How do I know if my potential orthodontist is good / bad?

[Ruby77]

I am considering having braces put back on after they came off 4 months ago.

There are a few 'minor issues' as my new orthodontist calls them which were there when the last orthodontist took the braces off. Since then, my orthodontist has sold the practice and there is a new owner who will put them back on and fix the issues.

But, how do I know if he is any good or if I will end up with further issues? I am currently debating whether to go ahead or not.

Thanks.

[pcspinheiro]

How "minor" are these issues and how much do they bother YOU? Is it a functional problem, or aesthetic, or both? Are you really willing to go through another round of braces to fix minor issues? I'm on my second round of braces because the first time I wanted to fix what I considered minor issues (upper crookedness and deep bite causing wear to lower incisors) and ended up way worse than when I started. Was quoted an extra 3 years to truly fix things with a new ortho but can't do it, so I'm trying a quick fix instead on the uppers alone, trying to mess with things as little as possible. I already lost 1 upper premolar (extracted) and one lower molar (died and has root resorption) to my former ortho's stupidity, so I want to leave my teeth alone as much as possible. Think it over, think it well.

[Ruby77]

Oh gosh, that sounds stressful!

I have what the ortho called a "scissor bite" on one side and my upper lateral incisors are not entirely straight which bothers me each time I look in the mirror.

Ortho has said he can correct these within 3-4 months....sounds reasonable but now I am not so sure!

[kplatt2010]

Hey Ruby77, it never hurts to get more than one opinion. Depending on where you live, you might be able to get a good recommendation on this message board.
Other sources are Consumer Checkbook, Top Ortho's /dentist in popular local magazines (in my area Washingtonian and Baltimore magazine list annually), yelp may not be accurate but typically can get a subjective viewpoint from other folks in the area.

One of the posts here mentioned about their ortho being board certified. This link will take you to a search tool to find board certified.

https://www.americanboardortho.com/gene ... cator/arla

[pcspinheiro]

I didn't mean to put you off, just wanted to alert you to make a good cost/benefit analysis before getting braced again. But getting more opinions is always a good idea.
Good luck!

[Ruby77]

Thanks for your input all.

I am in the UK, London specifically, does anyone know of the correct professional board to check?

[assertives]

Not sure about the UK. But I think you can just search up your local dental council, (basically the board that governs and the dentists registers with) and check if a dentist is registered as a specialist in orthodontics.

[strinder]

Hey there,

I'm in London and I've had a look at who my Ortho is registered with/won to help you search if they have any public registers:
British Orthodontic Society Gold Medal
Clinical Excellence Award for Orthodontic Specialist Training
GDC registered specialist
Member of the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians

[DeSnek]

I’m looking around for orthodontists right now as well and it’s really hard to determine who is good/bad. I went to one place that had excellent reviews, I show up and their clinic looks new and fancy, and then I see they have a big sign in the lobby that says “leave a google review and get a Starbucks gift card.” Doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.....

[Gia]

I think you need to make sure your comfortable not only with the orthodontist (not just training, expertise and style if for example answering questions, etc is important to you), but also with the staff, the office (how you'll feel as an adult in the environment), and how the practice runs. My personal experience is that Google reviews are only so valuable. Most only post if they're very satisfied or very unhappy, so you have to read into that. I would be worried with a lot of consistently bad reviews, but not necessarily impressed with a lot of positive reviews. If you're not sure get another consultation, a recommendation from your dentist. Don't rush the decision. Your u going to spend a lot of time there and if you're not comfortable, or don't have a lot of trust, the relationship and treatment will be stressful and a disaster. I had an expectation of just routine adjustment so maybe 12-18 visits every 6 weeks. For various reasons (not disastrous, but a broken bracket, wire poking, whatever) I've been there 19 times since October. Can't imagine if they didn't make me feel welcome and that it's never an issue. My situation isn't typical, but am glad I didn't choose one of the other offices I consulted with. Hope this helps. Good luck choosing.

[Angel21]

Hi Ruby77,

I was in a similar situation to you. I still felt like a few of my teeth weren't straight after braces. My orthodontist wasn't willing to admit her work wasn't perfect, and even other staff at the same practice were disagreeing with her.
I visited a number of different dental practices in London, but there were some disagreements with what would be the best solution for me. In the end I decided to go with Invisalign, and so far it's been brilliant, so much better than braces when your issues are minor.

What I prefer about Invisalign is that I know my teeth are moving into the right position. The problem with braces is it's very difficult to make smaller, delicate movements without negatively affecting other teeth, so you can end up being in braces for far longer than you need to be.

It's also very difficult to tell whether an orthodontist is good or bad. The practice I went to are based in central London, have very good reviews, and even won awards, yet still they made a number of mistakes. Even orthodontists with decades of experience can make mistakes.