I trick my ortho.

Message

#1 Post by **SinOnYourLips** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:11 am

ETA: This is in no way a promotion of my behavior, just a confessio nand a shared experience, everyones exoperience is unique and very different so I do not suggest anyone do what I do.

All I am saying is PLEASE, take an active role in your treatment, make sure you are aware the steps that are being taken and before any major procedures (like extractions) always do your own research and get a second opinion when possible. There.

Yes, I have a confession, here goes:

My adjustments are every 4 weeks...well at least they're suppose to be. But I cheat, and come back in (usually) 3 weeks, sometimes 20 days...or even once after 2 weeks

. I call up the office and reschedule my appointment, sometimes they ask why and then I tell them I will be busy next week when my appointment is due or I tell them I go out of state, but in any case I manage to come in early.

BUT!! There is a BIG BUT that justifies why I do this: I only go in, when I feel like what the ortho was trying to accomplish, has already occured before due time.

I honestly believe my teeth move MUCH quicker than an average person's do. For example, my ortho wanted to make space for one tooth, sp he put in the wire and told me it might take 2-3 months to get the space needed, but after just one month (and this time I really waited out the whole time because he said it might take a while) when I came in he was surprised that I already had enough space, so he left it on for 2 extra weeks while already bonding my tooth to the wire and after additional 2 weeks we were able to put my tooth on the wire. Then in other cases he tells me like "ok we need this extra space to close first before we do the other side next month" but in 2 weeks, bam! all my spaces are shut, so I refuse to waste time when I see improvement, and I go in earlier. And I must say never once did he tell me I came in too early or ask me why I did (if he notices it, that is).

But in any case, don't think this is too horrible, because everyones mouth is very individual and the movement can vary, a month I think is just like an average time to notice change, but I say if it's quicker in my case, why not act on it.

Anyone else do this?

#2 Post by **katmc_tx** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:30 am

Guilty!!!

I also felt like two months was too long to wait. So yes I to am guilty of calling to reschedule my appts so that I would be seen sooner. If and only if I noticed whatever we were waiting on had already been accomplished.

#3 Post by **lab117** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:33 am

Although this may sound like a good idea, and who would not want their treatment time shortened, you may actually be causing yourself harm. Most sites that I have read all have the same general emphasis on teeth movement...

"While innovations in materials and design have made orthodontics more efficient, they haven't significantly changed the speed at which teeth are moved. It's important to move the teeth gradually. Moving teeth too fast can cause long-term damage, because it doesn't allow sufficient time for new bone growth to support the teeth in their new positions. "
http://www.suresmile.com/suresmile/braces/orthoHowBracesWork.jsp

Just something to consider... because after all the time and money invested in treatment you don't want to lose your teeth in the end!

Good luck with your treatment and hope you enjoy your new smile!

#4 Post by **jess214** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:58 am

I do that as well! My appointments are supposed to be a month apart but I usually try and reschedule for a few days to a week earlier when booking for the next appointment. I wonder if they actually notice that I'm doing it intentionally

#5 Post by **SinOnYourLips** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:33 am

Lab, I understand what you are saying, but I am NOT the one causing my teeth to move faster, they move at their own speed, just do not see a reason to wait longer to get the next adjustment if what was suppose to be achieved at this adjustment is already achieved. But thanks for the concern and advice =]

Jess and Kat *high five*

#6 Post by **jennandtonic** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:49 pm

No, I don't. I figure that the ortho is the professional, NOT ME! She might be trying to accomplish something that I don't know about, how would I know, I'm not the doctor, and I don't know about teeth like she does. And I would never want to run into long term problems if I did try and schedule my appointments sooner and the teeth didn't adjust well to that.

#7 Post by **lionfish** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:57 pm

I've never rescheduled an appointment. Who am I - a mere lay person when it comes to orthodontics - to say what will have been accomplished and by when?

That said, I've called up a few times when there have been emergencies. On some occasions, my ortho has used that opportunity to do mini adjustments. But that has been entirely his call, not mine.

#8 Post by **Lisa65** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:29 pm

I've never done it for the purpose of saving treatment time. My ortho usually tells me to leave 6 weeks between appointments unless he needs me in sooner for some reason, but when I go to reception to book the next one, sometimes it's 5 weeks, sometimes it's 7 weeks, depending on his schedule and when is convenient for me to go in.

#9 Post by **SinOnYourLips** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:54 pm

lionfish wrote:I've never rescheduled an appointment. Who am I - a mere lay person when it comes to orthodontics - to say what will have been accomplished and by when?

Just want to point out, your ortho also isn't god, even when it comes to orthodontics. Ortho's are people too and like people they make mistakes. Just look at some stories on this same very board, tooth pulled out that weren't suppose to or a new wrong bite created, beyond fixing. I'm, in no way implying your orthodontist is bad, or that most are, just stating the fact that it happens and some patients are not as lucky, so everyones experience is very unique.

In my case, my ortho is very BUSY and even when I AM there he doesn't always give me full attention or sometimes likes to rush me out when I start asking 101 questions. When I do go in early, its when I see that what he did tell me he was tryin to accomplish, was accomplished. Plus if he does know what he is doing and he is good at it, which I think my ortho is, just slightly antisocial, he will never do a procedure for which it is too early, just because I am there already.

So everyones case is different, I am not here to judge or be judged.

#10 Post by **lionfish** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 3:10 pm

What an overreaction. You can get off your soapbox now, matey.

Mon Oct 01, 2007 3:48 pm

SinOnYourLips.....you called the subject of this thread: I cheat my ortho....you might want to change it to: I am cheating myself.

If you are paying an orthodontist to treat you and you are second guessing him you might be cheating yourself.

My teeth "look like" what the ortho was trying to accomplish the day after my adjustments. When he is trying to close a gap, it usually closes immediately, sometimes before I even get to my car from his office.

I have a feeling though that you probably aren't fooling your ortho. I'm sure he looks at the date and wouldn't be giving you adjustments if he didn't think the time was right. However, rescheduling all of your appointments is not a very polite thing to do. What a mess the office would be if all the patients did that. Someday you might have a real emergency and they won't be able to squeeze you in because they will think you are just trying to get in early because you think your teeth aren't moving fast enough.

#12 Post by **Brandyleigh35** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 4:57 pm

Like Way to old for this, my teeth have moved incredibly fast. Within 1 day whatever we are working on is accomplished. I asked my ortho why I have to wait so long in between appointments (as I too wanted to be on the fast track) and he told me that it is not just about moving the teeth, that it may appear that the mission has been accomplished from a visual stand point, but that there is still a lot going on under the surface, and that the bone growth to support the movement needs to happen also. He says if this doesn't happen then you risk your teeth returning to their previous location because there is no new bone in there to support them in the new location. He also said that while it might appear like we are speeding things up by moving appointments closer together that it really isn't, because it will most likely force me to be in my end wires longer since the teeth are not adequately stabilized. Also he said that moving teeth too fast can result in root damage, that slow and steady wins the reace. According to him the bottom line is that there is no quick fix. Teeth do move at different rates, but overall bone growth is basically the same for most people and can't really be rushed.

I have been in my braces for 20 months now, due to come off in about 3 weeks. I'm glad I have listened to him and followed my schedule. My teeth are looking great and they feel very stable and solid. Depending on what they are doing there may be some leeway but I would rather have a perfect result with no issues then to try and hurry things along and regret it later. JMHO

Brandy

#13 Post by **Nancy51** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:11 pm

I've been told the same thing that Brandyleigh35's ortho said. For example, during my last adjustment, he mentioned that after the next adjustment we probably would not be able to see the change, because it would be mainly "root work" going on.

I'm all for letting dental flowers tend to their roots and be strong enough to stand up straight and pretty on their own feet (as it were).

#14 Post by **SinOnYourLips** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:55 pm

lionfish wrote:What an overreaction. You can get off your soapbox now, matey.

No overreaction lionfish, just feel very strongly about people believing Doctors ALWAYS know best. I myself is a medical student in the surgical field and I know all about responsibility in the field and understand how so many professional sometimes take it for granted. So don't take it offensively, it was never typed with that intention.

KK, yes! That's exactly what I am sayin, I had my ortho tell me once before I can come in early if I see a change that we are looking for, and this is how I know every month what we are doing. Sometimes the speed at which my teeth move frighten me too!

Brandyleigh35, in my case its slightly different. My treatment is 90% cosmetic, my arch and bite is right and it is not what's getting fixed. So in my case it's very much about WHAT it looks like. I'm glad your treatment is going so well and hope you get the suckers off in those 3 weeks!

Way Too Old For This, the title of this thread was more to get attention and a giggle...not cause serious concern. I am not so much second guessing it, as I am just following with the treatment and paying attention to what's going on with my mouth and teeth. Like I already mentioned (above) my treatment is mostly cosmetic, so its different from your story. And about changing appointments, it's not that chaotic, I dont just not show up, I reschedule and reschedule ahead, they never mind. But I think you are right in saying that if he saw I wasn't ready, he wouldn't do the adjustment, which is exactly what I'm thinking!

So in all honesty, my teeth do move faster than normal, as the assistants at my doctors office pointed out to me many times, so I don't see anythign wrong with going with my teeth and moving at their speed.

Thanks all for replies!~

#15 Post by **jennielee81** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 7:14 pm

Just want to point out, your ortho also isn't god, even when it comes to orthodontics. Ortho's are people too and like people they make mistakes...

Don't need anyone to point this out to me; I know that my ortho is not God almighty, creator of heaven and earth.... no person is. But my ortho is a highly trained professional and I pay him for his expertese.
Saying that making appointments 4+ weeks is possibly a mistake is saying that there is a mass conspiracy out there in the orthondontic world as almost all of us have our appts. at the 4-12 week rate....I hate to think that is true.

My ortho is not God, but he is trained in all the ergonimics and engineering of tooth movement and I am NOT...I just subscribe to a patient oriented message board on the WWW.

If you want to second guess your orthodontist's treatment because you seem to feel that you have unlocked some sort of code for tooth movement, that is your choice. Flauting it here is clearly going to draw negative responses and possibly mis-direct newbies.