Metal Mouth Message Board

Hello there

I am 8 months into treatment and my next adjustment is on Monday the 15th. My dilemma is that when I first go into the treatment room, a technician takes my ligatures and wires off and then, while I am lying there with my mouth open, mu orthodontist comes in and does his thing. He then leaves and the techinician replaces the new ligatures. My ortho does ask me 'how ya doin?' etc but there is only so much I can say when he is tinkering inside my mouth! The upshot of it is, I come away every time not knowing how I am progressing.

This time I would really like to have a pep talk with him and ask him how he feels my treatment is progressing. I actually have no idea how long I am supposed to wear the braces ( we have paid for one years treatment) and after 8 months I really feel like I need a progress report.

I was wondering if anyone out there has had a similar experience and what would be the best way to approach getting my ortho to actually spend 5 minutes 'one-on'one' with me?

Thanks for any advice

Start talking...... I guarantee he'll get his hands out of your mouth if you do.... he won't want to get bit!

Why not write your questions on an index card or something like that. When he says: How ya doing? You can nod ok, and then hand him the card before he can slip away...

When you book your next appointment, ask the receptionist for extra time to talk with your ortho. Make sure to write down any questions (keep them brief and to the point) and bring them to your appointment. Remember to breathe and relax!!

My ortho was the same way. I never knew what questions to ask or anything but now I wish I had. I like the idea of taking your questions, but do let them know you want a few extra minutes so no one else will have to wait longer than they should.

This kind of stuff irritates me. The doctor absolutely should spend a minute or two talking to a patient and answering their questions. A little time spent each visit saves a lot of hard feelings and unpleasant longer discussions later. The more patients know the less aggrevated they tend to get during treatment.

Randall

Yay for Dr Randall!!!!!

I'm really surprised and that would annoy the heck out of me.

My ortho does all the work and just relies on the technician / dental nurse to prepare things for him.

He answers all my questions, runs through the progress etc etc it's great.

I agree, you have a right to know what is going on, I would call and ask for more time too, specify that you want to talk to your ortho, I cannot imagine mine being that way, He actually jokes when me when I first come in and tries to guess how many questions I'm gonna ask. (I ask alot) but I figure thats part of what they are getting paid for.
best of luck on your next appt.
Leah

Thanks everyone for your advice. Today was the big day. I took a deep breath and first informed the dental technician that I wanted ask my doc a couple of questions today. Then when he came in and had a look at my teeth and as soon as he took the mirror out of my mouth I started talking. To my surprise he was a great deal more conversational today than in my past umpteen appointments which made it a lot easier. I think the key is to be respectful of the process and time constraints but also be forceful in asking questions. All in all, it was a successful day and now I am feeling the effects of the adjustment! I had some front teeth re-shaped slightly and a weird looking '4 ligatures in a row' elastic that is supposed to close the gap in between my two front teeth and draw 4 teeth together for a better fit. Looks like I'll be eating soft stuff for a couple of days until the pain wears off!

I usually call after the visit and but it can be stressful when you are nervous about something and a quick answer while you're in the chair could alleviate a lot of anxiety. I also ask the assistant questions (I don't know if that is proper etiquette for the office though). There is one ortho in my office who was great when dealing with a particularly stubborn tooth and he was comforting and gentle. He actually talked to me while I was having the work done.