Is it possible not a candidate for orthodontic treatment?

Message

#1 Post by **ishasha** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 5:03 pm

I'm actually asking this for a friend couple. The husband just started considering of getting braces. I told them the cost etc. The wife told me today that they decided to go ahead and put that much money ($3000) into their Flexible Spending Account for next year without consulting an ortho. As most of you know, if you don't use that sum of money next year it will be forfeited. The reason they can't consult an ortho right now is because of schedule conflict so that her husband won't have time to consult a doctor before the deadline of the Flexible Spending Account needs to be decided.

So I brought up the question as in the title to her but of course we have no way of knowing the answer. I just don't want her to waste that much money.... Thanks in advance for any info.

#2 Post by **Delag** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 7:23 pm

Here is another one....I went to several orthos, none of which would accept me unless I was willing to have upper surgery. Again, this isn't at all typical so I really wouldn't worry for your friend.

#3 Post by **ishasha** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 8:23 am

Thanks so much for all the information. I will forward these to them.

#4 Post by **josephine** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 11:14 pm

I know of at least one person who said an ortho was hesitant because he (the patient) was a cigarette smoker. Good circulation helps keep your gums in decent shape through the stress of braces, and smoking is not so great for circulation.

#5 Post by **lionfish** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 11:41 pm

I was knocked back by an ortho a few decades ago. He took one look at my lateral open bite and proclaimed that there was nothing that ortho treatment could do for me (this was the early 1970's). Having declared my case to be a lost cause, he added that my teeth would probably all fall out by the time I reached 40. So while I was pleased to have escaped the dreaded full banding treatment that prevailed at that time, I was less pleased about his prediction.

Anyway, 40 came and went, no teeth fell out (I'd since learned good oral hygiene practice), but I still wondered.....what if...?

Fast forward to a year ago. I decided to get another consult to see if I was still a lost cause. My case was still regarded as "difficult", but it was treatable.