Pure Frustration--Ortho's Mistake
Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 11:33 am
Hi Everyone,
I need to do some major venting here, so congrats to those of you who manage to get through this post!
Around 2 months ago my ortho told me that my braces were ready to come off. I made the appointment to get my molds made for my retainers, but at the appointment they asked me if I would wear a particular elastic configuration for 3 more weeks just to make things perfect, so I agreed.
Three weeks later I went in and they asked if I would wear the elastic for 1 more week, because things weren't quite perfect yet. So I agreed. A week later I went in and they asked if I would wait another week because they needed to tweak the wire on another tooth so that it would move .5mm. So, I (reluctantly!) agreed.
A week later, I finally went in to get the molds made for my retainers. My ortho informed me that they had decided to use a new type of retainer on me that looks a lot like an Essix except that the top and bottom are attached. He said that he usually makes the molds for retainers while his patients still have their braces on, because he used to use Hawley retainers. Since I will be his first ortho patient to use this new type of retainer, he said that he would try to do the molds with my braces still on, but if the mold wasn't good enough (because it needs to capture the exact shape of all of my teeth due to the new Essix-type retainer) that he would call me within a couple of days and then I would come in, get the braces taken off, and get new molds made. He said that if the mold turned out good, he would call me in two weeks when the retainer came back from the lab.
So, today it had been two and a half weeks since I had the molds made. He hadn't called me right away, so I assumed that the molds were good and had been sent to the lab. I called today just to make sure everything was on track, and the receptionist told me that the mold actually hadn't been good, but the ortho had forgotten to call me!!!
I am completely and absolutely frustrated.
I have been waiting almost 2 months to get my braces off, and every time that I think they are about to come off something like this happens. The receptionist was extremely apologetic, and booked me in to get my braces off next Tuesday (the 27th), at which time they will make the proper molds for my retainers (which will come back from the lab 3 weeks after that).
So, it is good news that I get my braces off next week, however I'm still worried for 2 main reasons:
1) When I was at the orthos two and a half weeks ago to get my molds made, they took off my molar bands and my expanders. I can already tell that my molars have moved, but I figured that the retainer that I thought was on its way would fix that. Now I am going to have new molds made on my 'imperfect' teeth, which will hold them in their new crappy positions.
2) They are ordering the new retainers from a lab in the States (I am in Canada), so my retainer will take 3 weeks to arrive. This means that I will only have top and bottom bonded retainers on my 6 front teeth for three full weeks before I get any retainer-wear. Has anyone ever had to wait this long before?
Anyways, I guess the good news is that I get my braces off next week, but my feelings about it are bittersweet. I also have a funny feeling that I'm going to go in next week and they are going to see that my now unbanded molars have shifted, and decide that they need to fix them before taking the braces off! I am not going to believe that I am getting my braces off until they are literally pulling them off of my teeth!
I know that some people on here have had way worse experiences than this, but I just needed to vent because I'm so annoyed! Thanks for listening
I need to do some major venting here, so congrats to those of you who manage to get through this post!
Around 2 months ago my ortho told me that my braces were ready to come off. I made the appointment to get my molds made for my retainers, but at the appointment they asked me if I would wear a particular elastic configuration for 3 more weeks just to make things perfect, so I agreed.
Three weeks later I went in and they asked if I would wear the elastic for 1 more week, because things weren't quite perfect yet. So I agreed. A week later I went in and they asked if I would wait another week because they needed to tweak the wire on another tooth so that it would move .5mm. So, I (reluctantly!) agreed.
A week later, I finally went in to get the molds made for my retainers. My ortho informed me that they had decided to use a new type of retainer on me that looks a lot like an Essix except that the top and bottom are attached. He said that he usually makes the molds for retainers while his patients still have their braces on, because he used to use Hawley retainers. Since I will be his first ortho patient to use this new type of retainer, he said that he would try to do the molds with my braces still on, but if the mold wasn't good enough (because it needs to capture the exact shape of all of my teeth due to the new Essix-type retainer) that he would call me within a couple of days and then I would come in, get the braces taken off, and get new molds made. He said that if the mold turned out good, he would call me in two weeks when the retainer came back from the lab.
So, today it had been two and a half weeks since I had the molds made. He hadn't called me right away, so I assumed that the molds were good and had been sent to the lab. I called today just to make sure everything was on track, and the receptionist told me that the mold actually hadn't been good, but the ortho had forgotten to call me!!!
I am completely and absolutely frustrated.
I have been waiting almost 2 months to get my braces off, and every time that I think they are about to come off something like this happens. The receptionist was extremely apologetic, and booked me in to get my braces off next Tuesday (the 27th), at which time they will make the proper molds for my retainers (which will come back from the lab 3 weeks after that).So, it is good news that I get my braces off next week, however I'm still worried for 2 main reasons:
1) When I was at the orthos two and a half weeks ago to get my molds made, they took off my molar bands and my expanders. I can already tell that my molars have moved, but I figured that the retainer that I thought was on its way would fix that. Now I am going to have new molds made on my 'imperfect' teeth, which will hold them in their new crappy positions.
2) They are ordering the new retainers from a lab in the States (I am in Canada), so my retainer will take 3 weeks to arrive. This means that I will only have top and bottom bonded retainers on my 6 front teeth for three full weeks before I get any retainer-wear. Has anyone ever had to wait this long before?
Anyways, I guess the good news is that I get my braces off next week, but my feelings about it are bittersweet. I also have a funny feeling that I'm going to go in next week and they are going to see that my now unbanded molars have shifted, and decide that they need to fix them before taking the braces off! I am not going to believe that I am getting my braces off until they are literally pulling them off of my teeth!
I know that some people on here have had way worse experiences than this, but I just needed to vent because I'm so annoyed! Thanks for listening
