Should We Be Getting a 2nd Opinion or Take The Orthodontists Word for It?

Mary Poppins on 01/07/2015 - 22:24

Hi all, my 15yo daughter has been referred to an orthodontist to enquire about the possibility of braces but my question is, how do we know what the orthodontist says is necessarily the right and/or cheapest thing to do? Would seeing another orthodontist give us better options? We really are at the mercy of the specialists as we put our whole trust in someone we hope to be advising us of the "right thing to do".

I would like to hear from anyone that may have had more than one consultation and if the results were the same/similar (both examination results and price wise)?

For the record, my daughter has an incisor that still hasn't erupted (still has baby tooth). The orthodontist has quoted us on removing the tooth (and surgical removal of wisdom teeth at same time), making an incision for the new tooth (and somehow ?) attached to braces to encourage the new tooth to develop properly.

I look forward to any advice or comments you may have :-)

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • garage sale on 01/07/2015 - 22:31
    +1

    I needed a crown put in, my dentist wanted $1800, found another dentist got it done for $950. The $950 dentist didn't take my private insurance, but still worked out cheaper.

    I needed some periodontal work (gum problems).
    One periodontist wanted to extract the tooth, do a bone graft, and do 2 implants big $$$$$.
    Another periodontist told me I just need the bone graft so had that done worked fine.

    Second opinions are great, so is shopping for prices, and trying to avoid over servicing.

    • Mary Poppins on 01/07/2015 - 22:39

      Thanks for your response. I understand saving money is a good thing but how can you be certain you're not (as the old adage goes) getting what you pay for… are you certain the cheaper dentist did as good a job? I'm feeling very vulnerable at the moment :-(

      • scrimshaw on 02/07/2015 - 00:08

        Different dentists will have different opinions. In my case, I have an underbite that probably needs correcting, one dentist suggested I go for a maxillofacial which involved cutting my jaw and then re-attaching with titanium plating. The operation would've looked like this.

        While most of the dentists I went to didn't say much about my underbite and didn't see any abnormal erosion with my teeth.

        If I had gone with the maxillofacial that would also require me to have all my teeth re-aligned with braces. Would've easily gone over a few thousand in surgery costs alone.

  • eatwell365 on 01/07/2015 - 22:52
    +1

    3 options here: 50/50, find a friend, or ask the audience.
    You have only used ask the audience. Still have 2 life lines.

  • garage sale on 01/07/2015 - 23:01
    +1

    I did a bit of researching, and it seems 2 things are common with dental work,
    1- the work has a code, so you can shop around for who is covered by your health fund for the procedure, so you should get what you pay for, the quality of the work isn't related to cost, it's the dentist, the code is for the same work
    2- over servicing, if they have a stack of codes, see what work is required and what is not, this involves a bit of research and talking to the orthodontist why prices vary, it's not rude, they do it when they buy services.

    Price isn't always an indicator of quality …. I have enough dental work to know.

    I felt strange googling to find out about the debate work, and shopping for price, but now I a much more informed shopper for crowns and bone grafts.

  • Davo1111 on 01/07/2015 - 23:53
    +1

    I think you should shop around. I've known some orthos who will slap on braces for the sake of it, whether or not your teeth are developed.

    Ask the families in your area too. We were recommended an ortho with a no BS approach. He saw me 2 years straight and denied himself work as the teeth were not developed yet. Others people i know (particularly through health funds) had braces on for over 5 years!

  • BargainCowboy on 02/07/2015 - 08:32
    +1

    I accidentally stumbled across this post, but let me tell you this: ALWAYS get a 2nd opinion! People will happily go to 3-4 auto-shops before getting their car serviced, but rely blindly on their doctor. Some doctors are also crooks (from my experience, dentists) and some of them are just incompetent. It's best investing a few more dollars on 2nd and 3rd opinions.

  • toniyellow on 02/07/2015 - 09:21
    +1

    Definitely have more than one consultation. If possible try to find family friends in your area with kids in their 20s, and see what orthodontists they used, and if their teeth are still straight.

    I went to an orthodontist beside my high school, and had braces for several years, but now I am in my late 20s, my teeth are quite crooked again.Several friends went there also due to the convenient location, and their teeth have also reverted. I know teeth are stubborn and will go back to a degree, but those of us that went to that particular orthodontist are worse than others I went to school with that went elsewhere. I've driven past and he is no longer in business, I feel to some degree he must not have been thorough enough.

    I hate to think of the money my mum spent, for not much effect. In the future when I have kids I will definitely try to chase down one that has been in business for 10+ years and see how their results hold up.

  • mparf on 02/07/2015 - 12:18
    +2

    I went to get my opinions from
    Collins St Orthodontists
    K1 Dental in Toorak
    And
    Lavrin & Lawrence

    In the end, I got my Damon Clears from Collins St Ortho because I felt most comfortable with them, and they understood what I was trying to achieve. The were also not too bad, price wise.
    I hope you have Health Insurance!

    • Mary Poppins on 03/07/2015 - 22:49

      I do, thanks Mparf but just how much it will cover me for is another thing! :-/

      • mparf on 04/07/2015 - 17:25

        it should be easy to see. Mine is $2100 with a $2600 Lifetime benefit cap, which isn't half bad.

  • Mary Poppins on 03/07/2015 - 22:51

    Thanks to everyone for all your comments, I will be doing some more investigating and getting some feedback before I go and get at least one other opinion me thinks! ;-)

  • jenki on 04/07/2015 - 00:49
    +1

    I was a dental nurse for several years, many of them with an orthodontist. Every orthodontist is different; factors affecting their approach to each case include where and when they trained and what products they use.

    I would recommend seeking several opinions and written treatment plans with costings. Ask your dentist to include the item numbers so you can check with your health fund how much they will contribute towards each item.

    Once you choose an orthodontist you can structure the treatment to make the most of your health fund rebates, e.g. if your fund limits renew each annual year (rather than financial year) you could start the treatment in December then continue it in January, thereby maximising your rebates.

  • Mary Poppins on 04/07/2015 - 22:34
    +1

    Thanks so much jenki… that was very helpful and will do just that!

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