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I am in the consult and research phase of this journey...
I made 2 appointments for local ortho's that offered free consultation - one was a referral from my dentist. (March 26th and April 12)
I wanted to make a 3rd "tie breaker" appointment (in case the first two gave vastly different treatment plans or something weird)... And I'm having trouble finding another FREE consultation?
Is this weird? Should I pay for a 3rd consult? Have any of you had to pay for it?
You have to pay for all consults in Australia unless you already have a family member being treated by that practice (and I'm not sure all of them do it or just some). Even with a free consult though they want to take records and x-rays so that ends up being $180 (although technically you can take them with you for other opinions).
If there isn't one in your area who does free consults and you really feel like you need another opinion I think it's worth it.
Mine was a bit cheaper has I had my X-rays taken at my dentist's and they just e-mailed a copy to my ortho. My head x-ray was also free with medi-care so I only had to pay for the ortho's time. If you have recent x-rays taken you can always save some money that way.
All of my consults with Orthos were free. The ortho I went with took digital pictures, did a 3D iCAT scan, and did a thourough physical examination of my mouth at the consultation (still 100% free).
In my area, you can throw a rock and hit an orthodontist or dentist. There's a school of dentistry, orthodontics, and maxillofacial surgery in my city, and a lot of the graduates are local, so there are a TON to choose from. So I'm sure they have a lot on incentive to do free consultations to try to bring in business.
If the ortho you want to talk to has a great reputation, and you really want his/her opinion, sure, go ahead and pay for it. (I mean, within reason... there was one poster who's dentist wanted to charge a non-refundable $700 fee for the consultation... and I thought... run for the hills!) But if it's just another ortho from the phone book, you're taking a gamble that it might not be worth it.
Treatment-
Braces: In-Ovation L (lingual) on top, and In-Ovation R (metal) on bottom
SARPE
BSSO advancement
estimated 18-22 months
SARPE
Expander installed Jan 14th 2013
Surgery Feb 18th 2013
Turn 26 days to 13mm. Gap between teeth maxed out at 12-13mm.
I would go with the orthro or dentist that you are most comfortable with. If you want to pay, I would ask if that amount will be credited to your account if you do get braces with them. Just because you have to pay for a consult doesn't mean they are better than the free consults. Ask about the history and schooling if you need verification of their ability to do a good job. I would also ask around your office, friends and family. You would be surprise by how many people who have had braces or knows someone who has or is having it. They may give you great advice. Good luck on your journey . :D
I had 5 and did not pay anything. Only one of them offered free pictures and x-rays (this was the first one I went to) and I took those to the other 4. I did however end up going back to the first place I went to, but I felt that I had a more education decision by having multiple consultations.
I think I'm going to cancel the consult that has a fee..
The one with the great rep that my dentist referred me to is free actually.. And I found a 2nd free one to have a comparison... I was aiming for a 3rd, and couldn't find another one with free consults.
I think I was the one who was going to be charged $700 that the above poster mentioned. I had 4 consults and all of them were free. The 4th was going to charge me that $700 but I asked why everyone else could tell me an estimated time and treatment without charging anything.
