Two Orthodontists and five years treatment i feel like giving up

[steveogt4]

I haven't posted on here for several years so i`m looking for advice really my five years of orthodontic treatment have been to be polite complete hell

it started in august 2013 i have had badly bucked teeth 7mm overbite all my adult life so decided to finally do something about i went and seen a several orthodontists listened to there treatment plans

I decided to go with one of the nearest ones to me as no extractions and treatment plan would be eighteen months to two years upper and lower clear braces started off well i enjoyed going to my treatments i was a private patient after nine months my orthodontist said she would take brace off next visit as that was her finished i honestly thought she was joking as i hadn't seen much difference told her next visit i wasn't happy with my treatment she asked what i wasn't happy with explained to her said she would continue my treatment

fast forward to eighteen months she said that was her finished and not doing anymore i was deeply upset at this as i honestly hadn't didn't seen much improvement from when i complained before over the course of my treatment my brace wire snapped and was never fixed i think my wire was only ever changed maybe three times one of my front brackets fell off and was not replaced for months i was never given elastic bands even though i had the hooks for them my appointments were always six to eight weeks even though i was a private patient after i told them i wasn't happy with the treatment i eventually i just cancelled it as wasn't getting any better i contacted citizens advice who put in touch with dental complaints who helped me get a partial refund after several months

this is a picture of my first day with braces and then one after eighteen months times



I decided to try and find another orthodontist to finish my treatment and went to one further away who said he could do it in fourteen months no extractions first day there i was giving bands and my appointments were either four weeks or five weeks and i was just to pay per adjustment after almost a years treatment he decided that two upper teeth needed to be removed as my teeth were overcrowded i was fine with this got my teeth removed and seen an improvement in my teeth going back

a few months after that he asked if i was ready to get them off i told him my front teeth still crossed over each other and i wasn't happy with some of the brackets on my lower top teeth were hitting off them when i bit down i asked if he could move the brackets down which he refused as he said it would bring the tooth out the gum more i told him i wasn't happy with the brace as to me some of my brackets were different heights on each tooth i continued my treatment

December 2017 i told him i wasn't happy with the way my teeth were looking as my left two front teeth were higher than my right front two he said he didnt understand what i meant so i showed him a picture which i had taken which he still didn't understand and started getting angry with me so i just cancelled my next appointment as i was upset with his attitude

i contacted several other orthodontists to see if anywhere else would continue my treatment but some refused to see me and one i did see said he would have to replace my whole brace for a metal one but he said i should go back to my second orthodontist and tell him what he would change i contacted my second orthodontists and couldn't get an appointment for several weeks i went back and told him what the other orthodontist said which he said he wasn't changing anything he shaved the bottom of one of k9s which i wasnt happy with as now ive got a k9 smaller than my other one

i told him i just wanted my front four teeth look good so i started taking my tablet in and showing him pictures of what im not happy with he doesn't even really look at that them and doesn't appear to be interested my appointments are always rushed and one of my front brackets broke so he replaced both the front two but he just stuck them on randomly and its made it look even worse i told him i wasn't was happy with this and this was months ago i had an appointment last week and things still haven't improved he said he would give two more appointments and see how things are then i honestly cant see this getting any better as its looks alot worse

i spoke to one of the other orthodontists as mine was off one day and he said i should just get the braces off and forget about it and some peoples teeth just dont straighten

i know it sounds like i complain alot of because of what ive wrote but i dont i trusted both my orthodontists and just them get on with my treatment i have only ever missed one appointment as i got the dates mixed up i suffer from anxiety and depression and its probaley my fault aswell for not telling them sooner what i wasnt happy with

after five years treatment im lost as what to do now i saw several orthodontists and they all said it would be a straight forward straightening i asked if i needed surgery or that and they all said i didnt i dont know what to know now and its heartbreaking as i all ive wanted for years was a nice smile apologies for my bad grammer and going on bit thank you for reading

this is what my teeth look like currently

[kplatt2010]

Hi Steve,
I'm sorry that you are going through this ordeal. It sounds like you're not receiving treatment in the US; is this a correct assumption? Wherever you are located, it sounds as though there is an avenue for filing a formal complaint; which is good.

Alright so first off, I think your teeth do look better after the two rounds of treatment. Looking at the teeth, you appear to still need a little adjustments/tweaks. The wire on both the mandible and maxilla appears to not be straight. Sometimes my ortho would purposely put a bend in the wire to get a tooth to shift around but those arch wires have some odd bending. You also appear to have a small gap that needs to be closed on (L) side maxillary between tooth two and three. Also the brackets on the bottom front four seem awfully low?? Of note; please bear in mind I'm not an ortho, just an adult who's had braces on for way too long and googles the sh*t on orthodonture.

Action Plan:
I think you need to change your approach a little bit with your ortho's.
1. Decide on three things that you want fixed. Make a follow-up appointment and ask if the three things that you want fixed are feasible. BTW; I love showing pictures too and that works with your hairstylist; but from personal experience, it does not work for physicians and orthodontist.
2. Make sure you are picking an appointment time when it's not super busy so they are not rushed and can focus on you (i.e. not when kids are getting out of school ~3pm to 5pm).
3. Give them the we're on the same team attitude spiel; they love hearing that. Say "I think we both have the same goals to improve my smile to fix x, y, and z. I will follow your treatment plan, is this feasible?"
4. It sounds as though you are in an ortho group so try to make appointments with the one who appears to somewhat know what they are doing.
5. Every appointment reinforce the three things that you want fixed. Ask them in their expert opinion what will it take to get x , y, and z? Are you on track? What's the next action to fix x, y, and z?

Good Luck and keep us posted. It's not easy being an adult with braces.
Karla

[steveogt4]

Hi Steve,
I'm sorry that you are going through this ordeal. It sounds like you're not receiving treatment in the US; is this a correct assumption? Wherever you are located, it sounds as though there is an avenue for filing a formal complaint; which is good.

Alright so first off, I think your teeth do look better after the two rounds of treatment. Looking at the teeth, you appear to still need a little adjustments/tweaks. The wire on both the mandible and maxilla appears to not be straight. Sometimes my ortho would purposely put a bend in the wire to get a tooth to shift around but those arch wires have some odd bending. You also appear to have a small gap that needs to be closed on (L) side maxillary between tooth two and three. Also the brackets on the bottom front four seem awfully low?? Of note; please bear in mind I'm not an ortho, just an adult who's had braces on for way too long and googles the sh*t on orthodonture.

Action Plan:
I think you need to change your approach a little bit with your ortho's.
1. Decide on three things that you want fixed. Make a follow-up appointment and ask if the three things that you want fixed are feasible. BTW; I love showing pictures too and that works with your hairstylist; but from personal experience, it does not work for physicians and orthodontist.
2. Make sure you are picking an appointment time when it's not super busy so they are not rushed and can focus on you (i.e. not when kids are getting out of school ~3pm to 5pm).
3. Give them the we're on the same team attitude spiel; they love hearing that. Say "I think we both have the same goals to improve my smile to fix x, y, and z. I will follow your treatment plan, is this feasible?"
4. It sounds as though you are in an ortho group so try to make appointments with the one who appears to somewhat know what they are doing.
5. Every appointment reinforce the three things that you want fixed. Ask them in their expert opinion what will it take to get x , y, and z? Are you on track? What's the next action to fix x, y, and z?

Good Luck and keep us posted. It's not easy being an adult with braces.
Karla

Thank you for replying im from Scotland near Glasgow I only see one orthodontist it wouldn't matter what time i went as ive been various times and there always busy

sorry i don't understand what gap you ment I'm not very good are explaining things ive never been a very confident talker that's why i was taking my tablet in but he barely even looks at them

Ive mentioned several times i wasn't happy with the brace even asked if he would change it for a metal one he just refuses

All i really want is nice level smile but i just don't trust him anymore to do it.

[kplatt2010]

Hi Steve,
Although in hindsight, if I had a do-over I would choose metal. I do think though the ceramics work too. I would avoid chasing down that rabbit hole.

I know you've been telling them but if it's been going on for 5 years, you need to change up the communication style and stick with one ortho. If you keep changing ortho's, then you're going to have to explain all over what your goals of care are. If you're showing pics, there's no eye contact. You need to have good eye contact and keep on them about what the three things you are looking to get out of treatment. They can avoid looking at your pictures but the eye to eye contact is harder to avoid.

You said your not very confident; practice what you're going to say with a friend or in front of a mirror. Bring a friend/spouse/partner who can advocate for you too.

In regards to the gap; your pictures are a little blurry and so I'm basing my statements on what I think I see. I've circled what I think is a gap but you would be the best judge of character. Keep in mind too that I am NOT an orthodontist.

[steveogt4]

Its actually a crown so the space there is because the crown wasn't as wide as the original tooth the roots still there reason for the space

I understand what you mean but when i try to speak my orthodontist he just hands me a mirror and asks me to show him but he always says he doesn't understand what i mean thats why i started showing pictures its an open plan treatment area so there's other patients orthodontists aswell which puts me off speaking im worried hes not going to do anymore treatment after the next two appointments.

[wendydong]

try to schedule an appt with your ortho in a consultation setting.

I have a list of concerns with my upper arch currently, and I called my ortho office. The receptionist asked me to email her a list of my concerns. Then she talked to the ortho, and ortho asked me to come in at a certain time, like half an hour before their lunch time (they close during lunch) next monday and talk it over....

so i am hoping to get some answers next monday. although my dentist, who i completely trust always tell me that i should be patient and i am early in my treatment

[assertives]

I second the suggestion to bring a friend, family member or a spouse/partner to help you if you are not able to get your point across to your ortho. In the meantime, it would also be helpful to think about what outcome you expect and be specific about this. My ortho also does the same thing, whenever I bring up an issue that he is not able to see for himself, he will hand me a mirror and have me point it out to him.

I've also realised that pictures are not always the preferred mode with doctors. I think it's because the pictures were taken by the patients themselves and are usually subject to angle and lighting errors so they tend to avoid making any clinical decisions based off on what they see in pictures taken by the patients themselves.

I think Karla has given you some very good suggestions. 5 years is an awfully long time to be braces. I hope you get an acceptable resolution soon.

[kplatt2010]

Stay strong Steve and keep at them! You've totally got this.
Karla

[steveogt4]

Thanks for the replies il try speak to him next time but i just get the feeling its going to be the same again my adjustments are always rushed people have left reviews on there Facebook google page saying the same if things haven't improved by december il ask to see to someone else but because hes part owner i get the feeling thats why hes refusing to let me be treated by someone else worst comes to it il contact dental complaints again or try somewhere else.