Sunshiney Saga

[SunshineRay]

I thought it would be easiest to copy my posts from the main board onto my own space here. So you may have already read some of this.

I am 38, married with kids. I think I’m pretty except for my smile. I can still remember someone in high school actually saying that. I overheard her say that I was pretty until I opened my mouth. I’ve carried that around over 20 yrs. I never laugh…..I feel like there’s a whole other person inside of me that no one sees because I hold back. I feel like an idiot when people are laughing and I just kinda smirk. I don’t laugh unless I’m around the kids. My husband thinks I’m miserable most of the time…..I guess my teeth always bothered me but I had youth on my side and now that I’m getting older my looks are too. Geesh sounds like I’m having a mid-life crisis.

We have 2 girls who will be needing braces in the next year or so. I sometimes think how it would be me wasting money since they need them. My dentist said if I got mine on now they would be coming off around the time the oldest needed to get hers on. My husband has no idea that my teeth bother me. I’ve only talked about it on here and with my oldest daughter.

Then I think that I’ve made it 38 yrs with teeth this way and that’s half my life so why bother now. Until I’m around people and feel all awkward.

A friend just asked me to be in her wedding in August and all I could think was I will ruin it. I won’t be smiling walking down the aisle and will ruin the pics. I practice trying to take good pics. If the camera is farther away you can’t see my overbite and my teeth look straight. (overbite and space in between 2 front teeth)

[SunshineRay]

My dentist wants $700 to do the molds/xrays/treatment plan/consult. Some of that money gets put towards the braces if you choose to go with them. I am very comfy with this dentist (he does ortho too) but know that he’s expensive. I had a free consult with another ortho and while I liked what he said (somewhat) I didn’t like him or his office. He was kinda rude asking if I just woke up one morning and didn’t like my teeth….I forget his exact words but I took it as I’m old, why bother. His office is one room with a bunch of chairs so it’s all open. I didn’t ask a lot of questions because it was embarrassing. He quoted me $4800 for bottom braces for 2 yrs and on the top would be a thing that looked like a retainer that is behind my teeth. I said I had never seen one behind the teeth and he said he created it….hmmm? I really liked that idea because my teeth would be moving yet no one would see it…..that thing for a year and then regular braces on top for a yr. I emailed my dentist office and asked if they did something like the retainer thing and I never got an answer after being sent to the ortho assistant.

I think the $700 is a lot for a consult. If I go with this office then the money will be put toward my braces.....if I go somewhere else or just dont do it then I lose the money. I am very comfy with the office but I cant make myself pay the $700 in case I back out. I live in a very small town. Most of the dentists offices do everything....general, ortho, cosmetic etc. The closest city that would have ortho only dentists would probably be at least an hour away.

A co-worker was just telling me about her daughters visit to the rude ortho I went to. We have the same insurance so he was her only choice. She doesnt know that I went. He quoted her daughter the same price as me. She did say he was a little odd but thats the only option she has and her daughter didnt mind him.

I made another free consultation for Feb 18th. Still havent heard back from my regular dentist. Grrr! Ive decided that Im going to tell my husband about all this over the weekend. I just feel like admitting it makes me imperfect or something.....obviously he lives with me and knows Im not perfect.

Oh I have other issues too. I have a bad bite, overbite, narrow top jaw and will need an implant after braces from a tooth that was pulled and shouldnt have been. My mouth is kind of a mess right now but I hide it well.

I imagine getting braced and coming to work feeling super awkward. I have anxiety anyway so just to think about it makes me anxious. I know it would go away after a few days but just the initial time, ugh. Has anyone else overcome these feelings and went forward with getting braced?

[SunshineRay]

I have made up my mind that I am getting braces. Ive met with 4 orthos. The first and last have the same exact treatment plan.

1- I didnt care for the office but it was the first and I didnt know if I would really go through with this.
4- is my regular dentist who does ortho. I am totally comfy there and everyone knows me. I dont know if thats worth $2000 though. Also my insurance doesnt cover anything for me but my daughter will be getting braces next year and the first ortho is the only one that is covered so she will most likely have to go there unless something changes with my insurance.

2 was ok but they are similar in price to 4, my dentist....so if I was going to pay the extra I would go with mine.
3 suggested jaw surgery when none of the others did. He basically said he couldnt help me and I needed surgery. (he did not have my xrays etc like 2 and 4 did. He doesnt correct bites unless it can be done by strictly braces. He is not a very well known ortho....I found him in with an internet search.)

My issues are that my lower jaw needs to come forward and my upper arch needs to be widened.

forgot to mention the treatment plan that 1 and 4 want to do---Appliance to widen my top arch and teeth for 1 year and then braces on top for 1 year. Full braces on the bottom for 2 yrs to move my teeth forward.

[SunshineRay]

hmm a long post didnt go through with the ortho 1 drama.
I have another consult this Thursday and then next week will be the last ortho left in my town. lol

[SunshineRay]

I had another consult today and Im kinda depressed from it. They said that basically I could get braces on the top for 1 yr that would round my overbite out but it would still be there and they dont know if that would make me happy. They were super nice and the best place that Ive been so far (up to 5 I think?) They did mention surgery saying thats the only way to expand my arch and an appliance wouldnt help. Both the ortho and assistant said that they probably wouldnt go the surgery route.

I feel like Im broken and just cant be fixed. I am not up for surgery.

[Tobilei]

Hi I've just read through all your posts. I spent my teenage years in a small town and while I wasn't braced at that time, my little brother was. Much like you it was choose the only ortho in town or drive at least 1 hour 45 minutes to get to one in a larger town.

With your dentist who does ortho who's asking for the extra $2000 (the one you feel comfy with), has he mentioned surgery? I think an overbite of only a few mm isn't really very much and will likely not be noticable to anyone else. You said they could possibly expand your arch with an appliance, would that help the overbite at all or would they have to use that and then it would still be a few mm out? (Sorry for asking so many questions).

I empathize with your decision. It's overwhelming sometimes.

[braceface74]

hi sunshine, I was 38 when i started in braces last year but basically went with the first ortho i seen so can't offer much help but think that you sound like you would prefer the expensive ortho but are having a hard time justifying the price?! To me, if they are able to offer you what sounds like the best option then go for it . Would you be able to pay in installments? Can you not get a basic consultation with the expensive dentist so you can get a feel for what they could offer before going for the $700 ?

Good luck, i look forward to hearing what you decide

[SunshineRay]

Im back. To sum it up, I had 6 consultations and picked the very last one. The staff is nice and comforting, the treatment plan is the best of them all, hes the cheapest (kind of) and offered the least amount of time in braces.

Soooo. I had my records consult, I did the molds and xrays and I was supposed to go yesterday to go over the exact treatment plan after reviewing the molds. The office cancelled on me because they had just received the call from the dentist who will be doing my extractions and wanted a few more days to finalize my plan after speaking to the dentist.

I have to have 2 top teeth pulled then braces on the top only for 1 yr which will correct my overjet. The problem is my lower teeth are straight and in place but I am missing 2 (long story, poor past dentistry) on the bottom. The ortho has heard of being able to take teeth from one spot and put into another.....I'm willing to listen but this all seems far fetched to me. The other option is implants or bridge. This all has nothing to do with straightening my teeth but it improves my bite and is for my overall health, etc.

I am due to go in Tue at 11am for the finalization. I just want to get my brace date and get this going!

[SunshineRay]

I have no patience. I just want to get in and start this process. I may regret that once they say its time but thats how Im feeling now.

[SunshineRay]

I cried when I left the ortho office yesterday. I just want to have the braces put on and get on with this. I have had some bad dental work done in the past and that needs to be straightened out before we go any further. There was even talk of going to the dental board about things that my dentist has done.....pulled unnecessary teeth etc. I know my mouth is a mess but Im afraid Im going to chicken out if they keep putting this off. Sooooo now I have an appt to see an oral surgeon next Tuesday. The problem is he needs to extract 2 teeth from the top but Im missing teeth on the bottom (not visible) instead of getting implants hes talked to the surgeon about pulling the 2 teeth and implanting them on the bottom. I kind of just want to get a bridge and get it over with....that seems the easiest and cheapest.

[Chicken]

I feel for you. It sounds like you have had a rough time over the past few months. I started my process at the end of January this year and I needed some dental work and surgery prior to having braces. I finally got the upper on March 6th and the lower brace last week. Once you get the ball rolling and get the preparation work out of the way, everything will start moving into place for you. It sounds great if the oral surgeon can use your own teeth for implants. Much better than a foreign object. Keep us posted and let us know how you get on. Good luck!

[SunshineRay]

I had my appt with the oral surgeon yesterday and I swear I have the worst luck. lol

I sign my registration papers, they copy my insurance card and all the new person stuff. Im sitting right by the window and Im hearing all the talk between the office ladies. They cant find my stuff that the ortho was to send over. They call the ortho and the lady who sent it wasnt in so they continue to scramble. I hear them miss pronouncing my name.....using an S where an F should be but I think surely they have all my info so thats not the problem. Yeah it was. The ortho lady called back and said yeah we sent her stuff and it was not until then that they figured out the last name issue.

I talk to the surgeon and he was nice. I find out that even though their website says they take my insurance they really dont. At this point you just have to laugh. Or cry. I spoke to the payment lady and she gave me a price of what it would cost for the 'tooth transplantation'. My insurance not only isnt accepted there but this isnt a covered expense. So its $1200, not including the root canal that would need to be done on both teeth by a different dentist.....so probably another $1500. I dont know the root canal exact cost until I would meet with that dentist. So now we have an ortho, oral surgeon and dentist all working together on this. Oh and the tooth transplantation only works 1 in 4 patients but its worth a try and nothing to waste. MY MONEY!

As I'm walking out the nurse hands me 3 rx's and I pay no attention to them because Im hurrying to get back to work. I just think they are for the procedure and they are proactive by giving them to me now. Plus my head was spinning from all this needed work. So I get back to work and look at the rx's.......they arent for me, the name is nowhere close to my name.....at all. I call the office and let them know. She asks me to bring them back, uh no, Im at work now. She asks me to drop them off later, uh no, I never go to the area the dentist is.....Im like, I can shred them and she says how about mailing them. At this point Im a little witchy because this wasnt my fault and obviously this office is just disorganized from my name to these wrong rx's.

I called my ortho yesterday afternoon and asked the staff member that Ive been dealing with if I can just get this tooth pulled and get a bridge for my bottom missing teeth. Shes supposed to talk to the ortho today and call me back. Im about ready to give up on all of this. No wonder my mouth is a mess.....no dentist in my area has any idea what they are doing.

[Tobilei]

Ugh, I'm sorry you're having such a tough time. I don't blame you for feeling like giving up, I think I'd feel that way too. I think if you pursue it though, the end result will be worth the stress and agony of going through what you are right now.

If it were me, I would have been complaining before I walked in to see the oral surgeon that their website clearly states they take my insurance and that they should honour that because I wouldn't have made the appointment if I thought they didn't.

It's totally up to you if you decide you want to attempt the transplant. What is recommended isn't always what we can afford (or be brave enough) to go ahead with. I am due for an implant at the end of my treatment but after the cost of my braces, my 13 year olds plate and braces, my twin 10 year olds braces and my husbands retainer we'll have spent over $20 000 on orthodontics that we didn't really have to begin with so I might be choosing a cheaper option, even if it isn't the best choice in my ortho's eyes. Go with what you feel comfortable with and if having upper teeth pulled and transplanted isn't it, don't do it.

Good luck with it all!

[SunshineRay]

Thanks and you are exactly right. The ortho is friends with the oral surgeon so he was really pushing that route but after all of this disorganization that happend in my 10 mins at the office.....no way. Ive already made enough dental mistakes and they looked like another one waiting to happen. The ortho patient coordinator called me back yesterday and she said the ortho will do braces without the transplantation and I could think about it. I told her I had and thats the route I want to go.....like you, I have 2 daughters who need braces in the next year. I dont want to half way do mine but its this way or not at all right now.

[Tobilei]

I'm glad you've come to a decision Good luck with the next step (is the next step getting the braces on?)

And yep, I think ortho's forget that some of us have budgets. My husband went in to ask about a retainer to stop a single tooth from moving any more than it has (which is a tiny bit, hardly noticable and on the bottom arch) and the next minute the ortho is talking invisalign etc (about $7000 worth of treatment). I think both of our eyes nearly fell out of our heads.