Choosing The Right Orthodontist; Red Flags

OK, So your clueless about dentistry. How are you supposed to choose the right orthodontist for you or your child? Even if you get a second opinion, how can you evaluate which one is better? It is not easy, but here are a few things to look out for.

Beware of these red flags!

1 - The website pops up first: Good doctors don't need to spend money on advertising, as most of their patients are referred by other patients who appreciate the treatment they have received. It costs a great deal to position a website on the top of the list. You must ask yourself, "Why does this doctor need to spend so much money to attract patients?"

2 - The office boasts a large number of dental assistants: When you or your child are undergoing treatment, you would want as much of it as possible done by the doctor. Do the math, the more dental assistants in the office, the less work will be done by the doctor.

3 - You are told "the work must be done immediately:": The need for "emergency" orthodontic treatment is very rare. If the office is pressuring you to start right away, be suspicious.

4 - The office sees more than 40 patients a day: I did the math. An 8 hour work day has 480 minutes. If you divide that by 40, it gives the doctor 12 minutes to walk to the next patient, put on his gloves, check the chart, find out how the patient is feeling and then do his examination and at least dictate what treatment is needed. Feeling rushed? Some offices see 80 0r 100 patients per doctor!

5 - Appointments scheduled every 2 or 3 months: All kinds of things can go wrong in that period of time to slow or reverse the progress The doctor needs to monitor

the progress more frequently.

Orthodontic Second Opinion

Braces are expensive, but they can change your life if you or your child has a problem with chewing or are unhappy with the appearance of their smile.

Most people are unaware of the sometimes radical differences in approach among even well trained orthodontic specialists. Depending on the orthodontists treatment philosophy, one Doctor may suggests extracting teeth, while another would recommend against it, or maybe jaw surgery was considered. Sometimes dentists can't even agree on when treatment should get started!

How do you choose the right treatment for yourself or your child? Educating yourself is always a good idea, but every case is different, so what might have worked very well with one person will not apply to someone else. Getting a referral from a trusted family dentist is a very good start, but getting an OBJECTIVE second opinion is always a good idea.

Why is the emphasis on objective? Simply going across the street or across town to another orthodontist may not get you the information that you need. The second orthodontist is a business owner as well, and may be more interested in converting you into a patient at his office than discussing difficult issues. When this happens, the patient &/or parent becomes even more confused. You need to consult with an orthodontic specialist who's only concern is to give you information and has no interest it winning you as a patient.

That is what Orthodontic2ndOpinion.com can do for you. All the necessary x-rays and photographs can be submitted on line and a trained specialist can review them and email some very valuable information back without missing time at work or school. The service is not free, but it can save you time and money in the long run.