4 Orthodontist Consultations and 4 treatment options?

[PlanNerd]

I've now had consultations with 4 orthodontists in my area to address crowding of lower fronts and deep bite causing chipping of lower teeth. I'm 42 and want to keep my teeth looking good for the rest of my life. Unfortunately I can't get two orthodontist to agree about a treatment. Dr #1 says 6-9 months, 6 upper brackets 6 lower brackets, $2500; Dr. #2 says 18 months, full upper and lower brackets, $4500; Dr. #3 says issue with 2 molars as well, therefore 24 months, full upper and lower brackets, $6400; and Dr. #4 says use Invisalign for 18 months, $4000. I'm shocked that not one of them seems to agree with the other. By the way, the first three doctors said I'm not a candidate for Invisalign, while the 4th doctor who has "Invisalign" posters, banners, videos, and brochures everywhere in his waiting room says I am a candidate. Any advice out there? A fifth opinion? Honestly the 3rd Doctor impressed me the most and took the most time evaluating my situation, but he's the farthest away and the most expensive. How can 4 orthodontists be so different for what they all AGREE is a relatively simple case.

[Snowglobe32]

Take into consideration that these are just "estimates." If one says it will take 9 months and the other says 18 months, who really knows? I would evaluate the treatment plans, the cost and the overall feel you get from the ortho and his/her staff. If you don't have a bite issue, maybe you don't need full braces, maybe the 6 top and bottom is all you need. What are the molar issues?

Did you tell them about the other treatment plans you have received?

And I would stay away from the invisilign...if 3 out of 4 say it won't work, I would believe them.

Good Luck!

[drgnchsr36]

If it's a deep bite issue, I went to 3 ortho consults and only one said I was a candidate for Invisalign with the disclaimer that I may end up in braces in the end. There was no guarantee that it could fix it. Plus, I was going to be stuck with elastics and to be honest.. had no idea how that would work with Invisalgin. Plus, invisalign was a lot more expensive.

So, I would go for the braces rather than the invisalign.. but that's just my opinion.

[LuckyLola]

I would also look at reviews for each Dr and get opinions from other people that you know that have great results with their orthodontists.
I've tried Invisalign without success and ended up needing braces. I didn't have a disclaimer but at that time I was tired of trying to make the Invisalign work and was ready for the clear braces option to get the results. I'm thinking the ortho you had a consultation with may have an idea that it won't work and wrote a disclaimer for that reason. Just a guess..

Second, go with your instincts. With my ortho, I notice that he said one thing during our pretreatment agreement and is now saying something else and being abrubt about it.. after I've spent over a year in braces and $8K. With that being said, I think all you can do is go with your instincts and hope you made the right choice in Dr's. Good luck with your decision.

[klobird]

I agree that you should go with your instincts. I wish I would have gone with mine, but I just didn't know enough at the time. And my feelings were so slight that I didn't pay enough attention.

That said, I didn't have a choice about the invisalign. They said right off the bat that invisalign wouldn't work on my teeth, and that I trusted. Also, my 28 yr old niece had invisalign. She is now happily in metal braces. The invisalign didn't do anything, so her ortho gave her metal at no additional charge.

If you want to be absolutely as sure as you can be about the outcome, I would go with Damon metal, or Damon ceramic...
Or check with your ortho to see what your options would be if the invisalign doesnt work. Bottom line--do you really want to waste time and money on an unsure outcome?

[PlanNerd]

I've got my 5th consultation scheduled for next week. Hopefully it'll correspond with one of the other four opinions and I can get moving on treatment. I'm hoping to pick an ortho after this next appointment and complete the "orthodontic records" and final consultation within the next few weeks. The down side is I'll likely have braces shortly before a week long vacation with my family, which will mean I'll be trying to get used to boulders on my teeth while hiking. I wonder if I can get a smoothie at the ranger stations?

Thanks everyone for your help thinking this through.

[Snowglobe32]

If I were you, I would wait until after your vacation to get your braces.
The first week can be tough mainly because your teeth are sore and you can't really eat. Can you imagine trying to hike when you have no energy because you can't eat food?

[LuckyLola]

I would wait until you return from your vacation to get your braces.