Questions to ask on a consult

Message

#1 Post by **beth1966** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 8:59 am

Hi there -

I was wondering what do other people say when going on consults and orthos ask you if you've seen others about your treatment? And when they mention various things that are contrary to what you've been told - do you just bite your tongue rather then ask questions to better understand their approach?? How about when their Office Managers call you in and tell you the price quote and push for to schedule you for your next appointment? I suppose I just say I have to think about it. Some of them will say do you have other consults scheduled and that makes me feel uncomfy too.

I don't want to come across as a know it all or anything when asking questions. I've met with several orthos so far. I've yet to find someone I really have confidence in. No one seems to be able to assure me with confidence regarding my treatment or even tell me what they will do. Maybe that is because they can't really say until they take actual models of my mouth? Maybe I am not asking the right questions? I am going to meet with a few more orthos to find the right one for me.

Is there a questionairre anyone has that lists good questions to ask?

Thanks!

#2 Post by **classII** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 10:16 am

The trick is to not become consumed with the process

1. If you are doing this for cosmetic reasons only, then yes, shop around prod and poke and query to your heart's content. You're buying "fashion" and are entitled to be "sold" by the "sales" person.

2. If you are doing this for medical purposes. Take an informed decision and simply get it done.

#3 Post by **beth1966** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 10:27 am

Thanks - but I don't really agree. I've had cosmetic things done - and while it does also require consults, the skill set is a bit different and a little more generic!

The fact that I have a medical condition (bad bite, crowding etc complicated by skeletal causes) it makes the decision all the harder. I've already received various feedback from consults - they each differ. And no one seemed to exude a great deal of confidence.

Thks for response tho!

#4 Post by **marycotter5678** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 10:02 pm

When my ortho asked if I've seen others I just said I almost started th braces process with another orthodontist 2 years back.. but i didnt tell her how mnay orthos I consulted with and that she wasnt the only one I consulted with now..

#5 Post by **LCARA** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:09 pm

They have predictions of what they can do with your teeth, and sometimes during the treatment process things change or are not predictable.

I'll be honest I think you're getting too caught up in this, it's not like theres a 90% failure rate with treatment plans...

My main concerns were: Cost, Approximate Treatment Time, Type of Braces

To me it didn't matter how it was going to get done, as long as it got done, mine are coming off in a month now and I'm pretty much satisfied.

#6 Post by **beth1966** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 3:09 am

[quote="LCARA"]
I'll be honest I think you're getting too caught up in this, it's not like theres a 90% failure rate with treatment plans...

That all depends on what you are treating and what you consider a failure though. There are people who have various ortho probs that can be very difficult to fix - - based on their age, etc. So you can't take ALL ortho probs and say that 90% of them do not fail, and again you'd also have to qualify what is not a failure and what is deemed a success.

There are lots of people on here who had easily fixable teeth - and others who have very challenging cases, some requiring braces a 2nd and third time. Some who were very unsatisfied with their results etc.

I'm glad your not one of them!

#7 Post by **roost22** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 5:07 am

Beth, you are going to be a very difficult case and orthodontist's are sensing this. IMO the more ortho's you see the harder it is going to be to find one. I had three consults and waited 7.5 months for the third, one of them told me right out he was going to have to charge me more because of the questions i was asking. He said he would have to spend more time with me. Makes sense, or should i say dollars.

#8 Post by **stacy19201325** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 5:10 am

I didn't have any in-depth questions for my orthodontist, just "how much, how long, and when can I start?"

And so far, I'm very happy with him. He's the orthodontist my dentist's (actually dentists', they are a married couple of dentists) kids go to, which was as good a recommendation as I could hope for.

#9 Post by **beth1966** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 5:37 am

roost22 wrote:Beth, you are going to be a very difficult case and orthodontist's are sensing this. IMO the more ortho's you see the harder it is going to be to find one. I had three consults and waited 7.5 months for the third, one of them told me right out he was going to have to charge me more because of the questions i was asking. He said he would have to spend more time with me. Makes sense, or should i say dollars.

I'm not sure WHERE you live, but if a doctor in my area of the country told me they were going to CHARGE me because I asked too many questions - then I'd RUN not WALK out of that office. Sorry - that statement makes no sense to me! lol I hope you did not go with that ortho who wanted to charge you for time spent answering your questions - that has to be the greediest most unethical thing I've ever heard!

I got a few private responses with excellent questions to ask the ortho on a consult - so thanks all for responses!

#10 Post by **roost22** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:02 am

Beth, fees are based on the time spent with the patient, therefore more time more money, thats pretty simple. And i was talking about time spent during treatment not at the consult.

#11 Post by **beth1966** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:51 am

roost22 wrote:Beth, fees are based on the time spent with the patient, therefore more time more money, thats pretty simple. And i was talking about time spent during treatment not at the consult.

Ohh okay - I thought you meant that someone would actually charge for time spent answering questions throughout treatment - LOL!

Agreed, and each ortho charges an incredibly different rate. For instance all orthos so far have quoted me 18 month treatment time, however their total charges (which all included the same things) varied in thousands of dollars! Lowest quote being $4,500 and highest being $8,000!

Thanks for your feedback!

#12 Post by **TumbleDryLow** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 8:25 am

I was honest with the 4 orthos I saw and told all of them I was getting other consults. This not only gave me an excuse as to why I could not schedule any other appointment right away, but also let them know I was planning on being a fully informed patient. Only one doctor seemed to have a problem with this and I didn't like him anyway.

I'll apologize in advance b/c I know that this post will come off cold. That's not my intention but simply a side effect of me not being there in-person conveying these words.

I really do believe there is such a thing as too much information. Orthodontics is a science, yes, but it is also an art and every orthodontist you visit will have his or her own way of treating you and his or her own charge for doing so. If your case is complicated this just compounds things--especially if you are going for a compromise result/plan. Every ortho's idea of compromise is going to be different. You can see 30 different doctors and you may have 30 different treatment plans and 30 different costs. You will drive yourself crazy comparing the pros and cons. I think you need to have a certain level of trust. These doctors spent years and lots of money in dental school. You need to trust them and let them do their job. By all means ask some questions like: how will you fix my issue, how long will it take, what brackets and or appliances will you use, and, if you are going for a compromise, ask what the worst case scenario could be and how/if the Dr. will fix it. If you get a good vibe, if you feel like the doctor is being honest with you, then go with that office. I really do think that asking more than 5 or 6 questions or repeatedly calling with questions or repeatedly asking for consults will turn off the doctor. They are running a business. Yes it's a medical business, people's long term dental health is on the line, but it's still a business. Doctors need to weigh the amount of money you are giving them by the amount of time they think they will spend with you and decide if they are still going to make a profit. If they aren't, they will not take your case. Cold and heartless? Maybe. But it's just the reality of running a business. That said, I really do hope you find a doctor you are comfortable with.

#13 Post by **beth1966** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 8:37 am

Thanks tumbledry!

That didn't come off as cold at all - great advice. I agree with all you say - and actually putting my trust in someone is exactly what I plan to do. But like I've mentioned so far I have not found the right ortho for me - nor one who made me feel they were trustworthy.

But asking the questions you mention are ones I will definitely keep in mind.

Thks again!

#14 Post by **MakePinkNotWar** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 11:36 am

No one seems to be able to assure me with confidence regarding my treatment or even tell me what they will do. Maybe that is because they can't really say until they take actual models of my mouth?

I think in order for the orthodontist to assure your confidence with exactly what they plan to do they need to have the tools of the molds/x-rays. After my records appointment and after many records appointments is when the orthodontist schedules the treatment consultation where he/she will say what he/she plans to do and you can ask questions. The orthodontist at the initial exam looks in your mouth for a few minutes, it can be hard for them to formulate a plan based on that. With a mold they can look at it for hours at a time and draft up a plan. Not to be rude but I think you are expecting too much from them on the initial consultation. The fact that they are not going to tell you their treatment plan for you after seeing your mouth for 10 minutes is a good thing IMO.

My advice is to find an orthodontist where you are comfortable with these things: cost, location, staff, office, basic treatment plan they are offering and basic knowledge they possess.

If you are comfortable with all of those things then get the records appointment done, have the treatment consultation and ask your questions there. I think you will be surprised how much more information you get at that stage when they have really had a chance to study your mouth. Which means not just your teeth but your jaw and other aspects as well.

#15 Post by **beth1966** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:40 pm

Thanks - your not being rude!

I asked for opinions, so that isn't rude.

Yes molds will show them more about my teeth etc.
But my initial consults so far have not been 10 mins. Each one has been a minimum of 30 minutes.
Most have taken photos of my teeth, profile, smile etc.

But please also keep in mind the orthodontist I ALMOST went with did not plan to take ANY molds!
She says she didn't need them. Said they are old fashioned.
She would base my treatment on the photos she had already taken, and would take a few xrays the day I was getting braced!

I'm not asking them to give me a play by play of what they will do.
I simply want to know how they believe they will move my teeth.

I don't have this horrendous looking mouth. I have an open bite and a slite overjet and crowding.
One of my questions was will they move my bottom teeth out further or move my top teeth in.
I already know my lower jaw juts out a bit so I was wondering if moving my lower teeth further out
would accentuate that.

Maybe I am asking too much - but I guess I will have to find that out the hard way. But the ortho I almost chose was good to go and needed no more preliminary tests accept a few xrays and that was just to see where my roots were at. So for me to expect some idea of what her gameplan was - is not so unusual.

Lastly once you commit to records that is $300 you will spend - so I feel I need some way to decide who I will go with before I commit. Again I realize that they can't give me an exact
treatment plan, but they should be able to give me an estimate before I go ahead and pay that money.

Thks again for response!