FRUSTRATED!!!

Message

#1 Post by **EmBraceAble** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 2:11 pm

Hi, Everyone:

This situation is really starting to frustrate me, but if you guys tell me that "it's the norm" I will just let it go. Finally, at the age of 39, I am financially able to get braces. Well, my general dentist gave me a referral to an Ortho that seems pretty cool. I had my consultation this past June, then 1 month later I got my x-rays and tooth molds made, now I have to wait until 9/22 just to have a sit down with him to go over his treatment plan!! I had an appt. to go over the treatment plan on 8/28, but I am starting a new job and classes this week. I can't leave my job orientation in the morning, and I can't miss my class (nursing school). At the time I made the appt. I had not signed up for classes yet, and unfortunately, you don't get much of a choice of times with nursing school. Now I have to wait until 9/22 just to meet with him again! Seriously, I do not understand why my appts have to be 1 month apart! Is that normal? I could kind of understand if he did general dentistry and Ortho along with other stuff, but he only does Ortho, and when I have gone, I was the only person there on 1 occassion.

Is this type of time between appts. normal??

#2 Post by **Toni** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 5:00 pm

That wasn't my experience and I live in a small town where the ortho is only here on Tuesdays!
I had my first consult on a Tuesday, had the x-rays and molds done at his other office (30 miles away) on Friday and then had my final consult 3 weeks later.
I have to wait until Oct 10th to get the braces on due to a change in insurance benefits but your ortho seems slow. Do they only work on certain days?

#3 Post by **EmBraceAble** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 5:04 pm

He works Mon-Fri AND has another office across town!! I don't need to have any teeth pulled or anything else, but I will need spacers. At this point, it will be next year before I get braces!

#4 Post by **mary.** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:15 am

It does seem like a long wait, but if it were me I would be patient and wait it out. You could ask to go on a waiting list too, you never know something could come up that will work for you. His schedule must be full, maybe they even have some vacation nestled in there. You've been waiting a lot of years, another month will be okay. It seems like a long wait - but when you think about it, the fact that he is that busy is probably a very very good sign for you : ) He's probably really good. I would actually be a little worried if there were big gaps in the schedule ; )

In fact, I experienced the same delay last year at this time. It did turn out that they had two weeks of vacation and then had to fit so much in around that. I got my braces put on towards the end of September too. Actually, it took a while to get used to them and I was glad for the Sept timing and had my summer to enjoy easily eating whatever I wanted. (It's hard to bite into a big juicy barbequed hamburger or corn on the cob with braces : )

Once your treatment starts, you'll be booking your follow up appointments well in advance anyway. I book mine on the way out my appointments, always 4-8 weeks in advance. I know how you feel, it seemed to take forever to get my first appointments scheduled (a few months), but then everything rolled along smoothly from there. My ortho's schedule is indeed full for good reason - he's amazing. Well worth the wait!

I know how it feels to be very eager once you're ready to go... but I would try not get too frustrated. You have an extra month to enjoy those foods that you won't be eating for a while - enjoy lots of popcorn and caramels. Have a nice big steak too (you'll be able to eat that, but probably not initially : )

#5 Post by **EmBraceAble** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:54 am

Thanks, Mary.

#6 Post by **thirdday82** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:06 pm

i did not have a final consult. weird. i went for my original consult and the next day did x-rays. a week later molds. 2 weeks later brackets and bands. it was less than a month from the first consult til braces were on.

your time frame is weird. have you told them you would like to get them on as soon as possible because i told my ortho. that and that was that.

sorry for your frustration.

#7 Post by **EmBraceAble** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:27 pm

Everytime they gave me an appt. I asked if there was anything earlier, and I am always told that during the summer they have so many kids' appts. they just don't have any earlier openings. It really is frustrating.

#8 Post by **lueyfufu** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:31 am

I had a long wait between my records appointment and consultation, and also between the consultation and the day the treatment actually started. Maybe it just depends on how full your ortho's schedule is. I know mine is usually pretty booked. And his office is closed on Fridays. Plus he had a couple one-week vacations over the summer, which kind of threw everything off.

#9 Post by **Katarina527** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 7:22 pm

Wow, that does seem long! I had my consult and photos taken on my first appointment, and then had the impressions, and braces put on two weeks later! It was done so easily, sorry you have had such problems.

#10 Post by **Katarina527** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 7:22 pm

Wow, that does seem long! I had my consult and photos taken on my first appointment, and then had the impressions, and braces put on two weeks later! It was done so easily, sorry you have had such problems.

Fri Aug 29, 2008 10:10 pm

Hi and congrats on taking steps to getting braces.

From my experience, setting appointments at my Ortho can be a challenge as well. He is very good at what he does, so he IS DEFINATELY worth the wait. So Im going to say "it is the norm", but maybe it just my Ortho. When I get there for adjustments, the lobby is packed, plus he has two office, one in Brooklyn and Queens..

Good luck!

#12 Post by **metalmonkey** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 3:54 pm

Katarina527 wrote:Wow, that does seem long! I had my consult and photos taken on my first appointment, and then had the impressions, and braces put on two weeks later! It was done so easily, sorry you have had such problems.

This was exactly my experience; I was actually concerned that things had moved too quickly so pleased to hear that I wasn't the only one.

Embraceable, I wouldn't worry too much. I realise that what with work and class you need to know where you are at with your schedule so maybe it is worth trying to get some dates down via the receptionist if the Ortho is unavailable.

#13 Post by **EmBraceAble** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 2:41 pm

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I have no choice but to wait, so I won't fret about it.

#14 Post by **EmBraceAble** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 5:48 am

Well, the process has finally started!! Yesterday, I got 3 spacers. I remember the assistant saying they would be uncomfortable but not painful. I think that exactly 8 hours later, I felt really sore everytime I bit down. On top of that, my teeth are so tight she was unable to really push them all the way down, so she told me to bite down on them as much as I can to push them down. I guess now that I am gaining space, I bite down and they go down, and it hurts a bit. But I am just so happy that I will be getting braces next week!!

#15 Post by **Katarina527** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 10:52 am

That is not at all how mine experience went! I had my first appointment, at which I had pictures done, and my consult. Two weeks later I had the impressions made, and the braces put on the same day. It has been quite smooth going. I am sorry to hear you are having such problems. Maybe you should look for a different ortho? You may have these delays all the way through treatment.

Metal Mouth Message Board

FRUSTRATED!!!

FRUSTRATED!!!

wait

Not the norm