How did you know when you found the right orthodontist?

[plugnickel69]

Get the three, then reconsider your options depending upon what they say, but get at least three. Good luck!

[hopeful2011]

I recently completed a search for a new orthodontist because I found out the DDS I was going to wasn't board certified and he essentially admitted he was not-and had not been-sure how to correct my problem for a while .

Ortho #1: I payed $55 for this consultation. He and his staff were wonderful and I had a great feeling about the place. He set a very high bar for the ensuing consultations and I would have had no qualms about going to him (if not for the last consultation I had). He diagnosed me with a crossbite on the right and left sides, and an overjet. Treatment time estimate was 18 months. He said surgery may be needed to correct the problem, but that he doesn't like to push procedures on his patients. In other words, if I didn't want a surgery, he would do what he could. I felt comfortable with him and he seemed very knowledgeable.

Ortho #2: I paid $0 for this consultation. I really wanted to like this orthodontist because she is a woman, and I thought it would be cool to have a female ortho (yes, I have feminist leanings ). I got this commercially attitude from her and the staff though. The way she sold herself sounded really gimmicky to me and it reminded me of my first experience. She also didn't give me a full exam. She just asked me to smile and open my mouth, and said she couldn't give details about what kind of treatment I'd need without a full exam. I chose to bypass her practice as an option. The upside is it was free, which I guess makes the cursory exam more acceptable.

Ortho #3: I paid $0. He Left me feeling completely miserable after the exam. He was a real jerk and went on and on about his prestigious education, numerous prestigious professional affiliations, etc. He said I had so many issues he felt he would be fighting a losing battle if I didn't consent to oral surgery and a speech therapist. The speech therapy for 3 months before starting treatment sounded a bit extreme. He did a moderately extensive exam but basically, I got the impression he just didn't want to take on my case. He seemed very busy and perhaps since he was expecting a transfer case and I would need a full treatment he decided to dissuade me from coming back? Either way I don't care because he was a no go for me. I wanted someone who felt they could do a reasonable job even if I didn't want surgery.

Ortho #4: I paid $40 for this consultation. He did a VERY thorough exam and noticed I had the same issues Ortho #1 noticed. He also predicted a treatment time of 18 months. The big difference here was he thought he could correct my issues non-surgically by using a bone anchor if braces and rubber bands were not enough. Apparently it is something you temporarily implant through the gums into the bone to help fix a bite. He was confident that we could get a good result, and demonstrated the most technical expertise, so that was enough for me. I was also impressed that he could tell which problems the incompetent orthodontic treatment created, and which I problems I had naturally before I showed him pictures of my old teeth. He and his staff were very warm, and he had as many credentials as Ortho 3 but wasn't snotty about it. The office is beautiful and is the closest to my home and school (a 10 as opposed to a 25 min) drive, so I was completely sold. I could go on and on, but the place just felt right to me on multiple levels. So Ortho number 4 it is! .