Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi Everyone,

If anyone has taken a look at my post from the other day- my ortho is a jerk (to be nice). I finally got his office to schedule me for a few minutes on Wednesday to get my questions answered and my concerns addressed. Mind you, getting this time was quite difficult- so I want to make the most of it. I have in mind some questions I need to ask particular to my situation- but seeing how I have no idea anything else about my treatment plan- my braces- or anything relating- I was wondering if you guys could help me come up with the important stuff I should ask him and any special terms I need to inquire about. I am always so impressed with the knowlegde on this board and I hope that I will come away with the same level of knowledge specific to my situation.

Thanks:)

My advice would be RUN, don't walk, to a different ortho! You are going to be spending a lot of money over the course of 2-3 yrs. with this guy; if he can't or won't make time to answer a few questions then you should seriously consider if he's the guy you want to trust with your treatment.
I just got my braces off after 28 months, and while my ortho was OK, my biggest regret is not doing my homework. Orthos are human, meaning they deal with this every day; many forget what a big deal it is for the patient. I take about 85% responsibility for not asking questions, but I hold the ortho partially accountable, as he never said, "Here's what you can expect, here are your options, this is what will happen now", etc. For example, I expected to wear retainers after the braces came off, but I assumed you only wore them at night; I had NO idea you had to wear them 24/7 for 6-12 months, and he sure never told me how invasive and uncomfortable they would be. To them, it's just another day. This isn't to say that the vast majority of orthos don't genuinely care about their patients; they do. It's just they get busy and forget the the new patient sitting before them has nevr been through this before, doesn't know what to expect, doesn't know what questions to ask, and is trusting the ortho to give them advice.
Orthodontic treatment is a HUGE commitment, in money and time, as well as impacting your self confidence and comfort level. Don't be in a hurry to pick one and start your treatment - make sure you get ALL the facts, explore ALL your alternatives, and remember that just because the ortho thinks you need this or that, YOU are still the one with the power to decide for yourself what is right for YOU. Don't let them push you around!
I hope this helps. Thanks for allowing me to rant a bit, too!