General Dentist vs. Orthodontist

Message

#1 Post by **oneal34** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 11:52 am

ive been to an ortho and GD and both told me the same thing

12 months and would require elastics with invisalign

both of these were 'premier provider' and the GD offered carecredit so thats why im leaning towards him

any advice ?

#2 Post by **oneal34** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 12:15 pm

the ortho did offer a payment plan but it was still too much for me, plus he wanted a $1500 down payment which i definitely cant afford

the GD said he's done 180 invisalign cases but i didnt ask about the extrusion aspect of it

i noticed the link you posted was a little outdated by a few years, maybe the predictibility of this type of movement has changed over those few years ?

#3 Post by **rsprouse** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 8:20 pm

A good GP can handle simple to moderately difficult ortho cases without a hitch. There are plenty of good resources in training a GP from more advanced folks (Study clubs run by Ortho's, reps from Invisalign, etc). They key is to have somebody that knows what they can handle and what they should refer out. Like anything, you need to trust yourself and figure who you want to treat your condition. There is more to life than the bottom line dollar cost. Who will you feel most comfortable with and who do you feel will take the best care of you? That is who you should decide on IMHO.

Best,
Rory

#4 Post by **knownothing** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 5:40 am

I would not go to a general dentist for any ortho stuff. (learned the hard way) Just go to the orthodontist, these guys go through at least 2 more years of school after dental school. What happens if the invisalign doesn't go the way the general dentist planned out? THEN you will get referred to an orthodontist, who probably is not going to be really looking forward to getting involved.... If I were getting knee surgery I would want to go to someone with the most education... for me teeth are just as important.... Don't learn the lesson the hard way....

#5 Post by **oneal34** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:56 am

knownothing wrote:I would not go to a general dentist for any ortho stuff. (learned the hard way) Just go to the orthodontist, these guys go through at least 2 more years of school after dental school. What happens if the invisalign doesn't go the way the general dentist planned out? THEN you will get referred to an orthodontist, who probably is not going to be really looking forward to getting involved.... If I were getting knee surgery I would want to go to someone with the most education... for me teeth are just as important.... Don't learn the lesson the hard way....

why would they be a premier provider if they werent good with invisalign ?

he doesnt do metal braces yet he specialized in invisalign

i have another consultation from an 'elite provider' (only in the area) on monday so we'll see how that goes

#6 Post by **Betty Bat** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 11:08 am

In your messages, you talk about "premier providers" and "elite providers". I wasn't sure what these meant and how an ortho would get that designation. That might be part of the confusion. Do they have to pass a test, or have a certain number of patients, or ... ?

#7 Post by **Betty Bat** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 1:26 pm

Thanks, Meryaten.

I parsed it wrong. I didn't realize that it was "Invisalign Premier Provider". I thought it was "Premier Provider" who used Invisalign.