Consult Tomorrow

Message

#1 Post by **perfectangel818** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 8:15 pm

I have my consult tomorrow, and I am sooo excited! I've had molds/pics/xrays taken and so tomorrow he's going to let me know on costs, time, and action plan. I'm a 24 yr old married mother of two small children, and have wanted braces since I was old enough to realize what braces were! We just never had the money. Now, in my job looks are very important. AND they pay 1,500 towards braces. so far, i had to pay 97.50 for what they call records at this particular orthodontic practice.
I have extensive dental work to be done before I can get braces, I know that. But I am still sooo excited about it. One thing I'm concerned about is how to know if my gingivitus (sp) is getting better. My gums are no longer bleeding, except around one very crowded area where it is literally impossible to floss. It has to get better before he will do the braces also. my gums are more pale pink than bright red like they used to be. They're also not swollen. So I think that's better.
With all of this dental work i'm kind of concerned that i'll be able to have braces, but Dr CASH (can you believe his luck on last names?!?1?) assured me he would be able to make a dramatic change, if I could get a handle on my dental problems. My last appt for fillings and a crown (i have 2 separate appts) is May 15th, and I CAN'T WAIT.

But the whole point of this post (sorry so rambly) is what specific questions should I ask? Anything that you didn't ask that you wish you had? Thanks sooo much for any input and making it this far in my post. lol

#2 Post by **Flora2006** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 8:51 pm

Hi and welcome to the board!

Congratulations on taking the step and getting braces.

As for your gingivitis problem, when you go to get restorations done by your dentist, he/she can tell you how your gums are doing...even tomorrow when you see your ortho, ask him about your gums.

As for questions, don't be scared to ask a lot of questions. Ask what to expect, what kind of braces are better for you and why... ask about pain...what the treatment involves (such as the use of headgear, etc)... Anything that comes to mind...ask. Ask about the assistants...my ortho does everything...no one else touches my teeth but my ortho so ask whether he is the one who will be doing most of the work on you or will it be an assistant and he will only be checking to make sure everything is correct...

Good luck and keep us posted!

#3 Post by **perfectangel818** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 8:55 pm

er, guess i should have elaborated. I guess I don't really have gingivitus or however it's spelled. but i know my gums were in bad shape. can't remember what the dentist said, but it is fixed by taking care of my teeth better than i was.

#4 Post by **Bluemoonjo** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:21 pm

Congratulations !

I'm working toward getting braces, hopfully about May/June. All my appts have been a month apart so its taking forever to get my mouth in shape for the braces lol I'm from Missouri too

#5 Post by **perfectangel818** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 12:03 am

really? Awesome you being from Missouri. I'm in the Springfield Area

#6 Post by **rsprouse** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 7:01 am

Hi,

Sounds like your gum health is improving significantly so great work!! Bleeding is due to inflamation as is the red color and swelling. What you want if for the tissue to be a nice pink, healthy color, with no swelling, and knife like sharp margins as it is tight around the neck of the tooth. If you are no longer bleeding that means that you are doing a good job of keeping the bacteria out of the area and the tissue has responded by staying healthy. Keep up the good work, sounds like you are well on your way.

As far as questions nothing is out of the ordinary. Ask about bracket choices, how long you expect the tx to last, how frequent you will need adjustments, any pitfals that they see in tx, if you have sufficient space, will you need to wear elastics, etc. And ask anything that you are concerned about from an aesthetic or functional aspect.

Best,
Rory