Metal Mouth Message Board

Okay so my story is posted on here but a brief summary...I am missing both of my lateral incisors which i would have to get bridgework to replace, and missing 2 back bottom molars. They closed one of the spaces....but an assistant messed up cutting wires amd one of the molars spaces that was supposed to be closed up reopened and they left it like that. Well I was told to call my dentist to schedule a consult to see about bridge work. after the quote I felt i would have to wait. So i called the ortho office and the lady was rude she told me to call and schedule am appointment when i.could afford the bridge work. I got to thinking how can an assistant just change my treatment plan. i called back...and spoke to another woman who was so much nicer. scheduled me 6 weeks later. went in and my ortho said it wouldn't be a problem to hold the space. He also said my teeth weren't perfect but defiantly better than before. I've beenin braces for 2 years and 5months. I haven't broken anything at all always made it to every single appointment.ive only had to go in for a few repairs due to assist,ants not double checking work before i left the chair examples brackets not being closed, wires cut that weren't supposed to be cut, wires not pushed into brackets.i I paid my 6100 for my orthodontic work and for him to tell me that theyre not perfect which. i realize not everyones absolutely perfect but still. They scheduled me in another
6 weeks to have my braces removed....So at my last 4 appointments there has been nothing done ....each of those appointments being 6 weeks apart....

I keep reading stories about assistants messing up, why on earth do they allow assistants to do the work in USA when you're paying money for the orthodontist.

In the UK only the orthodontist does the work, the assistant simply passes him tools/ligs.

The assistants only get to practice on NHS cases.

Just seems a bit strange?

I sure wish it was this way here in the US! I hate that I've spent all that money and still not where my teeth are supposed to be. And I have never had the same assistant. Always someone different! I figure they just want to get clients in and out so they can get more done in a day. Usually at each appointment I might see my orthodontist for maybe 4 minutes. The only work an orthodontist has done at my appointment was shaping my pontics, and then once that was done she passed it off to an assistant to place them. An assistant even placed my brackets on my teeth when I first got braces I also go to a orthodontist practice where they have multiple orthodontists and I don't always see the same orthodontist.