When you ortho says "I'm sorry!"

[spragers]

Just feel a need to vent Please bear with me...

I'm nearing the end of my braces journey (2 years 1 month and counting), and for the last two months have been wearing an elastic between the second molars on the right side to get them in line. The elastic ran from the outside on top, to the inside on the bottom, with only the top bracket in the wire. After one month the top molar was well on it's way, but the lower molar had started shifting to the outside. After another adjustment and the same elastic configuration, I called my ortho to make sure things were going in the right direction, and he reassured me they were. Had another adjustment this morning, by which time the lower molar is really starting to shift out, and the Doc tells me we have to wait until the lower molar shifts inside of the upper.

me: "Which way are we trying to move that tooth?"

doc: points to the left

me: "oh... um.."

doc: "you've been wearing the elastic lic this (motions)

me: "well, no, you showed me like this (motion opposite way)

doc: "oh... Oh! .... I'm sorry!"



I think that just added at least a month, maybe two to the countdown.

*sigh*

At least the lower tooth is finally wired in

Anyone else have their ortho say "oops!" lately?

- Ben

[hannah164]

Wow Spragers that's too bad!
I hope that doesn't prolong your treatment for too long!
My ortho told me I would need turbos for my deep bite today when I got my bottom braces but I didn't. Now only my two front teeth touch my bottom teeth! I guess the back is now an open bite! I have no idea how I'm going to eat and especially for thanksgiving! I honestly don't think he even noticed! I guess I'll find out next appt.!
Good luck!

-Hannah




Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05

[Mona0922]

I had an oops just this week.

I've had a few extractions and almost all the gaps are closed but two (2 teeth stacked, extractions on either side of those two). The outside tooth has been pulled forward for a while and is almost there, but apparently my root is angled weird. Anyhow, my power chain this time got hooked back to the molar instead of forward. I figured it was because of the root thing, but man, it hurt something awful. So, after whining to my boyfriend excessively, I called the office to ask why the change in direction. "What?" "The upper left - we've been moving it forward - now it's attached to my molar and moving back" ". . . Oh. I'm sorry. How soon can you be here?" So, half hour each way from work to ortho and back for 30 seconds in the chair. While there, I found out why it hurt so much - the back gap, that's almost two teeth wide, was being bridged by just a little 2 link powerchain!

At least it's fixed now and they admitted their error (huge points for not trying to blame the tech) and I don't feel like I was being such a baby for thinking it hurt so bad!

[aussierob]

my dr apologizes when she stabs me with the lig. removal hook !!!

[Jean]

While there, I found out why it hurt so much - the back gap, that's almost two teeth wide, was being bridged by just a little 2 link powerchain!

Oh my goodness, Mona! The pain must have been great. This wasn't only a pain issue or a "going backwards instead of progressing" issue, but surely that would have been really bad for your tooth's health and maybe even your jaw bone's health. It really pays to use our heads and not always take things on faith when it comes to medical treatment.

Jean

[greencapt]

Isn't that when you say "I'm sorry- I'll just wait for the refund of the money I spent for the time you had me doing the wrong thing."

[Gable74]

my dr apologizes when she stabs me with the lig. removal hook !!!

yea, whats up with that thing? Sometimes the assistant will poke me with that thing....... and when she pulls out the lig she was trying to hook, there is a spot of blood on it. Im like no biggie, I've got another 7 or so pints of blood in me, no harm done.

[mtbrncofn]

Wow! I don't know if I'd be feeling as decent as you guys were about a mess-up like that! Kudos to you guys for being so cool about it.

[Mona0922]

I have to admit that I've been wondering - especially after this oops - has anyone ever switched orthos? I'm paying for all this out of pocket, so I'd rather not double my "investment". Do you keep paying the old one and start paying the new one, too?

[spragers]

I have to admit, part of the reason I wasn't overly upset was that I already know the end is in sight, and both he and his assistant said I had an "exceptionally clean mouth" which was making my braces journey easier for all of us. To which he then added, "of course, you're paying your own way, which makes a difference" in that I take better care to follow instructions than a kid who doesn't know quite why he has to go through all this

[cheerleader179]

Mine said she was sorry when she put metal braces on me instead of ceramics

[Jean]

I have to admit that I've been wondering - especially after this oops - has anyone ever switched orthos? I'm paying for all this out of pocket, so I'd rather not double my "investment". Do you keep paying the old one and start paying the new one, too?

Before I got the braces on, I asked my ortho what happens if I die during treatment (because I paid cash for the whole thing up front). He said that treatment payment-wise is divided into 3 parts: putting on, treatment, and taking off. If I die during the treatment phase, my family will get back 1/3 of the total cost. If your ortho operates under a similar system, I'd guess that you'd get a partial refund or bill curtailment, but you might come out paying twice for the treatment part if your new ortho uses the same system. Did you sign a contract that details this kind of thing? People move and change orthos "all the time." My guess is that you wouldn't have to double your whole "investment." (But, that's just a guess.)

I don't blame you for being leery of your current ortho after this large blunder.

Jean