Frustrated with Treatment progress

[TechChick]

Its been a while since my last post, I’ve been so busy with work and such. Well, my braces were placed in Aug, 2004 (treatment time est. 24-30 months)and I’m starting to get aggregated for impatient or something…LOL. My orthodontist, I feel is trying to rush my treatment just to get them off and not trying to get a good finished result. The reason I say this is because my treatment is getting weird.

I’ll try to make along story short, about 3 months ago my ortho put a heavier wire on bottom, well he knew 2 teeth weren’t engaged in the wire, but he acted like it was nothing. By the time I got home my bottom teeth that were somewhat straight were now starting to crowd and move back to their org place. During this same visit, mind you my left side is flaired out and my bite wasn’t improved yet, he decided to remove half of the wire on that side to try to let the teeth settle.

Moving to the next’s month’s appt in September, he was going to take the other top side out so I’d have just a wire over my 4 front teeth, that’s when I spoke up. I said my bite is not better, my bottom teeth are not straight, and I have a 2-4 mm gap between my lateral and canine tooth. I honestly think he was trying to finish my treatment. Anyhow, he put a full wire back on top and said he would have to reposition a bracket to bring my bicuspid down (my bicuspids were not even making contact with the lower arch) and put a heat activated wire back on bottom.

Finally this month’s appointment, he repositioned the bracket like he said, and started me on elastics to try to bring my bite together on my left side. He did put a heat activated wire on top again. He kept mentioning that he wants to take my braces off, but I don’t see how he can at this point. I seem to keep moving backwards, surely he will won’t take my braces off with heat activated wires on.

Sorry this is so long and the venting, I’m just so frustrated at this point. I mean I want my braces off, but I want somewhat of a decent result. I’m not sure what my next step is or should be.



Thanks!!!!

[Chris]

I can't offer any advice as I am in pretty much the same situation; been braced since June 2004...all my teeth are straight but my bite needs work. Just can't seem to get the back teeth to meet properly. I am so sick and tired of wearing these braces too.

[000Liv000]

I'd consult with another orthodontist or two and see what they say about the treatment you've been getting and what they think still needs to be done. It really isn't your job to have to tell your orthodontist to fix your bite and straighten your teeth- that's their job; they should just do it-so it's really frustrating that he isn't doing his job. I had to tell my orthodontist these things too. He agreed to fix the problems, but didn't do anything to fix them. He never straightened my teeth or fixed my bite(my bite was fine before I started treatment with him) and he was increasingly hostile towards me. Long story short, I had to leave that orthodontist and am now looking for a new one.

I hope your ortho fixes your teeth, but be aware that you may need to go elsewhere for the great results you seek.

[Clo]

Hi,

it is indeed very difficult for us to give you good advise. But I can use my
experiences to give some information. You may have seen my post I put here
some days ago. I now need to go once more to another ortho. This will be my
third one. Number 1 and 2 were so capable to correct everything, they said.
Now I saw a new ortho, a professor at an university. She said both orthos made
one mistake after the other. They mistreated me completely. Although I felt
this too during these last 30 months, and asked a lot of questions, I was never
right. That was the impression they gave me. They were always friendly, but
gave me the feeling of "what do you know, we are professionals, you are just a
patient". But now this new ortho said I was right all the way. Why do I tell you
that ? Because I learned that when you feel things are not right, appointment
after appointment, then there is indeed probably something wrong. I know,
sometimes orthos need to do something that you experience like some setback.
This happens all the time. It is quoted here several times as "making it worse
before making it better". But if you feel things remain getting worse, especially
after such a long time, things are not right ! What I feel reading your story
is the same I experienced. Ortho tries this ... oops ... does not work ... ok,
try something different ... argh, works not also ... Orthos need to set out a
plan, a way they will walk from start to end. Your ortho does what mine did,
jumping from here to there like a madman, hoping they get to the endpoint once.
I know these are hard words, but I experienced there are orthos out there
who do lousy jobs. I of course can't tell for sure your ortho is such one, but it
isn't very promising what you tell here. Arghh, me, Chris and you, we were
braced in May ... August of 2004, and are all 3 not doing great. Maybe there
was something in the air when we were braced ...
You should try to have a decent talk with your ortho. But if I were you, I would
seek a second opinion of another ortho. If that one says all is going well, then
you may be more reassured. If he says otherwise, you will know more.
Good luck ! Please let us know how this turns out.