How often does your ortho cancel appointments?

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#1 Post by **Wyo_Stacy** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 8:34 am

I just got a call from my ortho's office cancelling my next appointment. This is the fourth time that this has happened. I am really getting irritated with them because they have added at least a month to my treatment time because of this. And I have made every one of my appointments. I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem.

#2 Post by **jcdamon3** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 8:45 am

Hi,

How long have you been in braces?

Do they tell you why they are cancelling? How much notice are they giving you and how soon is your next appointment?

No this has never happened to me but my ortho has a partner so it is unlikely that they would both be unavailable at the same time.

#3 Post by **KJM** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 8:53 am

I have never had this happen and I have been going to this orthos office for over 4 years ( for my older sons entire treatment, 1 year for myself and my youngest is in phase 1)
I would see if I could talk with the ortho about this and let him know that your pretty frustrated with this, and the added time to your treatment. I know i would be pretty upset if this keep happening to me.
Good Luck

#4 Post by **Wyo_Stacy** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 8:58 am

I have had my braces since 3-04. Most of the time he is on vacation. I normally get about a week notice. This time because I am leaving town I will have to wait almost an extra month. I knew that I was leaving and scheduled it for before I left to help the time.
I understand that part of the problem is that he covers 4 other towns here in Wyoming. The drawback to living in a state like this.

Website · #5 Post by **susieq182** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:11 am

Hey my ortho does the same thing (since we have the same ortho thats expected) It drives me nuts i would like to just plan it so i have other stuff to do after my appointment and take the afternoon off work but since there is no telling if i will be rescheduled there is no chance of that. I guess i have been lucky so far though all my appointment changes have made my adjustments earlier not later. and just a note never have your appointment first thing in the morning or right after lunch. HE is never on time to get there or coming back from lunch. but i guess we wanted the best ortho just didnt think he would have so much going on outside of orthodontics.

#6 Post by **Pirate Wench** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:14 am

That really sucks

I would be really irritated too if that was happening to me. I had my 1st adjustment on Friday. It was supposed to be at 1:45pm, but they called me on Wednesday morning and asked if it would be possible to come in early that day as the doctor was supposed to be out of town that afternoon. When I explained the other appointments I had for the day they said just to come in when I was between appointments in the area of the city by the office. They were sooooo accomidating.

I also told them I would have 2 small kids with me (both 3 year old boys). They said if the kids were just too frustrated from being taken to all the other appointments that I should just come at my scheduled time and the ortho would just have to wait until after I was done to leave town. Anyway, I made it to their office at 9:15am. The boys were great and the ortho spent a couple of minutes on the floor playing with the kids when the assistant was placing the new wire. My ortho office has been great.

#7 Post by **Leslie022** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:54 am

I've never had an appointment cancelled.

#8 Post by **ssfw** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 10:16 am

I have only been an ortho patient for 6 months but have not had an appt. cancelled by their office yet. The two orthos at my office are brothers so I have thought to myself that if there was a family emergency, they might both be out, which would proabably create a delay in an adjustment appt., if I had an appt. around that time. The great dental assistants would be available for emergencies. If they both had to be out for a period of time, I feel they would probably try to come in during some of their non-scheduled days (their day off) to see some patients after they had returned to the office. This has never happened and I hope it won't because it would probably mean something terrible for them/their families, but because of the way they feel about their patients, I'm sure they would make it work for the patients.

ssfw

#9 Post by **JaneBy** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 10:17 am

I've been braced for 23 months. The ortho has never cancelled or had to reschedule an appointment.

#10 Post by **johnnys_angel** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:02 am

In the 2 years of my treatment (including pre-post braces), my ortho has never once cancelled on me. However, my dentist did once (I didn't mind

), he had the stomach flu.

Website · #11 Post by **susieq182** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 1:12 pm

WYO_Stacy and I are from the same little city in Wyoming. There is a huge shortage of medical professionals. So the ones who are here I am sure feel very secure in the jobs they have.

I am not saying our ortho has a right to cancel appointments but I am sure he feels kinda like hey what are they going to do drive 200 miles to the next city that has an ortho or go to one of the Hacks here.

My ortho by the way isnt the only doc that constantly re-schedules. My dentist, optomitrist and Neurologist all do the same thing. and when I was having problems with my gall bladder my GI doc left the country for a month and didnt leave instructions for how to deal with his cases so I got left in limbo until i finally got my general doc to call his nurse and find out what was going on.
In the almost 8 months I have had braces i have never gone for my adjustment on the day that got scheduled at my prior adjustment.

#12 Post by **Joanna20** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:59 pm

I've had my lowers since May 31st and she has canceled once already. I hope she doesn't do that very often 'cause I'm a busy girl!
Take care,
Joe

#13 Post by **hannah164** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 5:19 pm

I've had my braces for more than 2 years now and my ortho has never canceled an appointment of mine! But they are some of the most inflexible people you will ever meet!

They are hardly in their office and are totally unwilling to try to work around your schedule! IT is so annoying!

I think they have way to many patients!

HAve you asked your ortho why he keeps canceling your appointments? You should sit down with him and talk to him! After 4 times that's just not acceptable! I mean it is slowing down your treatment time!

Good luck!

~hAnnah

[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/]

Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05
Next Adjustment: finally bonding a bracket to my impacted bicuspid!

#14 Post by **Raspberry** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 5:52 pm

In the 6 months I've been going to my ortho I've never had an appointment cancelled/rescheduled.

Actually I've never had any type of dental or medical appointment cancelled / re-scheduled.

#15 Post by **jennandtonic** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:29 pm

My appointments have never been cancelled or postponed so far, though my ortho did have to leave in the middle of one of mine for an emergency. However, she looked at my teeth, adjusted something, then told the assistant what to do, so she technically didn't skip out. And, since it was an emergency, that's forgiveable in my book.