Braces, waste of time?

Joncol

Ok bit about me.

I'm 31 and got my Damon braces on 19 months ago, originally was told they would take 12 months, it's now looking like it will be double that before I get them off, even at that the improvement isn't really that good in my opinion.

I've now been told I'll have to wear a retainer after they come off for at least a year.

I'm seriously p'd off, if I had of known that I 10000000000000% wouldn't of forked out all this money for such a long process.

I just don't think I can bear wearing a retainer in work and when amongst friends. I'm literally going out of my mind having to wear the braces for so long.

Can anyone please tell me a bit about retainers, is there a wire that goes on front of the teeth or is the retainer at least on the back of the teeth??

I'm so annoyed at this stage that If anyone asked me should they get Damon Braces I'd shake them and tell them they are mad DON'T DO IT...

Sorry for moaning but just really annoyed about this

listen to me now

if your a girl then just wait and relax cause ure gonna have a million dollar smile when u get them off!

Joncol

Sorry to sound moany but I doubt it. My teeth after 19 months still arent straight, I dont have a proper bite, and the thoughts of wearing a retainer in my mouth for another month is incredibly depressing.

Honestly just thinking of getting my braces removed and being normal again.

My experience so far is that braces are definitely not worth it.

Really incredibly gutted about all of this. If only I knew then what I know now I NEVER would of started off this process.

listen to me now

dont worry a little overbite is actually sexy on alot of women. only a little longer to go. u wont know how they trully look till there off anyway so hold on

Joncol

Yes but it's the fact that I will have to wear a retainer for a year after that.

Like seriously whats the point. Retainers are just as bad if not worse looking than braces.

Seriously thinking I'll just have to get the braces off Monday. Not prepared to go another year of ****e

listen to me now

retainers arent that bad seriously. if u get them off now u`ll regret it. u`ll have wasted all that time wearing braces for nothing. keep them on and get the best possible results u can

Joncol

I'm not wearing wire retainers, not a chance. Not alone do they look terrible they give you a lisp.

Is there any alternative?

xOxSinéadxOx

You only have to wear the retainer at night. well I think you have to wear it all the time for maybe 2 weeks after you first get them off. that's going on my experience anyway. My retainer was just a plastic thing.

Joncol

I've been told I have to wear mine 24/7 for a year and it's a wire retainer.

Just so upsetting, my dentist is a complete con man.

I feel I should of been told this from day one so I could weigh up the pros and cons before I made my decision.

His reaction was "I should of known", I'm not a dentist!!

Orthoman

Is this chap a qualified orthodontist....ie on the specialist register or just a general dentist doing ortho?
If a qualified orthodontist, discuss the pros and cons of bonded retainers and see if they're appropriate.

Of course you wear a retainer afterwards
Braces are more than worth it - everyone comments on how straight my teeth are. I had them a few years, and wore the retainer every day for some time afterwards. I wear it at night time only now.
If you have forked out the money already and you have the braces then just put up with it, it's more than worth it at the end, and stop giving out about retainers!

Joncol

That's all good and well to say now Bluewolf but I know nothing about dentistry, I should of been advised of this beforehand.

I just checked that list and he's not on it, so just general dentistry.

To be honest I think I'm going to finish the treatment with them but if I do get a retainer then I'm going to try get it fitted with a orthodontist on that list, what I should of done in the first place!!!

Joncol

Actually just on that note, does anyone know if it's possible to switch dentists during treatment, would another dentist take me on with braces still on?

I've zero confidence in my currrent dentist and if I felt I was in good hands then it would make this whole process a lot easier

ailbheg

Ask about getting the see through retainer, they're very discreet, so if you're worried about the look of it, it might be a better option for you.
I don't know if you could change dentists, maybe ring around and inquire, see what the general feeling is?

day dreamer

Hi there Joncol

there are many types of retainers and every patient having treatment needs one after treatment. I suppose this should have been made clear to you but it is too late now.

You can get a clear plastic retainer one that is very discreet or a wire glued to the inside of your teeth that no-one will see. discuss with your dentist next day and mention your concerns.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Joncol wrote: »

I just checked that list and he's not on it, so just general dentistry.

I have been banging on about this for years on this forum often to a bit of abuse. Identifying complex cases and treating things when teeth are not moving well that the proper orthodontist is expert in. Some cases can look simple but are complex, only somebody with indepth knowledge like an orthodontist can see whats easy and whats not (sometimes its not easy to know what you dont know). There are 200 orthodontists in the country all having invested heavily in their education.

People think they want treatment items like braces, or implants, or crowns and they go around madly shopping for price, but thats not actually what they want they want is results and they want somebody good doing the treatment. The race to the bottom, the demand for low cost treatment and the constant linking of cost of treatment items to any talk of dentistry has really meant that quality, expertise, patient care and long term relationships have gone out of peoples minds.

Rant over....

Dianthus

Youtube "average patient dentist" (or: "typical orthodontic patient", "normal orthodontic patient")....captures the mood

Joncol

fitzgeme;

Unfortunately I'm discovering that your 110% right. I shopped around on price, I didn't do my research (I didn't check wether my dentist was a registered orthodontist) and now I'm paying for it.

For ANYONE thinking about getting braces, do your research and get somebody with the credentials.

It's impossible to sum up how dissapointed I am with my treatment.

It may seem like I'm moaning but I've went through a lot over the past 18-20 months wearing these braces and the results are so disheartening, never mind the amount of money I've spent.

As difficult as It might be I think I'm going to try start again and switch to an actual orthodontist. Yes it means more time and more money but maybe it's worth it.

lexa

Joncol,I found it pretty difficult to get an orthodontist to give a second opinion let along treat me while I was undergoing orthodontic treatment so not sure if you'll have difficulty finding an orthodontist that will treat you. Although I was being treated by an orthodontist and not a dentist so slightly different situation to yours. If you get a dentist to refer you on to an orthodontist this might be less of an issue. Perhaps you could ask the dentist treating you to refer you to an actual orthodontist. Tell him you're not happy with the work he's done so far and have no confidence in his ability. He might actually be happy to refer you on, especially if your case ended up being more complex than originally thought. In fact I think he is obliged to do so if he has gone beyond his level of competence. Also if you start treatment with an orthodontist you would probably be looking at paying the same fee as if you've never had treatment before so no harm in asking the dentist to refund the amount you've paid so far to put towards the orthodontic treatment If would seem unfair if you ended up paying twice for the same treatment.I would raise the issue with your dentist now, rather than wait for an unhappy conclusion.Good luck, hope you get it sorted.

work

Joncol. Difficult situation, I think you should talk to your dentist and explain your concerns. If you are not happy with the answers then you SHOULD go to another dentist and definitely an orthodontist. Dentists are fully entitled to carry out orthodontics, remember they have 5+ years training in dentistry. An orthodontist will be able to see things a dentist will not consider because they have at least another 3+ years training.
Regarding the money spent you could ask for a refund or part refund on the basis the treatment is not going as you believed and your were NOT informed properly regarding retainer etc.
Retainers can be made very inconspicous so please do not worry about this.

Orthodontists do not like taking on partly completed cases as the baggage is considerable. Unhappy patient...already paid for treatment...they may know the dentist...the dentist may refer to them...etc. You see the extra problems and possible conflict of interest. You need to find a good ethical orthodontist with the balxs to do this type of treatment. In my experience they are often too scared to get involved in your type of case. If you want I can PM you a couple of orthodontists names that should be able to help you.

lexa

Hi work, could you also PM me those names? thanks

petes32

There are 3 different types of retainers.

Essix - These are made of plastic (they look like invisalign). The are extremely discreet. No one can notice them. They are not very durable and can break easily.

Hawley - This is the wire retainer. You don't have to wear this. You can choose between this and an essix. Best thing, wear the essix during the day and the hawley at night

Bonded - A bonded retainer is a small piece of wire glued to the back of your six front teeth. They are convenient, but make flossing a pain.

busyliving

Well to be honest quiet a few fella's find braces sexy...including myself and quiet a lot of my mates

petes32

Think you mean Quite*

julianne2009

Joncol,
I have braces which I got 20 months ago and Im delighted at how straight my teeth have gotten. If you look anywhere on the internet you would have seen that a retainer is always required after orthodontic treatment, and that if it's not worn your teeth will move.
Personally, I would never have forked out such a large amount of money without fully researching it fully beforehand.
It's unlikely that another orthodontist will take you on mid-treatment.

Damien M

Aside from my last 3 years of problems
"
I would advise folk to steer well clear of ClearStep. I paid out over £4,000stg over 2 years ago for Clearstep dental treatment. Now into my third year of treatment my bottom teeth are nowhere near finished, my top teeth, the end position which I wasn't satisfied with in the first place have drifted back several stages as I have gone through two retainers because they cracked, and I'm waiting on my third retainer which will be my third in just under 8 months or so. They even tried to charge me £30 for a tray (plastic brace) that cracked while I was waiting for my next box, the turn-around time from impressions to new braces is shocking, nearly two months.
Their customer service is disgraceful, I've sent them many email enquiries and have never received as much as a reply, even my dentist is exasperated with them. I have gone through seven boxes of trays, and my treatment should finish over 3 years after I started, which is really frustrating as I can't get the cosmetic work done on my front teeth until they are ALL straight, and with my top teeth no doubt need more straightening it will presumably be 3 & 1/2 years. On top of all that they made my gums recede badly. If anyone wants proof of dates, boxes, emails, treatment etc feel free to ask, this is not a troll email, I only wish to warn people who may be considering clearstep, - I would suggest metal ones, get them in and get the treatment over with."

ClearStep now want to dictate that as my retainers are broken they can't use the impressions for said retainer they need to take new impressions! Thing is, I have my moved back to Ireland since! They also said they are unwilling to straighten any teeth that have drifted!! Bottom line-steer Clear of ClearStep!
Damien