Asking Your Orthodontist Questions

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#16 Post by **NYG2007** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:24 pm

I am not saying you can't ask questions, but it feels that I am not being asked if I have any. It feels rushed. I feel that is should be expected a patient has questions. I spoke to a few people who have had braces before and they stated the ortho operated like mine. Where the tech did all the work and you saw the ortho until the work was done. I did speak up my last visit when they reshaped my wires and the ortho stated that the next visit we will change the wires and use chain elastics to close gaps. I spoke up and stated that this was the visit it was supposed to happen. He didn't realize the wires I had were the originals. They did change the wires and add the chains, but if I didn't speak up I may be two months behind.

#17 Post by **mary.** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:35 am

My Ortho does many patients at the same time too and they are really kean on staying on time. In fact, they guarantee that you never have to wait longer than 10 minutes for your appointment. However, they have great customer service skills at this office and manage to do it without making you feel rushed.

If you have a lot of questions, one option would be to ask them to schedule your appointment a bit longer, an extra 5 or 10 minutes. Another idea would be to write them down as brief as possible on a small piece of paper. Bring it with you - get your most pressing concerns anwered first before you lay back, then say I have these few questions too. They may be able to explain some of it while working away on your teeth. My technician explained what a power chain is and how it works this way for me and it was very helpful.

In the end, I like to remember that the reason they are moving things along is so that they don't keep people waiting. They schedule the time it takes to do the work. When I am the patient waiting, I am grateful for this. If after taking the tips that you've received, you still are not getting your questions answered, then maybe try to make a separate appointment with the ortho - 15 minutes of his or her time could get a lot of questions answered. Maybe they could add it before an appointment. You would not have to do this each time, but as a "catch-up" perhaps it's an idea.

My ortho checks the work only after as well. At the end of each appointment, he outlines what will be done next time. I suppose he includes a note about any oddities to look for. I am confident that the technicians know when they see something that would flag a need for a change of plans and would call him over then. In fact, they did this once just to check something after a question that I had and he was happy to have a look before we got started. My ortho and his staff are absolutely amazing. These people really know their stuff and I think it would be rare for things not to proceed in 6 or 8 weeks as they expect.

#18 Post by **Erikab1033** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:35 am

I also feel rushed when I go to my orthodontist. I pretty much have the same set up as everyone has stated above. When I get there I sign in and an assistant gives me my folder and sends me to the back to wait in a room with about 6 kids or adults waiting to see the ortho, he calls my name looks in my mouth, tells a tech what he wants done, they do the work and I go back to my ortho when done and he checks to see if they did what he said and sends me on my way with no time to get a question in. At my ortho office they don't answer questions from kids, they only speak with parents or adult patients about their braces. I think the reason they don't talk to me is because I look like a 14 year old child but I'm actually 21. The reason I think this is because everytime I'm done and I go to take my chart back, or schedule my next app. They look at me funny and ask where my parents are. This should be a compliment and will probably come in handy when I'm older, I get this everywhere I go but it gets on my nerves sometimes. One guy came into my job complaining about child labor laws and how I'm to young to work and she had to explain to him how I am an adult, LOL. When I first got my springs put in the tech didn't say anything or try to explain to me what it was until I got tired and asked her and she explained but she blew through the answer as if she was saying "u are a child and I don't have to explain anything to you". Anytime I ask my ortho a question he always give me short answers. The bad thing is i actually heard him ask another lady(adult) patient who looked her age if she had any questions. I think next time I go I will wear a t-shirt that shows that I am an adult as well. I don't want to get rude about it but how do I let these people know I am an adult without being rude so I can get some real answers?

#19 Post by **alpinist** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:16 pm

You're paying him thousands of dollars. Ask whatever questions you want.

#20 Post by **iBorg** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:42 pm

Sorry, this is pure B.S......

I'm paying too much money not to have my questions answered.
They're screwing with my health.....they WILL answer my questions.

No, I'm not rude, just assertive in a non assertive way.

What I do is when my ortho wanders over is sit up and look her eye to eye and talk with her. I don't lay there with my mouth open and and act as if I don't care what's going on. If it screws up her schedule, they need to work out a schedule to give their patients the quality of care they are paying for.

I'm sorry if that seems aggressive but if you're not aggressive taking care of your health, no one else will be.

Mike

#21 Post by **PuppySmiles** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:31 pm

As awesome as I think orthodontists are, I'll bet most of us would be surprised to learn the number of patients each one might be treating at any given time at his or her practice.

How many do you think it could be?

12 chairs filled at a time. . . times perhaps 16 time-slots in an average day. . . and most patients only needing to visit the office one time every 6 to 8 weeks?

It could be hundreds!

#22 Post by **iBorg** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:42 pm

According to the ADA, the average income for a specialist is over 300K. See:
http://www.ada.org/ada/prod/survey/faq.asp.

I need to get my Lil' iBorg and Princess iBorg to consider this.

Mike

#23 Post by **PuppySmiles** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:51 pm

Hmm. All the more reason they can hold still for two seconds and answer our questions.

#24 Post by **rolo** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:51 am

I went to a lecture on rules on medical treatment and consent in the uk, including how much info must be given about a given procedure, this would apply to dental procedures, although they are not my area of expertise. Basically the take home message is if a patient asks a specific question, the person providing the treatment is obliged to give a specific answer and go into specific details, where you might not be expected to give the same level of detail had the patient not asked the question. So if you were to ask what that spring was doing, you could by and large expect an answer, if you ask if there is a risk of developing and overbite, they have to tell you what it is. If questions are not answered, there are issues of non-consent and the person providing treatment is wide open to litigation. The rules also apply to people under 18, as long as they are capable of understanding. You are expected to give patients chance to answer questions. This is irrespective of no of patients you treat, being busy is not a reasonable line of defence. Not sure what the situation is in the USA, but here in the UK at least, it's in everyone's best interest to give patients opportunity to ask questions.

#25 Post by **TigerLily** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 5:18 pm

I ask my ortho questions and she always answers, but that's because we know each other better after a year. A lot of patients don't research or informed so don't ask.

Do you have your ortho's email address? In the early days, it didn't come naturally to me to ask questions and have them answered, but after a bit I emailed my ortho and she sent me a detailed reply and after that I felt more comfortable about asking questions and now she realises what I'm like so takes the time.

#26 Post by **Chantal** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 4:50 pm

I finally did ask my questions! I was so stunned at doing it that I forgot a few, albeit less important ones. But that is a "first" of feeling that I took "the floor" and stopped questioning only when (kinda) satisfied. (Still not the most elaborate explanations... Oh well!)

I followed Meryaten's advice: I sat straight up in the chair, facing the ortho... I am proud of myself! Seems trivial, but it feels good!

And the adjustment didn't feel as painful as I expected! Yahoo!

I am SOOOOO relieved!!!

#27 Post by **Chantal** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 4:56 pm

I think so too... We learn to "know" each other's particular ways...

Cool little picture!!! Ha!