Basically rang the ortho today to discuss what treatment option i am going to choose. The response i got has left me feeling a bit uneasy....
He said basically that he cant say for certain that the braces will close the gap where my teeth meet.
Also
He would say the braces will be on for two years, but he cant say if it will be longer than this or shorter.
Can anyone tell me did the ortho you went to have the same, we can only hope atitude? And concerning the time the braces will be on, was your ortho unsure?
Many Thanks
Newmetal.
Need Opinions!
Moderator: bbsadmin
My ortho is uncertain of my treatment time as well. He gave me a range of 19 - 26 months, which if you ask me is a pretty big range. He's hoping for 18 months, maybe, but can't be certain. If you look at my blog http://rachelsbraces.blogspot.com you can see my "severly lingually tipped" tooth #27. My ortho is hopeful and excited that he can bring it into position, but really doesn't know if it will work.
I think a lot of orthodontics is hoping. I trust that my ortho knows what he's doing, but he can't guarentee that my teeth will co-operate! If you feel too uneasy about your ortho's treatment plan, maybe getting a second opinion would be a good idea.
Good luck!!! And remember, you're the one paying for the treatment, if you're uncomfortable with your ortho's responses to your questions, you should politely let him know.
I think a lot of orthodontics is hoping. I trust that my ortho knows what he's doing, but he can't guarentee that my teeth will co-operate! If you feel too uneasy about your ortho's treatment plan, maybe getting a second opinion would be a good idea.
Good luck!!! And remember, you're the one paying for the treatment, if you're uncomfortable with your ortho's responses to your questions, you should politely let him know.
Hi Newmetal - the question about time is pretty typical. Like rmwolf83 says, a lot of it depends on our teeth and there's no way for the ortho to know exactly how long it will take.
But the gap closing issue is a weird one. I would expect the ortho to know whether or not they could accomplish something in the end. Within reason of course. I think a second opinion wouldn't hurt. Or maybe you could ask them why they're not sure, what the limiting factors might be. I hope you can get more information!
But the gap closing issue is a weird one. I would expect the ortho to know whether or not they could accomplish something in the end. Within reason of course. I think a second opinion wouldn't hurt. Or maybe you could ask them why they're not sure, what the limiting factors might be. I hope you can get more information!
Damon 3s. On 2/15/2006. Off 2/21/2007!
Essix on uppers, Hawley on lowers.
Essix on uppers, Hawley on lowers.
Hi Newmetal
You are in London like me. I think most of them will only estimate the time you'll be in active treatment. Mine said 12-18 months for my treatment. I also had to to sign a contract saying the teeth might not end up exactly as expected. I think they are just trying to give you realistic expectations. He also told me I will be left with a 2mm overjet, as this is as much my bone will allow. I would much prefer it to be 0mm.
Maybe you could ask him to show you photos of previous cases he's treated then you'll get a better idea of what he is capable of. I did this as I had been very unsure when he proposed extracting one premolar from one side only. He showed me pictures of other patients in the same situation and that reassured me.
You are in London like me. I think most of them will only estimate the time you'll be in active treatment. Mine said 12-18 months for my treatment. I also had to to sign a contract saying the teeth might not end up exactly as expected. I think they are just trying to give you realistic expectations. He also told me I will be left with a 2mm overjet, as this is as much my bone will allow. I would much prefer it to be 0mm.
Maybe you could ask him to show you photos of previous cases he's treated then you'll get a better idea of what he is capable of. I did this as I had been very unsure when he proposed extracting one premolar from one side only. He showed me pictures of other patients in the same situation and that reassured me.
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hippyhippo
- Posts: 136
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:14 pm
- Location: Canada
I had a couple of consultations, and each ortho gave me a 6 month range in which they thought my teeth would be fixed. However, they also each said that this was just a best guess, and that actual treatment time would vary based on how my teeth react to braces, and my own compliance (i.e. if you don't wear your elastics told, your treatment will be longer).
With regards to saing what they can accomplish, I had mixed results here. One ortho wanted to go the conservative route and avoid surgery, however he said there was a very real chance that he would not be able to correct my bite 100% without surgery. He thought he could, but he said it would be a "wait and see" issue.
The ortho I'm going to go with pretty much said surgery was really the only way to go given my bite, and that with surgery I should have near perfect results. As much as I don't like the idea of surgery, I didn't like the idea of going through braces for over 2 years and not having a proper bite more (which is the main reason I'm getting braces in the first place). Combined with the shorter predicted treatment time, this was the main reason I went with this ortho.
With regards to saing what they can accomplish, I had mixed results here. One ortho wanted to go the conservative route and avoid surgery, however he said there was a very real chance that he would not be able to correct my bite 100% without surgery. He thought he could, but he said it would be a "wait and see" issue.
The ortho I'm going to go with pretty much said surgery was really the only way to go given my bite, and that with surgery I should have near perfect results. As much as I don't like the idea of surgery, I didn't like the idea of going through braces for over 2 years and not having a proper bite more (which is the main reason I'm getting braces in the first place). Combined with the shorter predicted treatment time, this was the main reason I went with this ortho.