lingual disaster...can I get a refund? Please help!

[jenwired]

Hi all,
I'm new here but have had lingual braces for FIVE years now. I am about to lose it on my ortho and need advice.

Here's the background: I was told (in writing) it would take approximately 16 months. I now wish I had never gotten braces...my teeth were not even that bad to begin with! My top teeth looked great and my bottoms were crowded in but hardly seen as my lower lip covers them. I had asked about getting braces on my bottom teeth only but was told that I would need on top and bottom since my bite would change. My uppers were removed after about 2.5 years of treatment. Obviously I am not a dental professional but my case seems like it should have been very easy, fast and straight forward. I was never told (and still have not been told) that I have an unusual case that would cause difficulties. My bottoms have never looked that great since being in treatment but they have looked better that when I started at times, however it seems they always get worse again. Last Wednesday I had an adjustment and was so frustrated since my teeth looked worse than when I started. He ended up putting on metal braces after 5 years of linguals and I was told it should be another 3 or 4 months.

I am so angry. I am angry at myself for ever getting braces and mostly for waiting this long to get royally pissed at my ortho and inganswers and a partial refund. I am also angry at my ortho of course. To be fair to him I have been very "compliant" and have not questioned the treatment too much until now. I really don;t think it hit me how long I had had my braces on and I kept being told "one more adjustment" again and again. Once you are in it that long you think surely the next time will really be it. Ugh. The time never came and I am just so ready to be done with these things!

I have been taking off work for FIVE years now. I have a baby now and have to get a sitter if it my day off. I feel that he should have never put on lingual braces if he could not get the results. I am also pissed he didn't put on outer braces sooner and instead strung me along for FIVE years. I want a partial refund. My original plan was to ask for the difference between the bottom linguals and the outer metal brackets I have now but I went through my records and the quotes were only about $200 different for lingual tops/ lingual bottoms and lingual tops/outer metal bottoms. I just don't feel $200 cuts it at this point. If I was told I need outer braces on my bottom teeth I would have never gotten braces in the first place.

Any advice on how to best approach this? By the way, I paid in full by the end of the 16 months per the contract.

I want to write a letter asap!

[maxhammer]

You should tell him you wanted results close to or similar to the contract you signed (16 months), and 5 years is well beyond that etc. Tell him you'd like a partial refund because of that. If he says no, write bad reviews about him online.

[diegorgeous]

5 years, you have got to be kiddng me?? . How did you deal with those things behind your teeth for that long?? He better give you a full refund