What happened at your 1st apt? Need advice please

[Flamingo]

Hi
I've just had my 1st consultation with an orthodontist. I went in feeling really optimistic but now feel completely deflated and wondering if i'm doing the right thing by embarking with braces
The appointment just didn't go how i imagined and i'm not sure if i just expected too much so i'd really appreciate some opinions from people who have "been there & done that".....
Bearing in mind this was my 1st apt. the Ortho didn't even introduce himself just told me to sit down and asked what i wanted. He started looking in my mouth and calling out various numbers etc to the dental nurse but didn't once explain what he was measuring/recording etc
When he took picture of my teeth he was really rough when putting in the plastic clamps to hold open my lips in my mouth - my mouth and lips were really sore afterwards - is this normal?
He then started saying that i could have 4 teeth extracted in order to get the end result of a "flat profile" or i could leave the teeth in and "have the teeth slightly more prominent with a fuller smile" - not really sure what he mean by either of these and by way of explanation he said that if at the end of the treatment i felt me teeth"looked like a horse we could remove the 4 teeth and extend the treatment to close the gaps".
I have to go back next week to see what options are available to me, costs etc.
I also had x-rays.
Plus, his own teeth were appalling - so crooked and overcrowded - not the best advertisement for an Orthodontist!!!
I'm really not filled with confidence by this guy. Would i be advised to seek a second opinion?
Any advice would be gratefully received - sorry for the long post

[ashesgap]

EEEEEK! Run. lol.
If your first meeting was this bad, why would you go back for two years? And his teeth are icky? EW.
I had a vet for my dog that had horrible bedside manner with people, but was fantastic with my dog, so we stuck with him. But if he had been a jerk, and bad with the dog, we would have moved on to another. I'm the same way with my docs. I can put up with a lot of junk if the person knows what they are doing and makes me feel confident in them...but if he's a jerk, has icky teeth, and is a little ruff....no way.
Get a second and third opinion...which you should do anyways. Just disregard that first guy as an option.

[hal2me]

Hi Flamingo,

If you are not comfortable with this orthodontist, find another one. My ortho sat me down and spoke to me about treatment. Then he had me make another appointment to come back to have the molds and X-rays done. You need to feel 100% comfortable with your ortho. I highly recommend to keep looking until you find the right one.

Besides, an orthodontist with bad teeth is like going to a hairstylist with a bad perm

Best wishes to you!!!

[suzyscientist]

Hi Flamingo,

Ditto what hal2me and ashesgap said - get another opinion! It doesn't sound like this ortho is very nice

You will need to go back and see the ortho lots throughout your treatment, and if you aren't happy with him now I doubt you will feel better when you pay him lots of money to be rude to you!

It is a good idea to get other opinions anyway. My first appointment went like this:
1. Met by nurse who called me by name and introduced herself. Took me to see consultant.
2. Consultant introduced herself and said what she did. Then she asked what brought me to see an orthodontist.
3. Consultant and nurse told me the possibilities - orthodontics, surgery or both - and then asked if I wanted to continue and get records taken so they could decide what treatment I needed.
4. I said yes, so nurse took me to xray room to get xrays. Consultant showed me xrays and highlighed the areas where she saw the problem (lower jaw).
5. Next I got molds taken - these took time but consultant showed me a mold of a generic class-3 bite (which I have) and demonstrated what the surgery would do. Then she showed me a mock-up of teeth with braces.
6. Consultant told me to go and think about it, then come back in a few weeks with a friend or boyfriend to take notes.

So, I felt totally comfortable, totally informed and was happy to go back and see the ortho and now I'm almost 2 months into treatment.

I see a surgeon as well - I need ortho and surgery - and he is grumpy and he doesn't make eye contact, but he's one of the best so I don't mind - he answers all my questions and makes me feel confident even though his bedside manner was bad.

Don't be discouraged by a bad ortho! The right orthodontist is out there for you, so don't let this guy make you feel deflated. If you aren't happy with your teeth then follow your instincts!

Good luck

Suzy

[LC'sTeefs]

Oh my! Are you sure he was the actual Ortho? Are you sure he wasn't the janitor playing doctor? LOL...just kidding!
I went in for my 1st consult and felt very much at ease...even though I was nervous about looking like a fool at my age. Everyone treated me with respect and explained everything to me in detail. We did the extensive xrays and molds at that time. The ortho asked me what I wanted to accomplish with this process, and I told him that I wanted my overbite taken care of. I also told him that I was just checking into what could be done -if anything at all- and that I hadn't really made any decisions one way or the other to get braces.
They had me come back a week later to discuss the treatment plan. He had actually worked up 3 different plans and they were all explained to me in detail with predictions on what the outcome would be for each. They showed me all the xrays and the molds, and used them to explain what could be done, and what I would have to do to get a perfect bite.
I had to get one root canal and have 4 teeth pulled, and have implant surgery before the braces were put on my teeth.
I am a little over 7 months in, and I love going to the orthodontist office each time. Everyone is so nice and makes a point to say hi to everyone. My teeth look like crap right now...the "it gets bad before it gets better" thing going on....but someone always says how pretty I look today, or wow your teeth are looking terrific!
Please consider a second or even a third opinion. Check around for references on orthos. You can even check the BBB to make sure you're not getting into a bad situation before it's too late. Most of all.....listen to your gut. You already know it's bad with that ortho, and you're not going to be happy in that situation.
Good luck to you!!
LC

[TumbleDryLow]

Always get more than one opinion.
Not liking an orthodontists bed-side manner is one of the best reasons not to choose him or her.

[llehsal]

Hi Hi, Flamingo. I had three consulations. One of them was similiar to what you went through. All three consults were different, some I had to wait till another appointment to do the X-rays and stuff, the other one I did all one time. Thing is, you need to get more opinions as others have posted.

I am about to be braced soon , and similiar to what the ortho told you (see my story below), if I removed four of my teeth I would have a flatter profile, or one that has changed somewhat, either for the better or worse. The other was to take out one of my front teeth at the bottom (I have crowding) and have a fuller smile (meaning my overjet would not be fully gone). I chose the latter.

Please see other orthodontists for your own safety. This may have been just one bad ortho. You will find someone you like and trust once you keep looking

Keep us posted

Shelby

[Kimbo416]

I just went yesterday to my 1st appointment and the dentist was so awesome and his teeth were so white and perfect. made me feel so at ease and very knowledgable but more importantly, spoke in a manner i would understand.

i get my braces put on in 2 weeks and super looking forward to it and the dentist was a big part of that anticipation. i would definitely reconsider given your situation...

[psych braces]

I completely agree with tumbledry. Do you feel like the ortho even tried to establish rapport? If no effort went into making you feel comfortable I would see that as a complete lack of respect, no professional has the right to treat patient/client this way. You will be uncomfortable asking questions and may never feel "part" of the treatment. It's a long haul...so begin it elsewhere.

[Flamingo]

Thank you so much for all of your advice / input.
i went back today for the follow up apt. with the same Ortho - only because i'd already paid for it I also though it would be interesting to be able to compare what he said, with what others say.
I'm definitely not going with him. During this apt. he just seemed so money orientated - he didn't even tell me how long the treatment would last for, i had to ask!!!
He quoted £3500 for ceramic braces (top & bottom) for 3 years - it will be interesting to see how this compares to what others say........

[Theresa48]

Ya know, I wasn't completely thrilled with my first "braces on" visit.
Before for the consult it was awsome! Then for the mold part, it was pretty good too.
Then the "big day", I'm escorted in to what is pretty much a braces factory...my insurance would only pay for this place, Dr McClurg's in Sacramento...so I was pretty stuck, but also pretty OK with it since all they do is braces. I wished the technician would have talked to me throughout the process instead of some other technician in the other stall about ordering or whatever, but that said, I also felt pretty confidant in what she was doing. I don't think it occurred to her, in her defense, that this was a very very VERY big deal and I was on the verge of crying. She does this all day every day, so it probably is a little boring.
The ortho was nice enough, coming over to check on things. I actually had to stop her from starting so I could talk to him first about my "plan".
I am interested in what will happen in the next visit!
The people in the office are incredibly kind! (but they are not orthodontists)

[tonyavicci]

i would definitely try to get more opinions, defnitely don't want to go with an ortho you're uncomfortable with, try to get an ortho that is friendly, and explains what they're doing, and what they expect to accomplish when you're done with braces, i love my ortho, she's so friendly and recommended by my dentist and oral surgeon, hope you can find that