Metal Mouth Message Board

Kevinr144 wrote:

I have the same issue with some teeth being shorter than the rest. My left upper and lower laterals are shorter than my right so I have a tiny open bite there. I mean it isn't noticeable if someone's staring at me straight on, only when I tilt my head back. I've been wearing triangle elastics diligently to close that, it closed a bit but it isn't as tight as my right side were the teeth are a little bit longer so they overlap. I told my ortho that the space is still there no matter how often I wear the elastics because the teeth are shorter and they'll need to be extruded. He said to just keep wearing the elastics. I don't want to doubt my ortho so I do as he instructed.

I had a consult with another ortho. He agreed with the concerns I have and he stated he would take off the upper front 6 brackets and start over with a clean slate. He estimated 3 to 5 months to fix everything and finish.

I have a lot of confidence in him. He explained exactly what he would do and why. The problem is, he wants $1200. I already paid $4500 for my braces and can't afford more. I guess my only option is to start paying my ortho $150 more every single month until he can get things right. I hate being stuck between a rock and a hard place but I refuse to give up and get my braces off without my teeth being "right." But what do I do if my current ortho takes 6 more months and still doesn't fix it? My teeth are more out of whack after the last 2 adjustments...Just when I thought things were going better. Ugh. I can't even begin to express the amount of frustration I have. I should have had my braces off months ago. Like I said before, I wish I never got braces. I'd rather deal with crooked teeth than all this bs and $5000.

I haven't even mentioned yet how I need a gum graft on my lower front. The gum has receded significantly due to my arches widening so much. I have no idea how much that is going to cost yet.

Hi Kevin,

Firstly, please don't regret getting braces because your teeth have improved enormously and now look great even if not quite finished. If you end up paying an extra $1,200 to the new ortho, your total cost will still be within the normal range for patients in the USA. I appreciate it is still a huge amount of money, but well worth it in the long term.Will the new ortho accept payment by instalments?

Second, I would definitely go with the new ortho, who appears to have a sensible straightforward plan, unlike the current one who can't seem to recognise that you have incorrectly placed brackets ( in my non-expert opinion).

In a few months time you will have lovely debraced teeth and all the current hassle will start to fade in your memory.

Good luck and make sure you wear your retainers!

Jem

It seems that you trust the new ortho's plan and feel that it makes sense, and do not have confidence in your current ortho. Would you rather pay $150/mo for six mo - total of $900 - to the guy who has struggled to get it right (as confirmed by the new consult) or $300 more to the ortho that you believe will get the job done? See if the new ortho would accept payment in $150 monthly installments if that's what you'll need to pay anyway. If so, sounds like a no-brainer. Peace of mind and the results you want for $300.

Hi Kevin, I just read your story and I'm sorry about the way things turned out with your ortho. I've just started braces and was also interested in getting Acceledent after reading about it. Please keep us all updated! I can understand how frustrating it must be not getting the exact results you want but your teeth have improved so much since day one.

Hi Kevin, How's it going?

I agree with the others about changing orthos. You may be able to recover some money from your first ortho because he will not be finishing the treatment
or the retainer work.

Nice progress

I got my braces off Thurs. After 28 months, here are the results.




I stuck with my same ortho and sat down with him to discuss my concerns in depth. After that, he really spent the extra time needed to determine how to correct the issues I had. My front right tooth still protrudes slightly but he is trying to fix that with the retainer. Even if it doesn't go back in any further, I'm still happy with the results. I can tell a slight discoloration. I'd like to get them whitened soon. Overall, I'm very pleased with the results.

Now I need to get a gum graft for my lower tooth where the root is being exposed. Not looking forward to that.

Congratulations! Your teeth look awesome! And good luck on the whitening and gum graft! Also, don't forget to document those procedures as well.

I inquired at my dental office about whitening. Holy mackerel! $450 for the zoom system whitening! I decided just to do otc stuff later.

Looks great Kevin!

As to whitening, I've had pretty good results with Crest 3D Whitestrips Luxe Professional Effects. Got em on Amazon.

How was the gum graft ....

Your teeth look great!