things that your orths dosen't want you to know!@!

[stRaighteR]

Ask to see an intraoral camera or the radiograph next time. They will be happy to show you the evidence of decay clinically. And remember that a cavity is about 20% smaller on an x-ray in comparison to when you get in there. If you don't believe them then don't get the filling/crown/onlay. Then in a couple to many years see what happens and if they were right.

I'm sorry Rory I didn't mean it in a bad way...and I sure didn't mean to offend anyone...I just was speaking my mind at that point of time, but i'm sorry...I'll think before I type next time...

I did ask him to show me the cavities and he said they cannot be seen on an x-ray because they're so small...and he said that on the introral camera that they will simply look like stains...

I too believe everything I read on the internet or hear from people. It is not human nature to ever stretch the truth or change details from a story, especially if it didn't go as the person wanted or originally planned.

Once again, I did not mean anything by what I said...and I never said that I believed it...I was just trying to show Ilovetosmile232 that it could possibly happen...If it actually did or did not happen, I am not too sure...As someone else said, it's only one side of the story...The person may actually have had bad credit, or did something that caused the ortho to doubt them...or the ortho may have had bad experiences in the past with persons not paying the full amount and disappearing...

I know now what they mean when people say that their face got hot from embarassment, because mine sure did... I'm sorry...

[Laieniel]

Ok about with-holding debanding until payment is made I think that maybe that person was talking about the same thing I have.

In my contract I signed that my estimated time was 20 months ao therefore my payments were spread out through 20 months. It then says that if the treatment ends before the estimated time that a "balloon" payment of the balance left would be due before molds for retaining devices were made and before debanding. But the CATCH is further down it does say that any damage done to the teeth due to prolonged treatment because of non-payment is not the ortho's responsiblity.


I can't see them actually missing that estimate by so far that I would owe more than a couple of payments though . I would hope his 20 years of experience would help him out at guessing lol

[stargirl]

Regarding the payment issues: I will be getting my braces off in a month, 5 months earlier than the estimated treatment time. Because my treatment is not yet payed off in full, at my next appointment (impressions for retainers), I was asked to bring several post-dated cheques (one for each of the 4-5 months I would have had left) that will pay off the balance.

I suppose this is their way of ensuring that I don't grab my retainers and run! But it is still the regular payment plan that I've had since the start of treatment... I'm just giving in the cheques ahead of time.

[Gennel]

In my case I paid almost half down and put the rest on a payment plan of 30 months which is my estimated treatment time. I doubt that my ortho will stretch my treatment until my balance is paid off for one reason...
I don't mail my payment or pay my monthly bill in person. It is automatically withdrawn from my checking account. I can't stop payments until the 30 months have ended . If I can ,I will try to have it paid off at least 6 months early.

I don't know about dentists saying that you have a cavity when you actually don't,however one dentist I went to told me that I had a cavity in my front tooth. She pointed it out on the x-ray and I could not see a thing.She kept pointing to it and even enlarged the digital x-rays. Everything looked superclear but I could not see it. I went to another dentist and she had x-rays taken of my teeth and did NOT see or mention a cavity in my front tooth. I did see other cavities she was showing me on the xrays. I have an appt in 3months and I'm going to ask her if she sees this so called cavity in my front tooth. There are no different color spots,cracks,chips or tiny hole on my front teeth ... So if its in my front tooth it developed from the inside out?

Gennel

[Dramagyrl]

At least some of you have dentists who take the time to show you that kind of stuff. I've never seen a X-ray from my dentist or anything. He would just tell me I needed fillings and then book me in so he could get his money.
Three of the fillings I had in my time with him came back, including one on my front tooth. I don't know if he just didn't cover enough area or what, but it was only months (if that) after the filling that I was back in to get them redone, at full charge to me.

He also is the one who pulled a baby tooth and then put in a retainer (with no spacer) to try and straighten my teeth. When the adult tooth came in, it had nowhere to go and ended up below the rest of my teeth. He always refused to remove the tooth too, said it was fine down there tearing my lip up.
I had to beg him for the referral to my ortho, who noticed the tooth right away and said it needed to go. As soon as he asked my dentist, he got full compliance.

Not that this adds to the argument of dentist versus ortho by any means. What this says is there are bad dentists out there, and probably bad orthos too.

I'm glad I found a great ortho and I plan to find jut as wonderful of a dentist to move to when ortho treatment is finished. Then I'll get my teeth filed down on the spots worn and destroyed by crooked teeth, get the yellow filling on my front tooth lightened and lighten my teeth altogether!