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#16 Post by **Robot Teeth** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:55 am

Hey Klo, thanks a bunch. You guys make me feel a lot more validated in my concerns.

Just for the sake of clarity, so people don't have to read every word of all my posts - The woman I'm being treated by at the dental college is the same person who is at this nearby private practice I'm considering transferring to. So I wouldn't be changing doctors, just the place I go to see her.

#17 Post by **kennyandrew85** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:13 am

Waiting to get them on was the worst. Now the first three months are the worst. Then when my teeth REALLY start moving, THAT'll be the worst. Then waiting to get them off will be the worst. Then getting them whitened will be the worst. Then dealing with my retainer will be the worst...

You're a 30 year old man, pull yourself together. 12 year old girls go through this.

#18 Post by **Robot Teeth** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:28 am

Lol yeah because they're used to loose teeth... and not having any control in their life! ...and aren't paying for it themselves.

...and that was a joke, by the way!

But thanks for the criticism!

#19 Post by **kennyandrew85** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:30 am

Sorry bit harsh, but don't worry so much, keep hounding your ortho/practice until you get the service you deserve and they will put your mind at ease

#20 Post by **ashesgap** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 12:33 pm

kennyandrew85 wrote:
Waiting to get them on was the worst. Now the first three months are the worst. Then when my teeth REALLY start moving, THAT'll be the worst. Then waiting to get them off will be the worst. Then getting them whitened will be the worst. Then dealing with my retainer will be the worst...
You're a 30 year old man, pull yourself together. 12 year old girls go through this.

Well some one had to say it out right.
The entire braces experience is one long waiting period...there are just different sections. Once you fix your issue with the way the college is run, you're just another person with braces. There's nothing special about that. Remember lots of people before you, and a whole lot after you, have waited around for appointments...and they just suck it up and wait. I agree a popped bracket should be fixed right away, once that's outta the way sit back and relax.

#21 Post by **klobird** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 1:08 pm

Reading your guy's responses really p*sses me off---you aren't the ones going thru Robot's bullsh*t--........

Anyway, Robot, I did realize that the ortho was the same one---why would she have a problem with you switching to her private practice--you are the consumer....

#22 Post by **klobird** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 1:11 pm

And another thing!!! I manage a large medical office--the patients are not just one patient in a sea of many, nor should they be!!! Every single one has a different set of difficulties, and every single issue should be taken seriously. GEEEESSHHH!

#23 Post by **ashesgap** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 1:22 pm

Calm down Klo!

I'm not trying to dimish his issues at all. But I can tell he's stuck in this one moment of awful, and he's not seeing the other side....where it gets better. I'm just saying he shouldn't get them taken off, and that it does all get better.
And yeah being told to "suck it up" sucks, but sometimes you gotta hear it.
Went back and read what I wrote....and still totally stand by it. I wasn't mean at all, just stating the obvious.

#24 Post by **Robot Teeth** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 2:44 pm

I do appreciate all the perspectives. It helps me find my place and arrive at more reasonable expectations.

They must have forgotten to give me the master instruction manual for my braces... all I got was the list of foods that I can't eat!

I just got back from my visit to the office. The bracket is repaired and the doctor put me at ease about my tooth. He agreed that it is indeed pretty loose, but shouldn't be of any concern. How was I supposed to determine how loose is too loose without going in? People obviously have warned to expect looseness, but are we talking about the level of looseness that all of the other teeth in my mouth have, or the ONE tooth that feels really freakin' loose, and has seemingly jumped to it's new position rather than moving gradually? If I'm not allowed to worry about my front tooth falling out, what am I allowed to worry about? Until modern orthodontics achieves a 100% success rate and a 0% complication rate, I want to know what is going on in my mouth. This discussion forum is (usually) a pretty good place to find the support I need without having to "bother" the office with my non-emergency.

#25 Post by **catgyrl** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:28 pm

Hey Robot Teeth-

I'm so glad you were able to get your bracket fixed, and that you were also able to speak to them about your loose tooth. When I had a small elastic pulling back my canine, that one became pretty loose (and sore as hell!) Now, here's hoping you can sit back and relax a bit.

Man, I think my ortho is GLAD he's not 5 minutes away from my house. I'd be bugging him worse than I do now (once a month)! Also, I don't think I got any instructions for my braces, either (except for the no-no food list). I've gotten all my information from THIS forum, for which I am eternally grateful! I say, call them up anytime you have a concern like that. Shoot, I called them a couple of months ago because (1) I lost a lig, and (2) one of my brackets (not the wire, the bracket) was poking me and causing my elastics to shred. For both problems, I was told "It can wait until next month." Even when my bracket fell off, I was told, "It can wait." I'm thinking I need to be busted in the face with a baseball bat before they'll tell me to come in right away.

Don't worry - things DO get better!
-Cathy

#26 Post by **Robot Teeth** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 8:07 pm

I'm feeling WAY better about everything today.

I just needed to go in there yesterday and have that doctor wiggle my tooth and see how loose it was and tell me it was ok. There was no other way around it. Nothing that the receptionist could tell me over the phone was going to totally convince me that my tooth wasn't in danger, and I know that her words probably would have been enough to pacify most people, but I guess it just takes more than that for me. Now I know, from now on, that my teeth can get at least that loose before I need to start worrying about it. I'm sorry, but that's what it took. Maybe it's because I'm such a skeptic about everything. I need real verification before I can believe something.

I'll obviously get more and more comfortable with everything as time goes by, but there are a few things like this that I should be allowed to stress about in the beginning. And as wonderful as this forum and the rest of the internet is, searches for "loose tooth braces" etc return results mostly talking about pre-braces extractions.

Feeling good now though.

#27 Post by **Rach44** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:31 am

I'm so sorry you keep having all of these problems. I hope (crossing my fingers) that this will be the last major issue you have. I am glad to hear that you're feeling better now. I still think it's a good idea to ask about switching over to your ortho's private practice. You are right - you are allowed to freak out about these kind of things, especially when you're just getting used to your braces. I broke a bracket 3 months in and I still freaked out. However, my ortho was able to get me in the same day I called. I do think you get more individual attention at a private office for the most part. Of course, this could just be because I have two orthodontists, but I still think it's true in most cases. And, to reiterate what everyone else has already said - it DOES get better. Especially with the molar buildups. I know those are horrible, but give it a couple more weeks and you should notice them wearing down a bit. If they're still bothering you are your next adjustment you could always ask them to shave them down.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope it's smooth sailing from here on out!

#28 Post by **Kipepeo** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:25 pm

Read through the whole topic. Robot, you were obviously very frustrated and frightened during this experience. What I wanted to point out is that no matter how upset you get, if you maintain a calm, non-confrontational attitude towards the office staff, you will be seen in a more positive light. Once you start raising your voice, or become demanding, then you would be seen as a "problem" patient. "Problem" is not really the term I would like to use, but pita is!

I'm not saying you did any of that, but I just wanted to throw out that reminder. Take an opportunity such as this to request that the ortho help you to understand what is a true emergency, what are expected and not expected events, and how long you should be expected to wait when hardware breaks. I'm sure the staff would see you as a patient that is actively involved in his treatment, and willing to understand and do what is expected.

And I also wanted to surmise that you probably are not the first patient to realize that the dental college was not the bargain it was portrayed to be. I can imagine there are parents of patients that quickly realize that unscheduled long trips and long waiting times are too much to handle. I wouldn't be at all concerned about asking for information about possibly switching to her private practice.

Good Luck!

#29 Post by **Cudi** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 11:39 pm

That sounds like a shoddy practice to me.

Only one of my brackets have popped so far..I eat all kinds of things, probably the hardest being apples, so i'm surprised that more haven't popped.

I don't even know how my one bracket popped, it was in the back and I wasn't eating or brushing when I noticed it.

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