Metal Mouth Message Board

Well, I am definitely dropping current ortho, but I have not yet contacted her to see about any refunded money, etc. I have another dr I am going to see but the decision is made in my mind either way. If anyone has gone thru this can they shed some light on what they had to do; did you have to sign a release to allow new dr to treat you, did you get any money back, etc.

Any info would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thx, Cindy

I changed orthos 2 times, so I may be able to help.

First of all, make sure your current ortho does NOT make an insurance claim if you have insurance. My insurance gives 2 grand to my ortho, so tell your current ortho that you want to stop immediately! Don't wait or they might've already taken the 2 grand.

Second, find a responsible ortho. Go to braces.org and find a certified one in your area. The ortho would then need to take your records from your old ortho. The refund should be sent by then.

Good luck!

That was one of the questions I asked before starting (thanks to a very smart wife!) because for me there is always the possibility of moving out of state. My ortho said they would refund a pro-rated amount of my fees. The said they would also transfer my records and have a consultation phone call with the new ortho for $200.

The $200 seems steep for a phone call and a FedEx, but I do know people who's orthos refused to refund at all. So I will be grateful and hope I don't have to move for 24-30 months.

I would add that losing patients is not new to any ortho, dentist or doctor. It happens all the time. So it shouldn't be too big of a hassle for the old ortho.

You will want to notify your current ortho in writing that you will be seeking treatment elsewhere and no longer wish to be a patient of record in their practice. If you have a problem with their treatment let them know. Ask them about a partial refund since treatment was not completed, the amount you have refunded or owe will vary based on office policy. They will have you sign some forms allowing them to release your records to another clinician and just sit back and wait for it to happen. They will most likely charge a fee for this.

gunter8888, $200 is not unreasonable IMHO. You are paying for copies of all records to be created and shipped to another office and also for the doctors time. In a dental/ortho/any medical office time is money. The time that they have to spend discussing your case and answering questions is time that they cannot spend in the chair. If the ortho is making $800/hour on average, not so unreasonable when you think about the charge. Just my opinion and something to think about.

Regards,
Rory