Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi, all!

I am in my 30s, looking to get braced. Like many here, my parents could not afford to get me braced when I was young and my janky teeth have been a subject of low self-esteem for me. It got to be so bad that my high school guidance counselor, who had a relationship with one of our local college's dental schools, offered to get me treated and fitted with braces, but my parents couldn't even come up with the sum needed ($500 for the entire treatment) for that. So now I have a great job with adult ortho benefits and looking to take advantage.

I had a consults with orthos, and there was one I really like, but I am a little confused. He saw me for about 1/2 hour consult. No impressions were taken and no x-rays either. He just looked at my teeth, said that yes, I had a pretty pronounced open bite, and, from what I have read of the lingo, overjet, and confirmed that what I hoped to achieve with orthodontics was to close the gap in my uppers, push them "back" and push my lower teeth "back," as well. I was concerned I might need surgery and he said that he'd only advise surgery if I were concerned about having a slightly "gummy" smile, and that he could get me where I wanted to be without surgery, and surgery would be for aesthetics only.

Here is the thing -- he asked me if I had x-rays on file within the past year. I admitted that I haven't been to a dentist in almost 4 years (got laid off a job and didn' have benefits until very recently with my new one). He then made an appointment for me with a dentist he knows, says that the dentist will take xrays, check me out for any cavities, etc., and then in about 2 MONTHS or so, I can come back and we can talk more.

Is this normal? I have gone to other orthos, but I felt uncomfortable with them and one guy really creeped me out. I feel most comfortable with the one I recently went to, and I know this site suggests to find an ortho you like since you'll be spending so much time with him/her. This guy definitely knows what he's doing, but the whole "go to the dentist thing and come back in 2 months" seems sketch to me, especially since he said that my teeth looked good and it was unlikely I had cavities. Aren't orthos dentists, too, in a sense? So wouldn't he know?

I'd just like to get some opinions on whether this is some sort of racket to send biz to his dentist friends? I'm almost thinking about going with one of the orthos I didn't like as much because this timeframe and the "dental visit" seem a bit outside the norm, and I've not read where anyone getting orthodontics had to do that.

Thanks for any insight!

It's not sketchy. The time frame he gave you most likely was in the case you had other issues to fix first, like cavities, gum issues etc. Because all those need to be addressed before anything is done, since braces could make them worse.

Before i got braces (and i knew i was gonna get them anyway) i had to undergo some 2-3 months of dental work to fix the cavities and gum issues (inherited from my dad), and take out 4 wisdom teeth. Only after that did i get the braces.

Chances are your ortho, is sending you to

a) someone he knows is good doc
b) sending business

But even if he is sending business, it is not uncommon to have dental visit before ortho. I would suggest going to the dentist, and make your mind up about the competence of the dentist, and maybe ask another if you are not satisfied.

But the ortho did the right thing, imo.

I think that's very normal. He wants to give you enough time to fix any issues you may have, and then when you come back you'll be ready for braces. I think when we're finally ready for braces, we don't think about anything but getting the braces. So any wait is a long wait. I first saw my ortho, he looked in my mouth told me his opinion and that i'd need to come back for the panoramic x-rays and molds. I managed to get back in a month, which was the quickest they could get me in. Then I went back a week later and he told me what he would want to do...then a month later I got the braces. It's a long process, but I really like my ortho so it was worth the wait. I think if you like him, and are comfortable with him, the process is much smoother than with some one who creeps you out.

Thanks for both your replies! I feel a lot better now. I really do want to go with this guy as he is a noted ortho who routinely works with kids and reconstructive ortho, and he was no-nonsense and seems like he is not all about the $$$. I was just concerned because of the 4 orthos I spoke to, he was the ONLY one who suggested I see a dentist beforehand. One of the orthos (not creepy dude) wanted me to do what I now know is the "records appointment" a week after our initial appointment, but I told him I wanted to think about it some more.

I am raring to go, finally, and am pretty impatient, lol! Thanks so much, I feel so much better. Can't wait to get braced and share my progress here!

Normal, unfortunately.

Check out my thread "how long from records/impressions till brace day?"

The average answer is about a month or two... Or sometimes even more. (and mind you, it was 3 weeks in between my initial consultations and my records/impressions.

They usually only work a few days a week, and are seeing about as many patients as they can handle. I'm in the wrong business!

As everyone else has said, this is quite normal. As a matter of fact you probably should have gone to a "regular" dentist before you sought ortho consults. I'm really surprised that the other orthos didn't suggest you getting a regular dental check-up before they serviced you.

I will be getting spacers tomorrow and braced next week and my journey started about a year ago- from fixing all of my dental issues, initial ortho consult, x-rays & molds, and extractions.

What I've learned on this journey is that waiting is inevitable and patience is a virtue! Use this site as a filler between time as it is a great source of learning all you'll need to know about braces. This site has eased my anxieties and helped me know what to expect in preparation for the big day! Good luck on your journey!