OK, I've not been on here in a while but I've finally saved enough money to start my treatment. I have about £1500 saved in the bank which should cover the deposit hopefully and another £300 per month coming in (I'm work part time I'm a student.)
I rang for my first consultaion today, I was told it would cost £49 (fair enough, it's a reasonable price much lower than I expected) I was then told they where really busy and there booked up until September so I told them I'd get back to them.
I'm going to ring a few more orthodontists tommorow and see if I can get more consultations. How long should I expect to wait, is September a reasonable time to wait between ringing up and getting a consultation, also how long after you consultation should the braces be fitted? If I had known it would be a long wait I would of rang months ago.
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florencegal
- Posts: 154
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:20 pm
- Location: south-west UK
Hi Bellboy and congrats on taking your first steps!
I think these things vary hugely, it seems from a lot of posts here that our US archwired cousins perhaps can be quicker in getting consultations and then braces fitted but I might be wrong. Maybe there are just more orthos to go round over there!
I would have loved to pay £49 for my consultation! Mine was £120 but that did include all xrays and the detailed follow-up appointment. I forget when I rang to make the appointment but I think I waited over a month. I had the consultation in mid-August, teeth out in October and braces on early November. I can't tell you whether this is standard - I guess some offices are busier than others, some organise their diaries differently and it will depend on whether you need extra things (eg. extractions) done first.
I only had one consultation but it is considered good practice to have a couple to compare so it can't hurt for you to book that one for September and fit in some others if you can in the meantime. See what they all propose and how quickly they can give it to you.
Best of luck!
x
I think these things vary hugely, it seems from a lot of posts here that our US archwired cousins perhaps can be quicker in getting consultations and then braces fitted but I might be wrong. Maybe there are just more orthos to go round over there!
I would have loved to pay £49 for my consultation! Mine was £120 but that did include all xrays and the detailed follow-up appointment. I forget when I rang to make the appointment but I think I waited over a month. I had the consultation in mid-August, teeth out in October and braces on early November. I can't tell you whether this is standard - I guess some offices are busier than others, some organise their diaries differently and it will depend on whether you need extra things (eg. extractions) done first.
I only had one consultation but it is considered good practice to have a couple to compare so it can't hurt for you to book that one for September and fit in some others if you can in the meantime. See what they all propose and how quickly they can give it to you.
Best of luck!
x
That seems ages. My ortho takes a while for new patients, but not as long as that. Perhaps it's delayed by summer holidays (orthos covering for each other etc which reminds me I have to ask my ortho what emergency arrangements are in place when she's away).
Good luck with ringing other orthos. One tip I'd give is to book your next appointment at the same time. If you hate the ortho after the first appointment you can always cancel (just do it straight away).
I think £1500 is plenty to get started. Personally, I find the talk of payment plans a bit strange, why should you pay the total cost upfront, it's not like the ortho needs the money upfront, you don't pay your dentist upfront for 2 years worth of consultations. Though, clearly you should need to pay more when you're banded etc.
Good luck with ringing other orthos. One tip I'd give is to book your next appointment at the same time. If you hate the ortho after the first appointment you can always cancel (just do it straight away).
I think £1500 is plenty to get started. Personally, I find the talk of payment plans a bit strange, why should you pay the total cost upfront, it's not like the ortho needs the money upfront, you don't pay your dentist upfront for 2 years worth of consultations. Though, clearly you should need to pay more when you're banded etc.
Thanks for the advice guys. I've been saving since before christmas and had I known that there would be a delays between phoning, having a consultation and then getting the braces I would of started much earlier.
I'm going to ring a few more Orthos tommorow and see if I can get a consultation anytime sooner than september (I was presuming I would be able to be fitted in within a week or two, how naieve)
The reason I tried to save a large bulk of money is because I have nightmares of going for a consultation everyhting being OK and then being asked for a huge deposit I won't be able to afford and then what can I say, "I'll come back in a month or two when I've saved more money lol"
I'm 19 and worried that braces may hurt my chances with girls but then again I do need them so what the hell. I'd hate to find out they won't do anything without Jaw surgery because I'm really not prepared for that and it's not an option for me.
I'm going to ring a few more Orthos tommorow and see if I can get a consultation anytime sooner than september (I was presuming I would be able to be fitted in within a week or two, how naieve)
The reason I tried to save a large bulk of money is because I have nightmares of going for a consultation everyhting being OK and then being asked for a huge deposit I won't be able to afford and then what can I say, "I'll come back in a month or two when I've saved more money lol"
I'm 19 and worried that braces may hurt my chances with girls but then again I do need them so what the hell. I'd hate to find out they won't do anything without Jaw surgery because I'm really not prepared for that and it's not an option for me.
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florencegal
- Posts: 154
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:20 pm
- Location: south-west UK
I'm sure it can't hurt to have a bigger deposit to start with - even if it's not strictly necessary, it'll make the monthly payments afterwards much easier to bear. I think you've been sensible in covering your bases, how heartbreaking would it be to be delayed just because of a few pennies?! I think my ortho generally asked for £500/£600 deposit but I preferred to lay down £1500 which meant I then only had 10 monthly payments of £150 - totally achievable.
Please, please, please don't worry about what this may or may not do to your chances with girls! I'm sure it won't affect your dating life in any way and even if it does, would you really want to get with someone who judged you on your braces??? And anyways, it's been said a lot on AW and bears saying again: no-one notices our braces even half as much as we do! It won't make you stay in every Friday and Saturday night for the next 18+ months - sure, it can be weird and a bit tough in the first couple of weeks but then I'm sure you'll just slip back into your same old routine and social life.
Good luck in making all your appointments!
Please, please, please don't worry about what this may or may not do to your chances with girls! I'm sure it won't affect your dating life in any way and even if it does, would you really want to get with someone who judged you on your braces??? And anyways, it's been said a lot on AW and bears saying again: no-one notices our braces even half as much as we do! It won't make you stay in every Friday and Saturday night for the next 18+ months - sure, it can be weird and a bit tough in the first couple of weeks but then I'm sure you'll just slip back into your same old routine and social life.
Good luck in making all your appointments!
Well I didn't ring today as I found I will need to work full time one of the weeks in July because college is finished so I have free time and one of the girls are going to be on holiday that week. I don't know which week is it until I go in tommorow so I'm waiting till then to ring again for a consultation because I don't want it to clash with when I will be working that week.
My biggest fear is the Ortho asking for a deposit I can't afford or monthly payments that are too steep (I can't go above £220 per month). Actually thats not my biggest fear, my biggest fear is the ortho not being able to offer me treatment without jaw surgery because I'm totally not prepared for that. I know I have a recedeed chin but bringing my jaw any further forward and I'd end up with a underbite.
My biggest fear is the Ortho asking for a deposit I can't afford or monthly payments that are too steep (I can't go above £220 per month). Actually thats not my biggest fear, my biggest fear is the ortho not being able to offer me treatment without jaw surgery because I'm totally not prepared for that. I know I have a recedeed chin but bringing my jaw any further forward and I'd end up with a underbite.
If you needed jaw surgery, it would be covered on the NHS. Not sure if you are worried from a financial or medical position, but there's no need to worry on the money front.
Having been through double jaw surgery (including having a receded chin brought forward), I'd say there's not too much worry about on the medical front either - it's uncomfortable for a few weeks but most people come out of it with a better bite and a better-looking faces. FTW all round
Having been through double jaw surgery (including having a receded chin brought forward), I'd say there's not too much worry about on the medical front either - it's uncomfortable for a few weeks but most people come out of it with a better bite and a better-looking faces. FTW all round
Braced May 2005
Bimaxillary surgery Aug 2007
Debraced Jun 2008
Bimaxillary surgery Aug 2007
Debraced Jun 2008
1500 sounds ample. It's generally 25% down. Lot's of room to bargain if you pull out the dosh then and there 
August summers seem to be a hit with dentists and orthos, whole practices pack up for the month, so it's not surprising next available is Sept or October. Make some tentative books now in case after your further study you go back and it's into Nov. You can always cancel. Make the bookings with the notation should anything come up between now and then to please notify you (i.e. cancellations, free space etc.), insert some story that the sooner the better for what ever reason
Here's the Ortho Society, it has a search feature for all recognized member orthos, plow away at all that is available in your region. Grab a hold of the project, you own it not them
http://www.bos.org.uk/orthodonticsandyo ... hodontist/
August summers seem to be a hit with dentists and orthos, whole practices pack up for the month, so it's not surprising next available is Sept or October. Make some tentative books now in case after your further study you go back and it's into Nov. You can always cancel. Make the bookings with the notation should anything come up between now and then to please notify you (i.e. cancellations, free space etc.), insert some story that the sooner the better for what ever reason
Here's the Ortho Society, it has a search feature for all recognized member orthos, plow away at all that is available in your region. Grab a hold of the project, you own it not them
http://www.bos.org.uk/orthodonticsandyo ... hodontist/
Before I ring I'm really nervous then when they say September I get disgruntled and don't bother ringing anyone else for a few days. It's the weekend now so I'll try again on monday. The reason I don't want jaw surgery is because of the time of work/uni and it's just a huge operation I'm not prepared for.
Can I book 2 consultations but ring and cancel 1 without being charged?
When I have my mouth closed It looks like I have a receeded chin but I think it's the lips going over my overjet that makes it look that way. When lift my upper lip from my teeth the two jaws are alligned it just seems my front four teeth and gums are too far forward. I hope this is the case and I can avoid jaw surgery. My overjet is 7mm and I think I may have about a 1-3mm overbite. Even with a receeded jaw surgery can be avoided by have a compramised result? I'm not fussed about the chin profile as long as I can have my buck teeth fixed, I think pulling the front 4 teeth backwards will improve the profile anyway.
Can I book 2 consultations but ring and cancel 1 without being charged?
When I have my mouth closed It looks like I have a receeded chin but I think it's the lips going over my overjet that makes it look that way. When lift my upper lip from my teeth the two jaws are alligned it just seems my front four teeth and gums are too far forward. I hope this is the case and I can avoid jaw surgery. My overjet is 7mm and I think I may have about a 1-3mm overbite. Even with a receeded jaw surgery can be avoided by have a compramised result? I'm not fussed about the chin profile as long as I can have my buck teeth fixed, I think pulling the front 4 teeth backwards will improve the profile anyway.
My orthodontist gave me two treatment options (I have an underbite) - 1) with surgery and 2) without surgery (but the outcome would not be as good).
I think you will find that most orthodontists will give you the choice of whether you wish to proceed with surgery or not (if it's required). They may tell you that you will get a good result without surgery, but a better result with surgery. Either option is your choice. You don't have to go through with surgery if you don't want it.
I think you will find that most orthodontists will give you the choice of whether you wish to proceed with surgery or not (if it's required). They may tell you that you will get a good result without surgery, but a better result with surgery. Either option is your choice. You don't have to go through with surgery if you don't want it.
Surgery is a last resort. Yes, they can compromise / camouflage anything and everything. The key is of course to get that first consult to see what the problem is. Non surgical overjet / overbite treatments occur around the world every single day with perfectly acceptable results, just do a quick search:
http://www.google.com/search?q=overjet+ ... n-surgical
The second patient was a 19-year-old female who also presented with upper incisor protrusion. Her lateral facial view exhibited a severe convex type. The first molar relationship was Angle Class II on both left and right sides. The overjet was +14mm, and the overbite +7mm. The cephalometric analysis revealed protrusion of the maxilla, retrusion of the mandible, small mandibular plane angle and proclination of the upper incisors. The patient was diagnosed as having a skeletal Class II malocclusion with severe overjet. As a result of the treatment by a multi-bracket appliance with extraction of the upper first premolars, her facial profile was improved and a good occlusal interdigitation was achieved. (author abst.)
http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v191/ ... 1229a.html
1. Need to pick up the phone on Monday and put your name down on paper with a few in your area. Can't see them charging if you cancel within a reasonable period (usually 48 hours before), even so, I don't think they take your credit card number over the phone to make an appointment. Don't worry about canceling. Just make a booking or two while you investigate everything.
2. Arm yourself with basic info, as above, know that surgery is not always necessary so that you can discuss that if they insist or say otherwise. And ask for the reason if more than 3 insist etc.
Repeat: first step, book appointments and let them tell you what exactly it is they see (don't forget to tell the booking agent, top urgent, if something comes up before the date, call you as time is of the essence)
Good Luck. It's the hardest part, getting the ball rolling, some people delay 20 years or more (like me
)
http://www.google.com/search?q=overjet+ ... n-surgical
The second patient was a 19-year-old female who also presented with upper incisor protrusion. Her lateral facial view exhibited a severe convex type. The first molar relationship was Angle Class II on both left and right sides. The overjet was +14mm, and the overbite +7mm. The cephalometric analysis revealed protrusion of the maxilla, retrusion of the mandible, small mandibular plane angle and proclination of the upper incisors. The patient was diagnosed as having a skeletal Class II malocclusion with severe overjet. As a result of the treatment by a multi-bracket appliance with extraction of the upper first premolars, her facial profile was improved and a good occlusal interdigitation was achieved. (author abst.)
http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v191/ ... 1229a.html
1. Need to pick up the phone on Monday and put your name down on paper with a few in your area. Can't see them charging if you cancel within a reasonable period (usually 48 hours before), even so, I don't think they take your credit card number over the phone to make an appointment. Don't worry about canceling. Just make a booking or two while you investigate everything.
2. Arm yourself with basic info, as above, know that surgery is not always necessary so that you can discuss that if they insist or say otherwise. And ask for the reason if more than 3 insist etc.
Repeat: first step, book appointments and let them tell you what exactly it is they see (don't forget to tell the booking agent, top urgent, if something comes up before the date, call you as time is of the essence)
Good Luck. It's the hardest part, getting the ball rolling, some people delay 20 years or more (like me
)