Braces - They Didn't Work?

I would get a second opinion. I would also see what a dentist says.

Teeth can and do move. She's still growing.

However, I wouldn't run right in and get things "fixed"...I would contact the ortho that recommended this new one and fax them the letter of what he feels is STILL wrong with her mouth...that might be an eye-opener...

GOOD LUCK!!

I agree...get a second opinion.

Ask around and find a reputable orthodontist in the area who won't try to rip you off.

Before you do, though...let this new orthodontist know that you feel like you are being swindled. See how he/she reacts.

I agree about getting a second opinion. Some doctors like to throw out all the different cosmetic procedures available to you whether you really need them or not. I am guessing if your daughter went to a reputable doctor, she hasn't had any problems with her teeth and you all are pleased with the outcome, then I would take this doctor's recommendations with a grain of salt too. Good luck!
A.

Before biting the orthodontist's head off, it sounds to me like he recognized what you already knew. Overbite and spatial issues. As far as wanting to address things, perhaps that all it is since he wasn't her primary orthodontist. Did you have all her records sent to him?

I work in the medical field, I've been a patient, I know it's hard for a doctor to pick up where someone else left off. He may just be trying to get an overall picture of things as far as continuing her treatment and everyone being on the same page. It sounds like he wants to address things. Would you rather he didn't? I mean, you took your daughter there.

It doesn't sound to me like he's done anything out of line just yet.

You can get a second or even third opinion. But, I wouldn't freak out just yet until you talk to this ortho further. You don't even know what he meant by "addressing" things further means.

Just my opinion.

I took my son when he was about 10 for an evaluation and our orthodontist recommended that we wait until he was 12 or so before we put the braces on. (There's a lot of growth between 10 and 12) I would ask your new orthodontist to speak with your first one and see if he will offer you any credit or refund so you can start again.

Little known fact....much of orthodontia is a rip off. You know those spacers practically every kid has to have? They are known as 'tattooing" in the industry. They are a method of marking the child so that they become a patient early and stick with that doctor...and spend a ton of money. In actuality there are very few cases that really need a spacer. So with this example I would take what this new doc says with a huge grain of salt. What is probably happening is that he is looking to make some more money off of you by 'fixing' the problem. I would call your old doc tomorrow and tell him about this. I would also ask your dentist what he thinks of the job that was done to get an impartial take. I would not do anything more with this doc until you get another opinion though.

I agree with the others about getting the info to the new doc. If she had a really bad overbite that has gotten 75% better, the new dentist is still seeing a 25% problem - which seems big if the dentist doesn't know how bad it was. See what happens once they have the old records to compare. Get a 2nd opinion, making sure the 2nd opinion has the old records, if the current doc seems to be pushing for something more than seems necessary.

Has the new orthodontist seen her x-rays and have her file from old orthodontics? That would be my first step. I would think the same as you, that maybe the old one did a really good job and your new one just didn't see what needed to be fixed and how bad it was?

Get him the file and then ask questions and ask them again, and if need be get a second opinion.

I have been in dentistry for over 20 years as both an assistant and a hygienist. I would get the information from your previous orthodontist and give it to the new orthodontist. It is sometimes difficult to make the teeth and the biting relationship perfect. The new orthodontist does not know what the teeth were like to begin with, if he/she did, this might change their diagnosis. There are also so many different pholosphies about treatment it is difficult to say anything was done incorrectly.
It is a wife's tale that wisdom teeth crowd our teeth, it is caused by latent growth in our jaw as we age, and I have never heard of "tattooing" by using spacers to get money. This is simply not true. Spaces are used when baby teeth are lost prematuraley and space is needed to keep the teeth from moving into the new space so permanent teeth have room to erupt. Teeth hold teeth in place. The main reason for orthodontia is to correct the biting relationship of the teeth to prevent temporal mandibular disfuction or in other words, jaw issues. Good luck and if her teeth don't bother her or you, I would not worry about. I will add that there are some dentists and orthodontists that do want everything perfect and if you are not comfortable with them, go somewhere else.

Overbite is a bone issue. The bone in the mouth protrudes further than it should. Sometimes braces can't fix a bone issue, the bone would have to be broken and re-shaped. If her overbite is not obvious to the naked eye it may not be anything you want to address at all.

Sounds to me like the new doctor is looking to pick up some new business. It's easy to be critical when he didn't see how bad the overbite was to start with. If her teeth look nice, I think it was rude of him to say otherwise.

Your story reminds me of my father saying he thinks every orthodontist will say all kids need braces, when he was younger he wore braces for 4 years then just for kicks asked a new orthodontist if he needed braces and was told yes!

We went to 3 different orthodontists before our kids got braces. One was so loved in the community and he had all the fancy things and colors way before others did and such a 'fun' office. He was very expensive and wanted to do the most work for the longest time. We did not choose him. We found one who we trusted and he did fine. The key to keeping the teeth straight though is retainers and most kids don't want to wear them after the braces come off. Who would? But teeth will continue to move during your life. I would get several other opinions, talk with the old doctor and see what he says and then decide if it's worth any more money put into this. Are the wisdom teeth out because they crowd the mouth later when they come in if not out and would take up some of the spaces? They may need out. And on and on. Some orthodontists now don't want to pull teeth either and if you don't then the overbite is there, where can it go with all those teeth in there? I'm not orthodontist but I have observed the differing treatments over the years since our first was in braces when the last ones weren't even born yet. The treatment and look they wanted in the end changed over time. However, all 5 of our kids that had braces have nice straight teeth now.

see if you can get a second opinion from a different ortho (in a different office). did you bring her scans and file with you when you moved. if not see if her old office can fax them to your new office.

I agree with those posting that you need to get (and keep for some time to come!) all your daughter's x-rays; the photos of her progress that her original orthodontist took (I hope he took some) and all her written records as well. Show them to this new one but also definitely seek another opinion. You might be getting options thrown at you because the new orthodontist frankly wants business; or you might be learning that indeed the original work just isn't finished yet. Since you're not an expert, don't be shy about getting multiple opinions; many orthodontists will do an initial consultation for free (but be sure to ask first if there's a charge). Many folks I know (including us) saw three or more orthodontists before even starting work on our kids' teeth and I'd do the same at this point If I were you.

I'd get a 2nd opinion.

With my older son I had two orthodontists give me drastically different stories as to the best treatment for him.

I don't like to attribute greed to professionals but it is out there. And I'm not saying he's not right either. I would just get someone else's input and take care not to look like a parent who will pay any price for a "perfect" smile.

Teeth can move after the work is done. I would get a 2nd opinion and then weigh all the info together. We first had SS with an ortho that was in-network and even accounting for SS sneaking treats, the kid had broken wires all.the.time. And this ortho charged for every fix. Hrm, right? So DH switched to someone else out of network to finish the job and wow, the wires stopped breaking. And SD never had that problem (we also paid a flat fee - which was more upfront, but less in the long run). So if you are not sure about what this ortho is suggesting, then get a 2nd opinion. No harm in feeling confident in your decisions.

My braces didn't work. I honestly think my Orthodontist screwed me over. Not only did my teeth move after he took them off (despite wearing my retainer daily), but if you look at my X-rays, he never managed to move the roots at all, so my teeth are all jutting out of my gums at an extreme angle. The braces damaged my bite, my tooth alignment now causes headaches, and if I chose to go back and get adult braces (something I have played with in my head), I would require surgery before any orthodontist would take me on.

There are a couple of options. Your daughter's orthodontist could have blown it, like mine did. The new orthodontist could be seeing dollar signs. Or, as others have suggested, your old orthodontist could have made very good, but not 100% complete, progress, and the new one is seeing there is still some room before perfection is reached.

Good luck.

Braces work, it's how dedicated you leave on your retainer. After braces are off, the orthodontist warns you that the teeth can move if you don't leave on your retainer for a certain time and mine recommends leave it on at night for life. Now days they actually leave a wire on permanently behind the teeth. I had braces too, and my top teeth have moved slightly over the years.