Metal Mouth Message Board

Is it uncommon or even unheard of to seek out an orthodontic consultation with another orthodontist when you are already in the middle of active treatment? Will an orthodontist do this? I really want a second opinion. I have an anterior open bite that is pretty much only open on the right side and a cross bite on that side too. I have ceramic uppers and lowers and wear vertical elastics canine to canine. I have had the same configuration for a year now. My bite is so close to being closed by my tongue thrust keeps pushing it open. I don't really have complete confidence in my current ortho to close the bite and it be maintained. I have brought up the tongue thrust concern several times and have just been told that it is something that I will probably always have. I feel like it keeps getting pushed aside and the tongue thrust is what landed me back at the ortho to begin with. It's frustrating and I'm not sure everything will stay put after the braces come off due to the tongue thrust not being addressed. I just want everything completely fixed so I do not have to do this all again.

I'm sure it's what any sensible person does when they have reasonable grounds to suspect their ortho is doing a crap job - in this case lack of progress (maybe he should be using TADs?). I'd walk into alternative ortho's office with an open mind though.

Incidentally:
"Tongue thrust" - where the tongue pushes forward during swallowing etc - does not cause open bite, because the force is only intermittent.
"Tongue resting position" - where you walk around with tongue pressing against teeth - different story. This is because the force is constant. You should be able to notice if you are doing this, and research solutions independently.

Absolutely...I did a consultation with a second ortho about 15 months into treatment as I had questions and wanted a second opinion on how my treatment was going because my ortho failed to address my concerns and never really projected confidence in what he was doing.