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Child Item

Adult Braces Experience

smallerthanyou

I find the forum great for questions and research. Haven't found a thread though with someone's experience from start to finish (I may not have looked hard enough!) so maybe this will help.

At 26 I've decided to fix up the minor imperfections in my teeth. I mentioned it to my dentist who set up an appointment with an orthodontist. The orthodontist is an active member of the Orthodontic Society of Ireland, which was important to me. I wanted to go for the best option I can afford. I like saving money on socks or pens or stuff but I think teeth, eyes etc are worth doing right.

I went for the consultation with him last week and I liked him so going to get this done. I had questioned on Invisalign and other invisible solutions but he recommended that fixed appliance methods give the best results so should go with this. So in two weeks time I'm getting the good old train tracks top and bottom.

It is pretty expensive for what I, and friend & family, consider minor enough issues but maybe they're just being nice. I will post a few pics when I figure out how. I'm not sure how detailed I'm allowed to go into costs but lets say above 4, less than 4.5 but part of that was because I decided to have ceramic brackets on the top teeth which are a couple of hundred extra.

Advice I would give so far is do a lot of research before the consult as I didn't do enough on things like bite (mine is off, surgery would correct it but I won't be doing that as it's not something that bothers me) and ask plenty of questions because I had loads walking away that I'll have to ask him before putting on now.

If anyone has any other experiences/advice for the putting on stage let me know.

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BandMember

Craicho5 wrote: »

Moral of the story: Always agree a plan upfront and get prinited receipts from the dentist, if the plan changes ask the to email, print or post you a copy of the changes and the updated amount for your own records, especially if you pay in cash.

No matter what service you are purchasing, always get everything in writing - specifying exactly what is to be done along with a breakdown of the exact costs. Always pay by card or direct debit or some electronic means so that you have a payment record in the event of any issues arising, such as this one.

Thankfully, my own Orthodontist is an absolute gent and professional to the last, so I've never needed to worry about anything like this. Sounds like you aren't the first person they've tried that with - I'd be surprised if they were still operating for much longer if that's the way they run their business.....

Craicho5

I can recommend that you DO NOT go to <snip>in Ballsbridge.

On recommendation I had extensive work done, took a year to complete. Total of my plan was €3200 paid in installments.

At the end of treatment the dentist used a different material - saying it was cheaper than originally quoted and I'd get a discount. I asked the receptionist, she said she'd no idea what I was talking about and I misheard - very embarrassing. I requested the dentist but she was busy, and moved on, totally dismissing me.

This year doing my Tax Rebates, Revenue requested a MED2 form, which I got from My Dental. Their records showed that I'd paid 2900 and got my discount on my last day of treatment - nope, I paid the full 3200 and got told I had misheard about a discount..

They asked for receipt for the full amount, which the receptionist had WRITTEN instead of printing. Luckily I paid by card so had receipts and bank statements proving that I did not get the discount.

My Dental offered to send me a cheque for the €300, but I went to collect it instead (at 3pm) everyone seemed to be on lunch except a new receptionist who simply handed me the cheque with no explanation.

Moral of the story: Always agree a plan upfront and get printed receipts from the dentist, if the plan changes ask them to email, print or post you a copy with the changes and the updated amount for your own records, especially if you pay in cash.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Atticus Jung wrote: »

Has anyone tried https://www.yoursmiledirect.com/en/index.php? Looks like a good way to save some money. Not sure its for me though, as I think i only need lower braces. So i probably wouldnt save much. Would be interesting to hear some genuine reviews

DIY Braces have been making the news recently....because of the high level of complaints about them. Have a google.

Its a shockingly bad idea and potentially very dangerous.

helimachoptor

Atticus Jung wrote: »

Has anyone tried https://www.yoursmiledirect.com/en/index.php? Looks like a good way to save some money. Not sure its for me though, as I think i only need lower braces. So i probably wouldnt save much. Would be interesting to hear some genuine reviews

I'm not a dentist but i few concerns (which may be way off) but just from my own experiences.

- You get the molds
- You wear the retainer.. what happens if your teeth move too much or not enough or something unexpected happens.
- What if you put in the wrong one in , or leave the 2nd one out for a few nights and then put it back in and your teeth have shifted, and you need a new mold?
-What if you lose it or break it?
- What if you have questions or it's uncomfortable who do you contact? Is there a clinic?

From their site "Getting your perfect smile is risk free!"
I wouldn't agree with that, i am making major alterations to my dental health with only the input of a professional at the start of the process, that imho is risky as fcuk.

Atticus Jung

Has anyone tried https://www.yoursmiledirect.com/en/index.php? Looks like a good way to save some money. Not sure its for me though, as I think i only need lower braces. So i probably wouldnt save much. Would be interesting to hear some genuine reviews

BetsyEllen

Dingle_berry wrote: »

You'll only get an accurate estimate for your own work when you get a consultation / assessment done. Each practise will manage it differently between deposit amount, repayments (per visit or per month) and what's included.
Unless there's major work to be done it should be around €4k

If it's just for the top I highly doubt it would be as much as that.
I've top and bottom for €3,200.

Dingle_berry

Shane St. wrote: »

I think I'm finally going to make the plunge and get a brace for my top row of teeth. (Two front teeth overlap)
Just wondering how much this would cost?
And do most places offer some sort of payment plan?
Regards

You'll only get an accurate estimate for your own work when you get a consultation / assessment done. Each practise will manage it differently between deposit amount, repayments (per visit or per month) and what's included.
Unless there's major work to be done it should be around €4k

rawn

Shane St. wrote:

I think I'm finally going to make the plunge and get a brace for my top row of teeth. (Two front teeth overlap) Just wondering how much this would cost? And do most places offer some sort of payment plan? Regards

No idea on costs but you'll definitely get a payment plan. Mine is 200pm over two years, but I'm having significant work done, i would imagine you'd pay a lot less.

Shane St.

I think I'm finally going to make the plunge and get a brace for my top row of teeth. (Two front teeth overlap)
Just wondering how much this would cost?
And do most places offer some sort of payment plan?
Regards

Eh2011

Hi, can anyone please pm me recommendations for ortho's in Dublin?

Also would love to hear from any of you that have had linguals?

wadacrack

I am 26 male.
I have braces(ceramic) now on 10 months. The process is going well but if I talk or laugh too much my gums are sore. My Impacted canine is now almost down. So I am happy overall with how its going!!

BetsyEllen

Well, they're on!

Had them on about 4.5 hours now, feeling no pain yet but I'm sure it's due to come later.

Getting them on was grand, no pain whatsoever, it's uncomfortable but not in a painful way. I went for the semi ceramics and I'm delighted that they are more 'clear' than I thought they would be. You can barely see them when I'm talking, although I feel like my mouth is about 10x bigger then normal!

Eating is very difficult but I'm sure I'll get used to it.

BetsyEllen

BandMember wrote: »

I would highly recommend either a top quality steak, or else something from the "banned" list as you won't be having any of those foods again for a while...

TIP: Think chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

Best of luck, hope everything goes great for you!

Thank you!
I'll probably be on this thread moaning a lot in the next few weeks

BandMember

BetsyEllen wrote: »

So tomorrow is the big day!
Braces go on at 8am.

As I won't be able to eat properly for a few days I'm going to make myself an extra special dinner this evening

I would highly recommend either a top quality steak, or else something from the "banned" list as you won't be having any of those foods again for a while...

TIP: Think chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

Best of luck, hope everything goes great for you!

BetsyEllen

So tomorrow is the big day!
Braces go on at 8am.

As I won't be able to eat properly for a few days I'm going to make myself an extra special dinner this evening

DingleBerry I've been advised to use 'Iglu', it's used for mouth ulcers and is like a paste.
Seemingly it's way better than the wax you get.

You can't get it in the South but if you are in the North at any point you could pick some up there? Or maybe order online.
I got my Mum to bring me over a tube from the UK last week, I'll let you know if it helps.

Dingle_berry

shuyin1 wrote: »

Lads, I'm 18 months in at this stage with 6 extractions for overcrowding and an overjet. By far the worst pain was getting the powerchain on, where one tooth kept throbbing in agony for about five days.
Progress has been great, teeth are all aligned so its just closing gaps and elastics for the bite. No regrets, until the next powerchain I'd imagine.
How did you guys find the powerchain (long elastic that connects to each tooth across whole arch)?

Haven't had that yet, still in the alignment phase myself. The wires are murder on my lower cheek and lip, I wake in the morning and they've gouged into my lip and I've to peel it out. Wax helps but finding the good wax that doesn't need dry brackets to sick to is hard.

shuyin1

Lads, I'm 18 months in at this stage with 6 extractions for overcrowding and an overjet. By far the worst pain was getting the powerchain on, where one tooth kept throbbing in agony for about five days.
Progress has been great, teeth are all aligned so its just closing gaps and elastics for the bite. No regrets, until the next powerchain I'd imagine.
How did you guys find the powerchain (long elastic that connects to each tooth across whole arch)?

greensheep777

messy tessy wrote: »

Where are you based?

I actually only went to one ortho, after chatting to a place that did 6 month braces which seemed a crazy amount of money for only straightening the visible teeth (I think it was 4 on top and 4 on the bottom). I looked into invisalign but went with ceramic braces instead.

I was happy with the proposed plan that the ortho suggested, I am about a year into the treatment and happy with how my teeth look. Only a few months to go woohoo!

I'm in Dublin

messy tessy

greensheep777 wrote: »

PMed you

If anyone else has recommendations via PM I'd love to hear them!

Where are you based?

I actually only went to one ortho, after chatting to a place that did 6 month braces which seemed a crazy amount of money for only straightening the visible teeth (I think it was 4 on top and 4 on the bottom). I looked into invisalign but went with ceramic braces instead.

I was happy with the proposed plan that the ortho suggested, I am about a year into the treatment and happy with how my teeth look. Only a few months to go woohoo!

greensheep777

BetsyEllen wrote: »

I went to just 1, because they had been highly recommended to me by more that 1 person.
I had to wait a while to get an appointment as they are busy but once I saw them it was all very quick and straightforward. Given a full treatment plan on day one along with a price.
I had to have 3 wisdom teeth extractions, which I went away and got done.
I then went back to the Ortho again for a 2nd consultation and she took my moulds, pictures etc and I am now getting my brace fitted on the 23rd of this month - only 15 days to go!!

I'm paying €3,200 for semi-ceramic (not sure if that's the right description!) top and bottom, bonded retainer and also the normal retainer. Treatment time approx. 14 months.

PMed you

If anyone else has recommendations via PM I'd love to hear them!

BetsyEllen

greensheep777 wrote: »

Curious to know - obviously braces are something it's worth shopping around for. How many different clinics did everyone go to for consultations before deciding which clinic to go with?

I went to just 1, because they had been highly recommended to me by more that 1 person.
I had to wait a while to get an appointment as they are busy but once I saw them it was all very quick and straightforward. Given a full treatment plan on day one along with a price.
I had to have 3 wisdom teeth extractions, which I went away and got done.
I then went back to the Ortho again for a 2nd consultation and she took my moulds, pictures etc and I am now getting my brace fitted on the 23rd of this month - only 15 days to go!!

I'm paying €3,200 for semi-ceramic (not sure if that's the right description!) top and bottom, bonded retainer and also the normal retainer. Treatment time approx. 14 months.

rawn

greensheep777 wrote:

Curious to know - obviously braces are something it's worth shopping around for. How many different clinics did everyone go to for consultations before deciding which clinic to go with?

Two. The first one didn't give me a figure but told me I needed several procedures before I got the braces on, that would cost as much as the braces themselves. The second place gave me a completely different plan (with none of the expensive procedures the first place insisted I needed!) and the price was reasonable. I'm nearly a year with the braces on now with another year or so left, progress so far is amazing.

Definitely shop around! It would be interesting to see how many different treatment plans they all come up with

greensheep777

Curious to know - obviously braces are something it's worth shopping around for. How many different clinics did everyone go to for consultations before deciding which clinic to go with?

greensheep777

SM35 wrote: »

Some places that advertise a lower headline price than other places do so to attract new custom, but beware of added extras

e.g. are removable retainers included in the cost?

If fixed retainers were needed, are the costs of these included.

Is the bracket system metal or ceramic?

What about the consultation fee - I have heard of "free" consultations including any necessary Xrays, but if you wish to get a second opinion, the clinic expects the patient to pay €150 or more for copy X-rays.

What are costs of on-going maintenance /reviews?

You might find that once the costs of the above are factored in, that your 3k may come close to 4k...

Finally, find out about who is doing the treatment - are they registered specialists with the Dental Council of Ireland. Are the clinicians, if from overseas, planning on sticking around for the duration of treatment?

Your best bet is always word of mouth from a previously satisfied patient...

I went to a consultation during the week, the consultation was free and the price I was quoted includes all retainers (including fixed retainers) and ceramic braces. The ortho is very highly qualified and is Irish and the main ortho in the practice so hopefully they'll stick around!

The quote I got was still a bit more expensive than the other place I'm going to (going by their pricelist at least) so I think I'll go to another consultation or two and see which practice feels best and which ortho I like the most - I'll be seeing a lot of them after all.

SM35

greensheep777 wrote: »

Is it a very bad sign if one place is a good bit cheaper than the average? E.g. charging 3000 where others may charge 4000?
From their website, they seem great and use 3D scanning instead of taking impressions etc, I'm just not sure if it's too good to be true.

Obviously I won't name names!

Some places that advertise a lower headline price than other places do so to attract new custom, but beware of added extras

e.g. are removable retainers included in the cost?

If fixed retainers were needed, are the costs of these included.

Is the bracket system metal or ceramic?

What about the consultation fee - I have heard of "free" consultations including any necessary Xrays, but if you wish to get a second opinion, the clinic expects the patient to pay €150 or more for copy X-rays.

What are costs of on-going maintenance /reviews?

You might find that once the costs of the above are factored in, that your 3k may come close to 4k...

Finally, find out about who is doing the treatment - are they registered specialists with the Dental Council of Ireland. Are the clinicians, if from overseas, planning on sticking around for the duration of treatment?

Your best bet is always word of mouth from a previously satisfied patient...

greensheep777

Is it a very bad sign if one place is a good bit cheaper than the average? E.g. charging 3000 where others may charge 4000?
From their website, they seem great and use 3D scanning instead of taking impressions etc, I'm just not sure if it's too good to be true.

Obviously I won't name names!

helimachoptor

A new clinic will take time to build a customer base, my general dentist was new when i started using him but now he's a lot busier so getting a convenient time for me is not as easy as it was!

Go visit them both, ask questions and then make your decision, as with these things if you know someone that attended either that's useful

greensheep777

So I'm finally taking the plunge and have booked in for consultations with 2 different orthodontists next week and the week after.

One is in a relatively new clinic owned by an ortho that also offers all the usual dentistry, the prices are all in ranges and dependent on the individual complexity and brace type. They had multiple appointments available at a few days' notice. It's handy that they also offer things like crowns, veneers etc as I will be looking to get a veneer on my peg incisor when I'm done.

The other has been around a long time and is solely an ortho practice and didn't have any appointments for another 2 weeks. Their pricing is all fixed and is tiered depending on how much work you need and the type of brace.

Not sure which I'll go with but the fact one seems to be booked up a lot more ahead of time indicates to me it might be better?

I had braces as a teen but my fixed retainer broke after about 6 years and was cutting my tongue, the emergency dentist who removed it said my teeth shouldn't relapse after so long, but they have to an extent, canines have rotated a bit and have some spacing. Hoping I won't need the braces too long to fix it but won't know til I know!

syndrome777

Turtle_ wrote: »

I had similar. I had twin blocks with an expander built in. Widened my pallet and corrected an underbite simultaneously. I had just turned 11 when I got it, though, so I was still growing. I can't see how it would work if you've stopped growing but it might be worth asking an orthopaedic orthodontist if it's likely to work?

thanks you for sharing this.
the thing is my pallet is not that narrow, but my teeth turn inwards, both upper and bottom back teeth, making my bite quite narrow. So I would want to widen them, not the pallet so much. I should probably see and otho and check all of this

Turtle_

syndrome777 wrote: »

does anyone here have any experience with orthodontic expander? where this would expand your back teeth to give you wider smile?

my teeth are fairly ok (i did have braces as a child, but didn't widen my teeth as the dentist was't the best it seems) , and I wouldn't wont to wear complete braces, and with having my front two teeth in veneers don't even know if it would work(braces).
Anyway I would like to widen my smile, as at the moment Only 6 front teeth are barely seen, almost only 4.

Any ideas, suggestions?

http://veryniceteeth.com/patient-education-articles/expanders

something like this. Hope the link is allowed

any suggestion on ortho that would do this kind of thing?

I had similar. I had twin blocks with an expander built in. Widened my pallet and corrected an underbite simultaneously. I had just turned 11 when I got it, though, so I was still growing. I can't see how it would work if you've stopped growing but it might be worth asking an orthopaedic orthodontist if it's likely to work?