I NEED Advice...BIG TIME!!!

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

Ok so like I have mentioned many times before, I travel two hours to my orthodontist. Everyonce in a while I'll get POkeys. So last time I went in to have my teeth checked and wires clipped, the assistant forgot to shut one of the doors on my braces, so I did it myself and the wire stuck out again needing to be clipped. Well I was in contact with my orthodontist and we scheduled her to see me monday coming. Well my parent's vehicle is giving us a hard way to go. My friend who is an exprienced orthodontic assistant she told me she would be more than happy to take care of me and clip it for me. My orthodontist told me last thursday to stop wearing my elastics for a few days to help with the pain I was having. I recently started wearing them and now the wire isnt really poking at the end. Should I just cancel it and ask them if my friend from church could clip the wire for me?

[OldBikerBag]

Bleh. Nevermind.

[Sita]

I don't mean to be rude but I can't help but feel that you are over thinking this. It's not like you are having your friend do an adjustment for you, or anything, just trim a tiny bit of wire. It's not rocket surgery. And since your ortho already said that you could do it yourself, why would she object to a trained professional doing it? It's just a wire and as I mentioned in another thread there are people out there who trim their own with nail clippers. Just have your friend do it and save yourself the hassle of going in to your orthos office. Good luck!

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

Actually. I just found out it is illegal to allow someone from another practice either come to mine or do it at theirs. Because while they mean good they could be unfamiliar with my braces type/treatment and techniques, and do something unintentional, and permenant or temporary. I kind of agree with that. I had a surgeon who was my urologist and he let another surgeon (not my choice but his) do the surgery while he was gone and the sugeon nearly killed me. While the surgeon meant no harm, harm happened.

[kennyandrew85]

I have said this before in response to another of your topics.

You need to stop over thinking things, I can almost feel some sympathy with your orthodontist because he/she is probably becoming tired of having one of his patients not trusting him at all.

Sometimes you need to just believe in the professionals and not question them on every detail.

I didn't ask my orthodontist if he used the right glue on my brackets or if he was right to pick a certain brand of elastics. I just have to have faith that he is doing what he's supposed to, but if I have any genuine concerns then I can bring it up.

Sorry I don't mean to sound nasty but you need. to.. calm.. down....

[nikkibabie19]

WEll i think the decision if yours..

But to me its not that big of a deal...As you said she is an experienced assistant...So she should have a working knowledge of most types of braces or equipment/ appliances

My ortho's assistant mostly does all the work when i go to the office anyways...

She does the wire clipping, placing the bands, etc. The ortho just approves everything at the end (or adjust anything) and them in on my way.

So if it was me, i would let my friend clip it....

[ArchWired28]

BracedSurgeryStudent
I understand your concerns, yes I really do because I am the same way myself!!! As kennyandrew85 said below, I am the kind of patient who would question everything! And let me tell ya, this annoys people big time. I already had an altercation with my ortho because I pushed my questions too far and that was totally my fault. Don't go that way please, it's neither worth it nor is going to do you any good. Just clip that wire yourself, or have it clipped by somebody else and forget about it. Only go to your ortho if it continues to give you discomfort after being clipped. Clipping a wire is not a heart surgery, even if done incorrectly would not damage you. Please try to get out of it, believe me you are going the wrong way. Do you have OCD a little bit? I do, and it is very useful to try and recognize the real worries from OCD worries. Good luck!

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

That was RUDE. I was NOT taking it over the top and I most certainly do NOT ask stupid questions such as that. I did ask what type of retainers she perfers I wear when I get them because the gives them both, and I wanted to know in her opinion wht worked better. She was totally cool with that.

I agree with you nikkibabie19, it is not heart surgery and I don't see how if she did mess up it would be something horrible. I've cut my own wire and broken the bracket. It was no big. I just wat to avoid that. Yeah my assistants do everything except placing brackets and bands and appliances my ortho wont let them.

ArchWired28, I do have a bit of OCD in me. Its really bad at work. Well I told her because I legit JUST went in to get the wire clipped and her assistant messed up, so she said she wanted to do it and make sure it gets done right this time. My only concern is sometimes my teeth move too fast and the wire stops pokin by the time I get there. Sometimes not ya know?

[ArchWired28]

ArchWired28, I do have a bit of OCD in me. Its really bad at work. Well I told her because I legit JUST went in to get the wire clipped and her assistant messed up, so she said she wanted to do it and make sure it gets done right this time. My only concern is sometimes my teeth move too fast and the wire stops pokin by the time I get there. Sometimes not ya know?

I know what you mean. I once had a poking wire, I believe it was on Friday after Thanksgiving. Everything was of course closed and I had to wait for 3 days until Monday. The thing is, the wire was not poking on Monday and I never had to have it clipped! Sometimes it is a good idea to wait. I hate waiting myself but oftentimes this is the best solution.
OCD is not bad to a certain degree, and may even be to our benefit (rarely anybody is as attentive to details as I am ). However, I think it is important to recognize the downfalls of it. You cannot be focusing on and stressing about this small thing for several days in a row, as this is destructive to yourself and others. If you manage to drive to your ortho and have it clipped - great. However, don't let this small thing "get you" next time. I know how hard it sounds, but people with OCD must learn how to distract from their obsessions. Otherwise, it will be getting you more and more as you get older. I have barely noticed it when I was 20, but now at 30 it really starts to get me, but I chose to face it. Just my few cents... Hope your wire problem resolvs today!

[Cassandra]

I would be asking the same question, especially as there may be some type of clause which negates their insurance if someone not employed at the practice does anything to your braces. To me, it's better to just call reception and ask - just in case. You are perfectly right to bring up the question on an open forum first if that's what you feel comfortable doing, because that's what it's here for!

[kennyandrew85]

Sorry didn't mean to be rude. You have every right to post any question here but I was trying to encourage you to have faith in your orthodontist (mainly aimed at your other topics) and try to relax...

[nikkibabie19]

That was RUDE. I was NOT taking it over the top and I most certainly do NOT ask stupid questions such as that. I did ask what type of retainers she perfers I wear when I get them because the gives them both, and I wanted to know in her opinion wht worked better. She was totally cool with that.

I agree with you nikkibabie19, it is not heart surgery and I don't see how if she did mess up it would be something horrible. I've cut my own wire and broken the bracket. It was no big. I just wat to avoid that. Yeah my assistants do everything except placing brackets and bands and appliances my ortho wont let them.

ArchWired28, I do have a bit of OCD in me. Its really bad at work. Well I told her because I legit JUST went in to get the wire clipped and her assistant messed up, so she said she wanted to do it and make sure it gets done right this time. My only concern is sometimes my teeth move too fast and the wire stops pokin by the time I get there. Sometimes not ya know?

I tried to clip mine but i couldnt get it from the angle i was at so i let my sis clip it. No worries

And the assistant at my ortho even placed my brackets and wires...But the ortho checked it before she harden it with the laser..He adjusted it to im guessin where it should have been) But that was the initial appointment

I havent had an adjustment yet so im hoping he does this himself...

But i dont give u wrong for being concerned...Its ur mouth, and u dont want anything to go wrong that would lengthen the time in braces or that would cause permanent damage. Its a legitimate fear.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

ArchWired28 I do use it o the bestof my abilities. Some lady came thru my line at work totally distrcted by her phone, so I didn't get her card nor was ale to put in the store card because I couldn't ask her. Service desk kid says "Hey Jenn Next time don't forget to put the store card in for customers!" I said "Hey ot my fault she was on the phone distracted" He said "Oh yeah what she look like?" Isaid Tall, bue tanktop, capris, brown hair in a pony tail." He said "Wow! You're good!" You don't suppose she'd get mad if it stopped poking? I mean today ws the last day to call.

Thanks Cassandra. I agree the less times I have to bother them the better. You are all soo informative, except the mean dude. Well rection said there's legalities involved in that. I mean I was totally O.K. with my friend doing it, but she wasn't and she said she really did not wat to say yes because if she did and my friend broke a bracket or something I'd get in huge trouble. Unless the ortho she worked for was O.K. with it and it was done in their office and he told my orthodontist (he as in that orthodontist) then It would be ok. Too much work LOL.

Thank you for the appologies I appreciate it. Of course I have faith in my orthodontist. She creates miracles out of the most messed up teeth on the planet. I know shes going to do well. But if something is out of place or something that from my research sould not be I ask. She's really cool with me asking questions. The most I have is four every 3 months. I tihnk total Ive asked like 9 questions in the past year.


nikkibabie19, funny thing I did get the angle I just broke the bracket sadly, So from now on I feel like I should just go in to avoid it. I mean I have the "Distal End Cutters" But I can't figure out how to use the things, esp on small clippings. I don't even want to ask lol. Nail clippers dn't work at all Oh wow, yeah my ortho won't let them do any of that, she even cured it herself after the assistant did some LOL I guess it needed longer curing. The Adjustments everything is done by the assistant: Colours, wire changes, hooks (if needed to be added). And the assistants close the doors on the self ligating brackets, which they always seem to mess up Ok not always lol. See??? Someone agrees with me here It's my mouth my right to be concerned when something is out of the ordiary.

[nikkibabie19]

nikkibabie19, funny thing I did get the angle I just broke the bracket sadly, So from now on I feel like I should just go in to avoid it. I mean I have the "Distal End Cutters" But I can't figure out how to use the things, esp on small clippings. I don't even want to ask lol. Nail clippers dn't work at all Oh wow, yeah my ortho won't let them do any of that, she even cured it herself after the assistant did some LOL I guess it needed longer curing. The Adjustments everything is done by the assistant: Colours, wire changes, hooks (if needed to be added). And the assistants close the doors on the self ligating brackets, which they always seem to mess up Ok not always lol. See??? Someone agrees with me here It's my mouth my right to be concerned when something is out of the ordiary.

Yes of course i agree with you. Why wouldnt i? Its the truth lolz.

Glad you came to a decision.....Only you know whats best for you...
Im sure glad i didnt break any brackets...And i dont think i will be attempting to cut my own wires again...The pressure created tryin to get at that angle was awful...I'll just leave it in the capable hands on my ortho or his assistant..

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

I think that's how I'll be going from now on. Just going into the office. My ortho said she wouldnt even mind if I had to go in everday to get it clipped she would do it. I would never go in everyday lol