hmmm well maybe I need a 3rd opinion!

[ChickieToo]

Get a third opinion. We sound like we have similar issues.

DD had an overbite and we went to the ortho. He has a great reputation. Ultimately she needed two uppers pulled and I was hesitant, but she had them done. She needed them pulled because she not only had an overbite, but her upper jaw was too far forward, and her lower was too far back. She doesn't have a recessive chin, and everyone I told said "really", but when you see the xrays you can see the jaw. Anyway, this ortho said they don't do headgear anymore, but rather they put a bite plate on the roof of her e bite. The lower teeth get pushed to a new position by coming in contact with the bite plate. Then he would move some of the top teeth backward to make room for pulling the front four teeth back.

The bite plate portion would take 9 months. She is set to have it removed after 8 months. the moving of the other teeth has occured and they will begin moving her front teeth when the bite plate is removed.

Overall, the whole process will take 2 1/2 years at a cost of $6300

 

[Nicolepa]

I don't understand why a few people are saying that pulling teeth is rarely required and shouldn't be considered . I had four teeth pulled when I had my second set of braces put on at 14 yrs old. I had a crowded mouth, as do many people . I don't think it would cost $3,000 to have four teeth pulled, unless you went to an oral surgeon and were given twilight sedation. I was not put out when my teeth were pulled. I know my dad did not pay thousands of dollars to put me out .

Pulling adult teeth should be a last resort. It also depends on which teeth they want to pull as pulling certain teeth can totally chance your facial profile. My son has very big teeth and a very small mouth. My FIL is a dentist andsaid that the ortho should pull teeth as a last resort. My ortho feels the same way. He is not sure we will be able to not pull adult teeth but he is doing everything he can.

As for cost you are right there is no way it will be $3000. My son had 3 (baby teeth) pulled under full anesthsia w/a pediatric anesthsia guy. My total wasn't anywhere close. I paid less than $100 out of pocket and my dental insurance covers 80%, so for the tooth pulling it was no more than $500 and I don't remember what anesthsia was but if you are older you wouldn't need to be put totally under.

 

[LaDonna]

I'm kind of at a disadvantage too, because although I have great insurance coverage(I only pay a $500 copay) the downside is I have very very few people to pick from, and these 2 guys actually had the best reviews when I googled out of the rest I have to pick from The one that wanted to pull the teeth had very good reviews, that is why I'm kind of bummed now because pulling perm teeth just seems "off" But I was surprised to find it seems rather common when I googled it, I'm surprised more here haven't had them pulled. I'm thinking I'm going to do a 3rd opinion at a place that doesn't take my insurance plan and see what they say, maybe I'll even switch insurance next year(we are lucky in that my husband has a few more he can choose from)

 

[ChickieToo]

Let me just add, that after my daughter's original consultation with her ortho he had a different plan based on his knowledge at the time. The original plan required no pulled teeth and included two plates: the bite plate on the roof of her mouth and one that went over the bottom teeth. After he had her actual molds and he did some more measurements he thought her front teeth were at too much of an angle to ever be perfectly straight and he suggested the other method which included removing two permanent teeth and using a single bite plate on the roof of her mouth.

I was very reluctant. When I got to the ped dentist for the extraction he asked why we were going that route. When I couldn't articulate it properly, he said we should put it off until he spoke to the ortho. He added that the ortho had a fine reputation, but as a dentist he was always reluctant to pull permanent teeth. I was all for the sanity check. They spoke, and ortho brought us back in to discuss again and said that I could do it the other way, but he wanted to remind me that her front teeth might never be at the proper angle and that the plan which included the extraction would ensure straight front teeth. He also said that if it were his daughter he would be fixing her teeth using the method where two teeth were pulled. He went through the whole process, and told me that when she smiled no one would ever be able to tell that two teeth were pulled. Went back to ped dentist, and he was satisfied with ortho's explanation. He has a better safe than sorry attitude, which I like.

At any rate, she healed from the extraction very quickly, and although I wish we didn't have to pull the teeth, I am satisfied with her progress thus far. The moral to my story is just make sure you understand everything and are comfortable with your decision.

 

[angierae]

With the anesthsia etc. required for that, I wouldn't be surprised if you were talking about another $3,000 for that.

Anesthesia?! I had adult teeth pulled, as did DD16 a couple years ago. They numbed her up, gave her some laughing gas, let her wear her iPod, and pulled them. She was more upset by the blood than any pain, and was back playing Clarinet in marching band in a week.

Our dental insurance covered it. I don't think we paid a penny.

 

[mjkacmom]

I don't understand why a few people are saying that pulling teeth is rarely required and shouldn't be considered . I had four teeth pulled when I had my second set of braces put on at 14 yrs old. I had a crowded mouth, as do many people . I don't think it would cost $3,000 to have four teeth pulled, unless you went to an oral surgeon and were given twilight sedation. I was not put out when my teeth were pulled. I know my dad did not pay thousands of dollars to put me out .

Pulling teeth was very popular when I was a child, but now they have better methods, like palate expanders. Lots of kids start in elementary school, and avoid losing teeth.

 

[Karenann*]

Wow...so many answers to the OP! I work for an orthodontist who has been in practice also for 30+ years.

I would ask your own dentist's opinion on the 2 different treatment plans. Sometimes the same result can be achieved by different routes. A non-extraction approach is often the first chosen because permanent extractions can be added later to the treatment plan if the non extraction approach is not achieving the desired results.

Cost for treatment varies all over the country. Here in the northwest where I live in a community of about 50,000, we have 4 orthodontists and they are all around 6500.

BEWARE THE PPO!!!!!!! These are clinics contracted and chosen by employers to provide care. If you have an orthodontic benefit it may cover most of the cost but the appointments will be much more infrequent and the progress will be slow!!!! We have inherited many transfer patients paying out of pocket mid treatment because of dismal care.

Take your time. Orthodontic care is usually never an emergency. There are some optimum times to begin care (pre-puberty or growth spurts), but that does not mean a later decision to begin will compromise the outcome.

As a previous poster mentioned, formal diagnostic records may give you more complete information as you make your decision. These are study models, x-rays, pictures, wax bites that the orthodontist will use to work up a formal treatment plan. Both orthodontists can use the same records so you do not have to duplicate this service.

Good luck. Remember, you are your child's best advocate.

 

[Pembo]

I'd get a third opinion as well...and for the record I had permanent teeth pulled...there was and still is no room for them. My teeth are just too big for my mouth. Poor dd has my mouth and will have to teeth pulled as well.

 

[princessnoelly]

Get a 3rd opinion. You need to be carefully when correcting an overbite. I had an overbite corrected with braces and now battle with problems with my jaw. Years ago they would pull your jaw forward.

This was me. I wore braces a 2nd time as an adult (much cheaper as a child- I wasn't footing the bill !). I got 5 different opinions when I did my adult braces as the first 3 were totally different.

For DD7- we didn't look any further- went with the same ortho. DD's out of pocket cost is just under 3K for Phase 1 (only 1k covered under insurance). Phase 2 should be another 4-5K. I figure that is right around the time DD6 is getting her Phase 1. Then I figure the Ortho can retire (Me+DD7+DD6=20K for smiles...not really priceless!).

 

[princessnoelly]

Pulling teeth was very popular when I was a child, but now they have better methods, like palate expanders. Lots of kids start in elementary school, and avoid losing teeth.

DD7 has a palate expander...it's a little creepy looking but works. She's had it for three weeks and each night I crank her and then take her picture...her face is changing shape so much.

 

[disneylove69]

42 and just finishing up the brace thing. It will be about 2 1/2 years of wearing them. It was about 5k and I lucked out and had 2 orthos. The main one would periodically have me meet with with counterpart who had been doing ortho forever to get second agreement on what was going on. I did have a tooth pulled because the root was fused to another tooth and could not be moved. They thought it could damage the root of a good tooth. The cost was around $300 and insurance picked some of it up. I did a local and did not go under. I also had to have a palate expander for a week and I feel the pain of those who must wear it longer.

 

[LaDonna]

well I'm getting a 3rd opinion in about week from someone not on my insurance plan, and then I went ahead and made an appt. for another ortho on my plan, it's probably going to be 30+ minute drive, but if I get a good vibe from them it will be worth it, I'm thinking you only see them like every 6 weeks, is that about average?