Metal Mouth Message Board

Ok so basically my orthodontist is a giant ass and his office staff make me want to pull my hair out. I think he knows his stuff and is a good doctor but the general trouble it takes to actually see him is starting to outweigh the good.

His office apparently caters way more to kids than adults, with the office closing in the early afternoon. when I expressed that I work about 30 minutes away from where I live, I was told that early morning appointments would be no problem. At my consultation everyone was nice and very friendly.

Cut to me actually signing the payment forms and suddenly the office staff is rude and unhelpful. They make me feel like I am inconveniencing them when calling and that my pain and/or questions are silly. No one in the office even wanted to explain to me my changes in treatment.

So my archwire shifted this week and I badly cut the inside of my mouth and was in pain. I called their "emergency" number to see if I could get the wire cut. Two hours later I was called back and told to just cut the wire with finger nail clippers with no suggestion to ever go in and see the ortho. Though now I find out that messing with the wires can seriously affect the braces effectiveness.

So I call this morning and they are closed except for 3 hours because the local schools are doing state testing today and tomorrow. The woman was distracted and impatient on the phone and completely unhelpful. She said only "emergency" cases were being seen.

I'm so sick of dealing with these people and the impossibility of ever getting a straight answer or a convenient appointment time. And if I have to hear how this guy is the "best in the city" one more time I'm going to lose it. I also barely see him as his throng of dental assistants do everything while he zips around from patient to patient. Is it too much to expect decent customer service when throwing down $5k?

I moved this past weekend and this ortho is now 30 minutes away from where I live. My questions is should I look around for a new ortho? Will it cost an arm and a leg to do so?

You should definitely be treated better for your money. Even if they are extremely busy, they should at least be nice to you.
I just called my ortho's office and moved my appt 4 weeks earlier, and they moved it on the day and hour that I requested...without any questions asked....and trust me, it is a successful and busy office.

Have you tried to contact the orthodontist directly? Maybe you could explain how you feel to him and see if he thinks it can be rectified or maybe you should move to another orthodontist. In the past, I have had similar problems with various doctor's office staff members. Each time, when I have spoken to the doctor directly about my issues, they have been taken care of. In one case, the receptionist was eventually fired because the doctor was tired of all of the complaints.

Give it a try, what do you have to lose?

The receptionist at my clinic is a shallow people pleaser who spends most of her time working on her nails.
And all of the assistants are giggly teeny-boppers who sit in the corner together and laugh at me while I go through my long list of questions/issues with the orthodontist every appointment.

But my orthodontist is pure love, and makes these hassles worth it.
I'd say if you are happy with yours, then forget about the office staff. Otherwise change to a better one who will serve you better.

tsmurfenator, glad to hear I'm not the only one who has a long list of questions. I'm sure they consider me "high maintenance" but..... I have questions!

amy, it is your money, it wouldn't hurt to: bring this up with the actual ortho, and look around. Couldn't hurt anything, right?

Speaking to the ortho directly is great advice. I got really frustrated with my office changing appointments and sending out letters, which are either wrong, or sometimes sent to the wrong address. Then when it came to re booking, they had to wait until this particular ortho was in to see when they wanted extra patients slotted in - very frustrating. In the end I started getting my diary out at the end of appointments to confirm availability for the next one booked with my ortho. They seem to have taken the hint and now tell all patients of changes and sort out rebookings whilst at the surgery well ahead of time, which is much more sensible.

In fairness, I also work in healthcare and sometimes get frustrated with support staff. Most are great, but you do get the odd one that had been there forever and a day and not really picked up that we are there to make patient's lives easier. Despite the best efforts of the HR department, it's not as easy to sort as you would think