

<p>Find someone else. I know that might not be easy but this is too serious and too expensive to make a mistake.</p>

13

<p>Run. Away.
Now.</p>

14

<p>Monthlong vacation, no voice mail, and no other ortho in town? Yikes!!! Run, drive, pedal or swim to another town to find a new specialist.</p>

15

<p>Definitely find someone else. I know plenty of people (myself included) whose teeth are beautifully straight after just brackets–and the things that come along with them (eg rubber bands). This guy sounds REALLY shifty…you might want to have the American Dental Association check him out also (or whoever is in charge of Orthodontists). He could be really scamming people, and braces aren’t something you want to take a chance on.</p>

16

<p>Sure it’s a long drive to somebody else…and you’ll have to go back and forth a lot. But it is easier and cheaper than having to have all the work re-done later. Don’t take chances. Change.</p>

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<p>While I agree that you should go with your instincts, please be aware of a few things before meeting with another orthodontist (I had braces myself as a kid three times due to a cleft palate, and each of my kids went through braces, one that required more intervention than just brackets).</p>

<p>First, just because an orthodontist is listed as being in the top 50, it doesn’t mean they don’t make mistakes (just saying, and not in any way meant to be construed as saying the new orthodontist is correct).</p>

<p>Second, different orthodontists use different philosophies in treating patients. Often times, there are ‘minimal’ interventions that will straighten your teeth, but in the long run not be the most permanent fix. After I saw the wonderful job my kids’ orthodontist did on them (he chose an earlier intervention and more aggressive treatment that did more than just make the teeth straight), I went to him for a consultation because I had teeth that were shifting and it was obvious over the long run, would cause problems. He could have made a fortune on me (it would have also required some more reconstructive surgery in my palate), but recommended instead that I utilize a night guard (I did have some issues with clenching during my sleep) that would also help keep the top teeth from shifting anymore. </p>

<p>I know someone, who at 47 years old is just getting braces because his two front teeth and upper teeth in general have shifted greatly. His orthodontist offered him a couple of different treatment options… one that would address the cosmetics of his top teeth, and one that would really address all of his bite problems. He has to pay for this out of pocket, and finances are an issue, so he is going with just the cosmetic intervention. It really shows that there is more than one way to treat a patient. Also, orthodontia is not just about straight teeth, it’s about properly aligning your teeth and jaw, hopefully to last a lifetime. You can have jaw issues at your age, with almost straight teeth, yet in 10-20 years develop TMJ. A good orthodontist will at least tell you what his philosophy is in treating a patient and why he recommends the treatment he is suggesting. </p>

<p>Why not get in touch with your old orthodontist and explain to him what’s been going on, and what the new orthodontist has told you. You must have a new dentist in your new area I’m guessing. Ask him for another referral. If he won’t give you one (no dentist should be only giving out one referral), I’d also find another dentist. </p>

<p>I have a good friend who is a dental hygienist and has worked for several dentists in our suburban area. She’s the one who initially told me years ago that, given two different orthodontists, you might get two very different opinions on treatment. So if you find a third for consultation, be prepared that the consultation might present things differently than the first two you saw.</p>

18

<p>The reason I haven’t ran away yet is because I did get referred to this ortho (not from my old ortho, but from a jaw surgeon that I’m seeing; speaking of which, I need to get jaw surgery too, which makes things so much more complicated).</p>

<p>I don’t think he’s a scam…he is certified and he has lots of patients (maybe because he’s the only one…) but they generally seem to be happy. He does do all the things “normal” orthos do - rubber bands, expanders, retainers, etc. </p>

<p>I will sit down with him one last time and ask him to explain to me in great detail what he plans to do. Then, I will take what he says and ask my old ortho and other orthos in the region and see if it’s a legitimate procedure.</p>

<p>If I do decide to move, how should I go about asking for my records? I’m generally not good with confronting people and stirring trouble. Should I be aggressive?</p>

19

<p>No, not aggressive, just assertive and business-like.</p>

<p>“I’d like a copy of my records, including all xrays, scans, and documentation of work that’s been done. When may I pick that up?”</p>

20

<p>Btw, if they ask <em>why</em> you want your records, you can simply say, “I make it a policy to have a copy of all my medical records.”</p>

<p>…Or, “We’re getting to the point where this is looking like a very significant financial investment. Before I commit to it further, I plan to get a second opinion.”</p>

<p>I know and work with many medical professionals. They have no problem with patients getting 2nd opinions…in fact many encourage it. If the office balks in any way at your request, that’s a red-flag IMO.</p>