Relocating in 8 months - should I wait to get braced?

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VA5
Posts: 671
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 10:58 pm

#16 Post by VA5 »

fluffybottom wrote:It's worth going to a consult in your area just to get an idea of what needs to be done. If they tell you that you'll be in braces 9-12 months, it might be worth starting now and commuting the distance to the ortho in the last few months. If it's a more traditional sentence of 18-24 months (or more!) then either wait until you move or start with a London ortho now and commute to the office until you move. Commuting early in your treatment rather than later might be better anyway -- my adjustments were much further apart in the beginning (8 to 10 weeks apart) than at the end (every 1 to 2 weeks). I'd advise against changing orthos in mid-treatment; you'll end up paying sooooo much more 9 times out of 10.
Wow, you are going every 1-2 weeks? What do you get done during your adjustments these days? How long have you been on that schedule?
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VA5
Posts: 671
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 10:58 pm

#17 Post by VA5 »

sparklingwater wrote:Thank you for your replies everyone, it's much appreciated and giving me a lot of food for thought. I'm still undecided.

I was told that I needed 4 teeth extracted, and that treatment time would be 18 months.

I'm moving to london basically for job-hunting. I'm scared that the initial stage of being braced might be a hindrance when I have to go for interviews etc- i.e I have to take into account the extractions, and also it might take a while for me to get used to the pain, braces might be uncomfortable at first etc. Which is why I wanted to get braced now.

However, as many people have pointed out, it seems that it will be expensive to switch orthos. Plus, many orthos seem to have a payment plan that includes retainers and check-ups for a year following de-bracing, and I will be losing that.
fluffybottom wrote:It's worth going to a consult in your area just to get an idea of what needs to be done. If they tell you that you'll be in braces 9-12 months, it might be worth starting now and commuting the distance to the ortho in the last few months. If it's a more traditional sentence of 18-24 months (or more!) then either wait until you move or start with a London ortho now and commute to the office until you move. Commuting early in your treatment rather than later might be better anyway -- my adjustments were much further apart in the beginning (8 to 10 weeks apart) than at the end (every 1 to 2 weeks). I'd advise against changing orthos in mid-treatment; you'll end up paying sooooo much more 9 times out of 10.
Commuting early..I might add this one to my options, thanks for the suggestion.
You make another good point. I would definitely wait to get braced if you don't have a job yet and you have to interview. My personal opinion is that people will subconsciously judge you negatively if you are interviewing and you have braces. I know it would be stupid to make any assumptions just b/c you have braces but subconsciously I think some people might not take you as seriously if you are braced.
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tsmurfenator
Posts: 134
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Location: Israel

#18 Post by tsmurfenator »

As I've posted before, I got my braces when I was living in the US, at a clinic in Mexico, and I got my last adjustment in the Philippines, and currently live in Israel. Hoping to the next adjustment next month in Brazil. I've also received ligature changes (not full adjustments) at probably at least a dozen (I've lost count frankly) different clinics all over the world - South America, Asia, Carribean, all over Mexico, etc.. - I love hopping into random dental clinics and just asking for a ligature change and see how different cultures do braces. And I'm just getting started, hope to do 6 continents by the time I'm done.

VA5 wrote: You make another good point. I would definitely wait to get braced if you don't have a job yet and you have to interview. My personal opinion is that people will subconsciously judge you negatively if you are interviewing and you have braces. I know it would be stupid to make any assumptions just b/c you have braces but subconsciously I think some people might not take you as seriously if you are braced.
For many it would probably be more comfortable to "always" have had braces, i.e. to already have them before you meet new set of people you're going to work with, than just get them one day and suddenly and awkwardly look different. Plus your teeth will be 8 months straighter.

I really wouldn't society which is ruled by people without braces and their expectations control my plans. That is conceding defeat to the enemy and just letting the bad guys win!

So my advice is definitely just get em now.
If you wait until the perfect time you will never get them, there is always one more excuse.
34 y/o guy with full metal brackets and molar bands since 12/16/2009.
1st Adjustment + secondary molar bands 1/23/2010.
2nd Adjustment 3/27/2010.
3rd Adjustment 5/1/2010.
4th Adjustment 6/11/2010.
5th Adjustment 9/29/2010.
6th Adjustment 2/8/2011.

evilnel
Posts: 261
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 1:51 pm

#19 Post by evilnel »

I got braces knowing I was probably going to end up moving before my treatment was over (I was 1 year into a graduate program and set to graduate in another year), but I am SO glad I got the process started. Now I am living 500 miles from my ortho, but my family lives there anyway so I take the opportunity to visit my family and friends over weekends when I have my adjustments! The car trips are kind of expensive, but I only had a few months left on my treatment. It depends on how far you'll be moving, if you have anybody you could stay with for visits, how long your treatment will take total, etc. If it's close enough, do you think you could get some consults at the place where you're moving and get started there rather than where you are now? That way once you move, you'll be close to your ortho, and you'll be traveling for visits only at the beginning of treatment (where your apts will be further apart anyway).

evilnel
Posts: 261
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 1:51 pm

#20 Post by evilnel »

tsmurfenator wrote: For many it would probably be more comfortable to "always" have had braces, i.e. to already have them before you meet new set of people you're going to work with, than just get them one day and suddenly and awkwardly look different. Plus your teeth will be 8 months straighter.
I agree with this. I got braces in the middle of my grad program, and then moved and started another program, and it was definitely less awkward to just 'have braces' than to appear over a long weekend with them. My friends here never even questioned, but there a bunch of people were like 'omg, you got braces!' I mean, it wasn't rude or anything, just surprised, but it was more awkward for me at the time.

VA5
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#21 Post by VA5 »

Those are all good points too. I was thinking more along the professional lines.. not just socially. And, compound that with the possible difficulty of finding somebody who will just take over the orthodontics at the same rate and use the same treatment plan. I just think logistically, for a variety of valid reasons that have come up in this post, it might be better to wait. Just my opinion though. Personally I think silly "timing" reasons like, I might have a wedding to go to in a few months so I'll wait for my ortho, is not really what we're talking about here, in other words.
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dangerdude
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Location: USA

#22 Post by dangerdude »

How about doing the Six Month Braces Technique :lol:

I would do the braces now. I'd rather start a new job already comfortable with how the braces feel on. Plus you said you will have extractions. I wouldn't want the gappy showing for the new colleagues.

felicia
Posts: 371
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#23 Post by felicia »

YES, you should wait 8 months and get an orthodontist close to home.

VA5
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#24 Post by VA5 »

dangerdude wrote:How about doing the Six Month Braces Technique :lol:

I would do the braces now. I'd rather start a new job already comfortable with how the braces feel on. Plus you said you will have extractions. I wouldn't want the gappy showing for the new colleagues.
Well unless she waits over a year or even close to two, getting extractions now will only mean she'll have large gaps when she moves too. My gaps were HUGE until only recently... basically 1 1/2 years after my extraction.
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sauerkraut
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Location: Germany

#25 Post by sauerkraut »

tsmurfenator wrote: ...I love hopping into random dental clinics and just asking for a ligature change and see how different cultures do braces...
There was a thread on here recently by someone who needed ONE ligature attached, while they were visiting the UK. IIRC the UK ortho wanted to charge NINETY POUNDS for the privilege :shock: .
SARPE: Sept 2007
Braced: May 2008
BSSO: Nov 2010
Debraced: March 2011

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fluffybottom
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#26 Post by fluffybottom »

VA5 wrote:
fluffybottom wrote:It's worth going to a consult in your area just to get an idea of what needs to be done. If they tell you that you'll be in braces 9-12 months, it might be worth starting now and commuting the distance to the ortho in the last few months. If it's a more traditional sentence of 18-24 months (or more!) then either wait until you move or start with a London ortho now and commute to the office until you move. Commuting early in your treatment rather than later might be better anyway -- my adjustments were much further apart in the beginning (8 to 10 weeks apart) than at the end (every 1 to 2 weeks). I'd advise against changing orthos in mid-treatment; you'll end up paying sooooo much more 9 times out of 10.
Wow, you are going every 1-2 weeks? What do you get done during your adjustments these days? How long have you been on that schedule?
Well, nothing at the moment! I got my braces off in June. ;) But towards the end, the time between adjustments rapidly decreased. I went from 4 weeks to 3 weeks to a couple 2 week adjustments to a few one week adjustments. They were just little tweaks to get my teeth juuuust right. A bend in the wire here, a bend in the wire there..
I had my braces on for 2 years, 1 month, 2 weeks and 2 days.

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RedDress
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Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2010 3:56 pm

#27 Post by RedDress »

THE KEY POINT
how much is the round way treap from Manchester to London anyway?
If anything - that info is quite available.

I wonder why all the people assumed she will have to change the ortho? if she will not want to change ortho - she can alwasy visit a couple of consultations in London and then decide - commute vs new ortho.

2.5 hours - does not sound bad at all. I used to make a 2-3 hour trip to work every day and back.
Jeasus, if you don't even have any job in London yet - why wait... Million things can happen in 8 months . Like somebody has pointed out- you can wait for a good moment all your life.
Now, if the OP has the ortho she has liked -she should go for it. It is actually not that easy to find a good ortho that you like. Took me half a year personally.

sparklingwater
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2010 4:56 pm

#28 Post by sparklingwater »

RedDress wrote:THE KEY POINT
how much is the round way treap from Manchester to London anyway?
If anything - that info is quite available.

I wonder why all the people assumed she will have to change the ortho? if she will not want to change ortho - she can alwasy visit a couple of consultations in London and then decide - commute vs new ortho.

2.5 hours - does not sound bad at all. I used to make a 2-3 hour trip to work every day and back.
Jeasus, if you don't even have any job in London yet - why wait... Million things can happen in 8 months . Like somebody has pointed out- you can wait for a good moment all your life.
Now, if the OP has the ortho she has liked -she should go for it. It is actually not that easy to find a good ortho that you like. Took me half a year personally.
A round trip, with a railcard, would probably cost me around £40. So if adjustments are done monthly, it'll be £400 in total for transport :(
However, I just did a bit of research on london prices and some of them are outrageous! I was quoted £3000 here for the whole treatment, but it seems that in London, total cost can go up to £5000 :shock:

If the cost was the same, I'd wait. But if it's infinitely more expensive, I might go ahead. argh, I'm gonna have to do some more research about orthodontists in London..can't believe they're so much more expensive.

RedDress
Posts: 153
Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2010 3:56 pm

#29 Post by RedDress »

sparklingwater wrote:A round trip, with a railcard, would probably cost me around £40. So if adjustments are done monthly, it'll be £400 in total for transport :(
However, I just did a bit of research on london prices and some of them are outrageous! I was quoted £3000 here for the whole treatment, but it seems that in London, total cost can go up to £5000 :shock:

If the cost was the same, I'd wait. But if it's infinitely more expensive, I might go ahead. argh, I'm gonna have to do some more research about orthodontists in London..can't believe they're so much more expensive.
Here you go.
If you even find a realtively cheap one in London - there is no garantee you are going to like that ortho.

sparklingwater
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2010 4:56 pm

#30 Post by sparklingwater »

RedDress wrote:THE KEY POINT

Jeasus, if you don't even have any job in London yet - why wait...


If I don't get a job, I guess braces won't be my priority anymore.
As much as a nice smile is one of my biggest desires, paying bills and feeding myself might come first..

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