Dealing with the Ortho - adult braces

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#1 Post by **amy** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 7:14 pm

I'm 26 and I've recently started my braces treatment. So far I've been incredibly disappointed and frustrated.

I had an expander put in, but after a week of severe pain and my jaw locking I finally called my ortho and requested a break in appointment. I had been given no instructions on how to clean the expander or what to expect, which I now feel was a little ridiculous. If it wasn't for this forum I wouldn't even know about dental wax, which was a lifesaver.

When I finally saw my ortho, he told me to turn the key less, then tried to rush off to another patient. I had to physically grab him to get him to see if the expander was even working. Once he finally took longer than 30 seconds to look at my bite, he agreed that it probably wasn't. So I had him remove it. If I hadn't of insisted, I might have worn the thing for another two weeks, effectively limiting my job and life since I was unable to talk, before he realized it was ineffective.

He then muttered something about Damon braces and rushed off. I asked the hygienist who removed my expander (a harrowing experience since it had to be cut off and they believe all you need for pain is aleve) what this would mean for my treatment. She couldn't answer me.

Basically, I feel like they are not treating me like an adult in this. I know I'm not in my 40's but neither am I a teenager. I work and am paying this without insurance so I expect a high level of service.

Has anyone else had problems with their ortho like this? How did you handle it?

I'm planning on calling them tomorrow to request a pain med prescription for when they put on my braces, as well as a written treatment plan. I just don't feel like I'm being taken seriously and I'm afraid my treatment will suffer for it.

#2 Post by **felicia** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:52 pm

I would ask for my money back and find another doctor.

#3 Post by **Audra** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:30 am

felicia wrote:I would ask for my money back and find another doctor.

So would I.

#4 Post by **evilnel** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:33 am

I agree, time to see another doctor!

#5 Post by **TumbleDryLow** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:59 am

You really need to drop this doctor. If you are having this many problems and your braces are not even on yet, I couldn't imagine you surviving two years with this office.

I'm not sure if orthos are really willing to give a written treatment plan b/c so much depends on how your teeth move. Doctors start out with a general idea of what they are going to do, and then go from there depending on what happens.

Also, you should not need anything more then over the counter pain medication for braces. I've had the works: appliances, double powerchains, elastics. OTC pain reliever does not take away ALL the pain, but they do enough to get by until the pain subsides which is usually only a week at most.

#6 Post by **appygirl82** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:02 am

I would also seek another doctor. This early into treatment you should not be having this many problems

#7 Post by **drrick** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:16 am

I think it might be best if you both part ways. Neither side is going to be very fond of the other.

#8 Post by **amy** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 2:17 pm

So I did call the office today and was put on with my hygienist who was extremely ill at ease talking to me about my treatment. Basically, she just kept repeating herself saying that we had "talked about this already." But if I'm calling I'm obviously not clear on what's going on. I asked for a written treatment plan an she seemed really harassed, saying that she had patients all day.

I ended up speaking to the office manager who did take the time to explain things to me. The thing I find most annoying is how defensive the entire staff is, repeating that my ortho is consistently ranked the best in the city. She told me that they have never had to take off an expander like that before. And that now I will receive a Damon wire on my top teeth with clear brackets and metal brackets on the bottom. This is expected to increase my time from 18 to 24 months! Ugh.

I did ask about pain medication and she was really taken aback. She said they had never done that before, but I'm sick of feeling like my teeth are being pulled out. All she would commit to is making a note on my file and having the ortho talk to me when I come in.

I hate to leave this place because I don't think I'll get any money back and I already put down about $700, which is pretty significant for me. I am starting to wish I'd just gone with the first ortho I had a consultation with instead of this office.

Is it difficult to change doctors? Could I expect ANY of my money back or, since my expander was already custom made for me and I am already scheduled for braces, would I owe them money?

Ugh, I'm so frustrated with this situation!

#9 Post by **Steph in Sac** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 2:43 pm

I don't believe orthodontists can prescribe pain medication...can they? Drrick may have hit the nail on the head. It doesn't seem like you are a match for each other...

#10 Post by **freshstart** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 3:05 pm

Wow, I can't believe the office staff kept repeating that your ortho is "The Best in the City". The problem with dr.'s who are "the best" is that they often are extremely arrogant and lack complete compassion for their patients..which seems to be the case with your doc and his staff.

If I were you I would schedule another appointment and tell the dr. directly that you are going to change ortho and tell him why. See what he says. If he says "Fine" and doesn't listen to your concerns right in the beginning do you want to deal with him for over 2 yrs?

I'm sure you will have no problem finding a great ortho who will be more than happy to treat you well, and help you get a great smile, especially since you are paying cash!!

Good luck!

#11 Post by **drrick** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 3:34 pm

Of course docs can prescribe pain meds. It is just very rare to have to do it for braces. I can only remember one or two times doing it. Ironically it is usually a big, tough guy who asks for it.

Every office is run differently and every dr, pt, and staff members have different personalities. Sometimes they just dont mesh. At least youfoundout early. Be happy for that.

I do not know anything about this doc or the OP but one thing that is often said in business circles is
PRICE * QUALITY * SERVICE -- Pick 2

Sadly you cant have all 3.
This doc could be great on price and quality (after all he is the best in the city

) but he is not great on customer service.

Conversely a different doc may have great customer service and great quality treatment but has to charge higher fees. I think you get the picture.

This is one of the things I will warn pts of when they are looking for a lower fee provider. It isnt all about the money if the rest isnt good -- for ex cant get appointments, have to wait 2hrs in the waiting room, 30 second visits with the doctor, etc.

Now if all you care about is the fee then you can overlook some of these things (being a pt at a dental school where it takes 3 hours to get filling done springs to mind) but you have to choose what you want.

#12 Post by **yj207** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:19 pm

Well considering you haven't even gotten your braces on I would switch even if you paid $700. If you are still unsatisfied later on you will be paying a lot more to switch to another doctor.

Before they started putting any devices in your mouth they should have a treatment plan spelled out for you and what to expect and how to clean and use appliances. I think its normal to expect some level of service. I would look up the bbb.org and see if there are any complaints about this ortho, it sounds very unprofessional!

#13 Post by **Pattyb** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 8:21 pm

After the first few days of braces I was in terrible pain from the rubbing inside my mouth.

I called the dr's. office to talk to him about pain relief. It was bad. The receptionist put me on hold a long time and then told me to take some Advil and use some wax. I didn't want to sound like a big baby but I was really angry because 1. The doctor didn't have the courtesy to call me back later and talk to me personally about what was going on and 2. I really could have used a few pills of something stronger than an Advil. I felt that he didn't take me or my seriously. I'm not a 12 year old, but 52 years old and know when I need some pain relief.

#14 Post by **macgirl4ever** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 8:50 pm

To take Rx IBU, take 800 mg of Advil. That said, Rx pain meds, in my opinion, have horrible side effects. IBU in particular seems to tear a hole in my stomach.

I agree that the first three weeks of braces can be uncomfortable/painful/etc but if you are using pain meds to help alleviate orthodontic pain, your receptors can build up a tolerance so that the next time you need pain medication it takes more to achieve the same effect. I personally enjoy the pain of orthodontics but not in a sadistic kind of way. The pain makes me feel better about my teeth moving, but it also helps me to present problems with my bite to my orthodontist so that he can alleviate them if possible or incorporate them into my treatment plan.

I also fear that there is a culture, especially here in the United States, that we we should feel no pain at all. Rx drugs are also abused much too often. A friend of mine is a GP and often talks about the abuses she sees in her practice such as patients who turn a script for 14 into 44. Luckily, the pharmacist is usually pretty quick to catch it. I have noticed a significant increase in the number of at risk teenagers whose drug of choice is prescription drugs.

I guess warning signs go off for me when people want to over medicate themselves on pain medication for procedures that don't typically require that type of pain management.

#15 Post by **rolo** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 2:55 am

I agree with Dr Rick, I think it's so worth shopping around for someone who you can communicate with, even if it means spending a little more. A lot of practices in the UK allow you to pay by instalments, spread over time the extra cost is easier to manage. There is no point in being at war with an orthodontist for 2 yrs. It is only going to get worse as you go through treatment, and it's hard when the support staff aren't on side. My ortho is great but there is just one receptionist who is tricky, the rest are lovely, really it is hard enough work with one awkward person without having difficulties with everyone in the practice.