Is this normal?

Message

#1 Post by **KittyKat99** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 4:53 am

Hi everyone,

I got clear braces on the 16th of May on my top teeth and clear braces on the bottom on the 16th of June. I went back yesturday the 8th of August for what i thought would be just an adjustment which wouldnt take too long but the ortho took off my braces and gave my teeth a clean.

This was great but it was really sore. It felt like he was cracking my teeth!!!I jumped up coz i got a bit of a fright. My ortho is kind of quiet so to be honest im not sure what he is doing. I tried to think of questions for him yesturday but i forgot some things and he doesnt really say much when i do ask. I know there always busy because i go in on time and im left waiting for a hour just to see him. I thought that would be just a once off but its happened 3 times now.

He said he put on a powerchain but i dont know what that is!!The braces look the same as before. I have to go back on the 18th of august to see the hygienist but my teeth look pretty clean to me.A bit confused. I hope the hygienist doesnt take my braces off again or something. Maybe all this is normal. Im really happy so far with the results. I have seen a big difference. I think its just because my ortho is a bit quiet and even when im lying back in the chair he doesnt explain to me what he is doing and thats when i get worried.

Im trying to keep track of what he has done but im not really sure. Maybe i need to be more assertive. I mean i am paying a hell of a lot of money!!

#2 Post by **Lisa65** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 6:38 am

Do you mean he just took the wire out, or did he actually crack the brackets off your teeth and glue them back on afterwards?

Brackets are not removed purely for cleaning. If he took brackets off, then he must have needed to reposition them for some reason, and the cleaning you describe would have been him polishing the old glue off your teeth in preparation for re-fixing the brackets.

A cleaning by the hygienist doesn't involve removing the braces. Unless she has asked you to have your wire removed, then she will clean your teeth with the apparatus in situ. Hygienists also keep an eye on your gum health, and can remove plaque and tartar which can't easily be reached during normal cleaning.

A power chain is lots of little ligs joined together into a chain, rather than having a separate lig on each tooth.

You have a right to know what's going on with your treatment. If your ortho seems disinclined to chat, have a few questions prepared before you go, and ask him before you get in the chair. Casual questions such as "what do you have planned for me today?" can be a good starting point. Orthos are in general used to patients who don't care or understand what's going on in their mouth and whos only question is "when can I get them off?" Once he realises you're genuinely interested, he might open up a little. The fact that he's always running late is his problem, not yours, so don't feel guilty about taking up his time. You're paying for it.

#3 Post by **KittyKat99** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:56 am

Hey,

Thanks for your reply. Yeh he cracked off four of them and put new ones on. It was pretty painful. Thanks for telling me that the hygienist isnt guna do that. He put a new wire on the bottom and top. Your prob right maybe he thinks that im not interested but i am. My next appointment is not till the 26th of sep but il have questions to ask in advance. It looks like he is doing a good job so i am happy wit the treatment. I heard him say to the assistant something about a powerchain but they look exactly the same as they did when i went in. Do powerchain's go all the way around your mouth. Maybe it is a small one and its at the back or something.

#4 Post by **purpleteeth** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:10 pm

Yes, powerchains can just be placed between a couple of teeth --- I had this happen between two teeth in back and then I ended up with a powerchain covering MOST of my bottom teeth, not all.

#5 Post by **TheNewEmperor** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 2:21 am

You also need to address the hour waiting time....that is actually not acceptable at all. If there was a dental 'code red' you could overlook it (maybe) but three times? nope, assert yourself now. If he was running one hour behind schedule the assistant should have called you and offered to bump back your appointment time.

#6 Post by **Spidey** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 11:32 am

I would really have to agree on that one. It is not appropriate for you to be waiting an hour for your scheduled appointments.

When I arrive at my Ortho office the longest I have ever had to wait was 10 min or so, and that was after arriving 5 min early for my scheduled time. It is not like a dr office, where they see patients on a walk-in basis... You are paying for their services and they are there for YOU, not the other way around.

#7 Post by **jaswi** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:16 pm

I agree with the one hour wait. My orthodontist packs his schedule full, but there has only once been a short wait(like 15 minutes). I'm always early for everything, and he's even noticed, and a lot of times he gets me in as soon as I get there.

#8 Post by **TigerLily** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:16 pm

I wish I could have my brackets off and have my teeth cleaned! Sounds like he wanted to reposition your brackets though. I have read on here of people going to hygienists who work at their ortho's office or at their dentists office which is down the hall from their orthos so they can have their wires off (but brackets on), then have their teeth cleaned then back to the ortho. I wish that was an option for me as I have my teeth cleaned with everything in but it's not as both orthodontist and hygienist work at my dentists and work different days (in fact they work in the same room)

An hour's wait time sounds like a long time. It's like NHS wait times when I had my braces on the first time round many years ago.

Saying that, I often wait half an hour for my orthodontist, the only way to avoid it is to have the first appointment of the day. She tends to talk a lot to her patients so often runs behind. Personally, I don't mind as I know she'll spend the time needed with me on a particular day if anything extra needs to be done (rather than ask me to come back another time which would be weeks as she only works 1 days a week at the clinic) or to explain something to me. Plus I tend to book at say 4:30pm on Fridays leaving work for the weekend and I just chill out reading the tons of magazines they have got so it's fine, but appreciate some people may feel differently.

#9 Post by **KittyKat99** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:18 am

Hi,

Thanks for your reply's. I know the waiting is def an issue. The second time i had to wait they were nice about the whole thing. There is a small cafe next door which the receptionist said i could use to get a sandwich and drink and they paid for this. But then i had crap stuck in my teeth!!I tried my best to get it all out!! When it happened again i was a bit like, what the flower?!!The hygienist is in the same place and i have to go on the 18th for that so if it happens again il let them know.