Is it too late to change my mind

[maho]

I plan on getting braces at the recommendation of my dentist for a deep bite. I went to the orthodontist that he recommended, had an initial consult and an appointment for the spacers. I am now regretting that I didn't get multiple consults with different orthodontists. I didn't realize that there were so many different options for braces, and the place I went to doesn't provide some of those options. I also don't like the layout of the office, there are multiple chairs all in one room. I don't know if this is common where I live (Northern Virginia), but I would really prefer not to be tortured in the same room with other people. I called another orthodontist office to ask for a consult, but the woman was really off-putting because I already spacers in. Is it really too late to get second opinions? I haven't signed any paperwork and I have fully paid for the spacers.

[touchofhiddencharm]

No it's not too late to change your mind. Most ortho offices have all the chairs in the same room. I've only seen a few who had separate chairs but I believe that was because they did other things too like surgeries. The braces community can be really nice and its cool to over hear what's happening with other people or get ideas with colors or how the doctors handle other people's issues. Back to changing your mind, just kindly tell your current ortho that you decided to wait and to remove the spacers. If you need them put back in at a differnt ortho then they will but my second ortho doesn't use the metal bands around the molars so I didn't need spacers. What other type of braces are you looking to get?

[MrsCharisma]

If you haven't signed a contract, it's not too late. All of the chairs in one room is very common.

[Featheryy1221]

Every ortho I consulted with had all the chairs in one room. Honestly it's not as bad as you're probably thinking. Generally other patients aren't paying attention at all to you, they just want to get done and out of there, just like you will. I thought it'd be weird when I first started treatment, but its not at all. It's just how things are done.
Like others said, if you have not signed a contract, you could still leave. They may not be super happy about it though.
Also, really when it comes to types of bracket systems and braces types, it really doesn't matter what you get. They are all going to straighten your teeth. Just keep that in mind!

[TheProfessor]

All the orthos I consulted had the chairs all in one room, except for a back "private room" where my braces were applied. I thought the communal treatment room was weird and scary at first, but it is really no big deal. You are actually positioned so that you are facing away from other people so no one stares at you when you get an adjustment. At my ortho, I can look out the window or watch the cartoon that is playing on one of the many tvs when I'm getting an adjustment. For some reason it always seems to be Kung Fu Panda....

[Felina Grimm]

The ortho where I go to has all the chairs in one room. I feel the opposite in the sense that there are other people who will suffer with me together so I feel more comfy.

[sirwired]

Well, if you haven't signed a treatment contract I suppose any dentist can remove the spacers.

To address some of your other points:

- It's pretty standard for an orthodontic practice to have several chairs per room for several reasons:
To save on real estate costs; an ortho sees a higher volume of patients than a general dentist and it would cost a lot to put them all in individual offices.
Ortho appointments are supply-heavy, but each appt. is different. It's more efficient to have a larger room instead of stocking each room with all the fiddly bits or having to make a whole pile of trips to the supply stash.
Unlike having teeth scraped, drilled, picked, cleaned, polished, etc. (all procedures that can be pretty uncomfortable) a standard ortho appt. is a lot more low-key. Most of the discomfort comes a few hours after the appt.

- What options did you want that your ortho didn't offer? Some options (like bracket brands) really don't make a difference, others (i.e. Invisilign) might not be appropriate for your case, still others (i.e. SureSmile) are interesting, but not widespread.