r/orthodontics

My 7 year old just got a palate expander. 24 hours ago. We are struggling with food options for her. Any suggestions? We tried pancakes (because they are soft) and they got stuck in there. I figured pasta would be safe and that was a nightmare, she almost choked 😳 (the spaghetti was dangling from the palate expander). We are doing smoothies and yogurt so far. Anyone with experience with a palate expander? Thanks!

So basically, I began Invisalign last month (April 9) and I have one of those dentists/orthos that say you have to eat with the trays in and basically do everything with them in so that the total wear time per day is 23-24 hours.

Now, I had my routine 6-months cleaning on May 1st (barely a month since starting Invisalign) and the calculus under my gums were so bad. They were worse than the first time I ever did a cleaning, so bad that I had to do the cleaning in 3 separate sessions. This has not only cost me so much pain and discomfort but I have used up my entire insurance coverage for a the whole year which really makes me mad!

For a little context, I decided to do the Invisalign with a different dental clinic due to price difference and reputation, so where I do my cleaning (my regular dentist) is different from where I do my Invisalign treatment.

My cleaning clinic has decided to call the Invisalign clinic to address concerns because this cannot be happening, especially for someone as young as me who typically has great gum health. The decision will either be to revisit eating with the trays in or pausing the treatment.

I’m just curious if anyone else who eats and drinks with their trays in has had such an experience.

Edit: Thank you so much for all your recommendations and for suggesting how to make my oral hygiene better but I'm also on top of that. I'm lowkey obsessed with a healthy mouth so after every meal, take out my trays, brush my teeth, floss with a water flosser and use a tongue scraper. I then go in with a mouth wash and while that's in, I brush my trays too. I also use a sonic cleaner and denture tablets very often on my trays too.

Hi all! Not looking for medical advice but how to best help my kid move forward.

My child (8) is refusing the next step of their dental treatment. They had a palette expander put into 1.5 months ago and now it’s time for the first key turn (once a week). Even though they’ve never had any fear or anxiety about the dentist, they walked in to the most recent appointment and absolutely refused to open their mouth. Their reason being “I don’t want to”.

We had prepped for each step of the appointment: watched videos of other kids having it done, talked with family members who had the same equipment, etc. Everything was *very* positive. We offered treats the day of and support throughout but it was all met with total refusal to even try.

Obviously we won’t pry their mouth open and force it but they will do yearly vaccines even though they hate them. It’s coming up on 2 weeks since the last appointment and they‘re still refusing.

Any words of wisdom or things that worked for your stubborn kid? We haven’t made any progress despite support, reassurances, incentives, removal of privileges to show seriousness, etc.

Hi there, so there are only so many orthodontists in my area. And I've been to all of them. A few want me in Invisalign and the rest wanted me in braces and possible jaw surgery. Majority of the ones that said braces/surgery all said they cannot or will not take me on as a patient. That I would get much better care at a "university" where they have different types of doctors there. I was not given an option, they just said go there.

I'm leaning towards Invisalign mainly because of this. I liked some of those docs that told me to go to a University. They of course don't say the university thing till the end of the consultation. They all say the same thing, that I need multiple doctors of different backgrounds to work on me that all have good communication, special attention and unity. When I press them - and ask them what type of doctors already knowing the answer. They say "Dentist, Periodontist, Surgeon...and so on" When I say um Okay I already have all those keep going, they don't have anything else to say.

I'll be honest, I find this very frustrating and insulting. I do not want to go to a University. But I tried calling 2 of the local ones just for the heck of it. And everything felt so unprofessional. I get it might work for some. But I don't want a student working on me that's being overlooked. I want to see a doctor with a company name and that has reviews online and has been doing this for years. And I don't want services for cheaper. And when I call the last thing I feel from them is special attention, unity or good communication.

But I can't seem to figure out why these docs are telling me to go to a University by the end of the consult. The docs even say that in all or most cases of every patient that walks in they need to have communication with a dentist/and or periodontist. They also say how many jaw surgery patients they have had. So what am I missing? Do they just not like me? I press and ask and they can't seem to give a legit answer. They say well you need all these doctors under one roof in the same location. No, you really don't. They contradict everything they are saying because they deal with periodontists and dentists and surgeons all day.

If it is just the fact that they don't want to take on the extra work, why not say find another orthodontist that would gladly take all that on. Because I know there are tons, just unfortunately not tons or ortho's in my area. I can't help but feel insulted that they are telling me to go to a University. Even when I say no not interested they still say it. Anyone else been through that?

I feel like I’m lying to my son about the need for braces.

the doc says it’s necessary to improve his “bite”. but It’s not medically necessary. he has a twisted front tooth and the one side does go up a little in the front. I would say it’s more cosmetic than anything but my kid does not care about how his teeth look

i agree with him that the trend of perfectly straight teeth coupled with bleached white is so freaking weird looking it’s distracting. but that twist bothers me and I want it fixed.

he is going to be 15 soon

Hi, was hoping to get some insight into whether this is a legit treatment. I’ve had a fixed lingual retainer (canine-to-canine) for 9 years; after one bond failed recently on a lower incisor, two orthodontists made adjustments. The first one left me with persistent pressure and possibly the lower incisor shifting forward. The second claimed the latter is impossible since lower teeth only shift backwards, but (I assume?) to fix the pressure has removed the bonding on it completely and wants to see what happens in a month's time before rebonding — does this management sound reasonable? I really don't want my teeth to shift, or to get misaligned... I just wanted it rebonded without pressure and that's it...

My parents refuse to let me start braces now because it's my final year of high school

for context, I'm 17 and on the way to doing the HSC. And the correction I'm seeking is for both functional and cosmetic reasons (3mm overjet of front few teeth, 50% overbite, deep bite, slight crowding)

They believe the pain, potential disrupted eating, and regular checkups will take time and energy off school attendance and studying.

I'm worried starting later will mean that they won't pay for it since I would legally be an adult, and it would be too late to fix these issues.

invisaglign is ruled out as an option due to the disapline needed

I am torn right now. All of the doctors call me a complex case. After seeing multiple orthodontists I am now down to 2 orthodontists. I can't decide between them. One is a smaller practice. And the other one is a bigger practice. I don't mean size of the office. I just mean how many patients they are dealing with.

The smaller one - it's a very nice office, she seems very sweet and caring, takes her time with me. Been around for a few years. Seems very confident in her skills with me being a complex case. It's just her and a person that works the front desk. There is no treatment coordinator that works there. When I walk in I am the only person in the waiting room each time I go. She will be handling my treatment from beginning to end. The Clinchecks and all. I believe even the checkup appointments too.

The bigger one - Top invisalign provider in my area. There are multiple doctors that work there that work under the head doctor. 2 Treatment coordinators. Multiple people just in general. The head doctor I am seeing is very well known for Invisalign success. Written up in magazines. He's been around for years. When I walk in there are always some people in the waiting room. I was set on going with him. But I called up today to make sure he is a part of my treatment from beginning to end. They said he does the first clincheck which they said is most important. And then from there no guarantee he will be doing the rest of them. But that the other doctors have been trained by him, all think like him, and that they are just as good. I asked if I could please request him to handle my clinchecks from beginning to end since he is the reason I am coming to the practice. Or at the very least give them a final approval. The coordinator said I can talk to him about that at my next meeting. But that is not how they typically work. I get I am supposed to trust him as the head doctor, but I feel like if he is not the one using his own brain on these clinchecks how do I trust him?

How I feel about that - I am kind of disappointed that he can't take on my case entirely and be the one to do all my clinchecks. I get he doesn't have to be there for just the checkups. But I don't see why he can't be the one to do the clinchecks or at the very least approve them all. He called me a very complex case so I would think he would want to be apart of my treatment. He called me a rare case. As the head of the practice why would you not want to be involved in that? I know the coordinator said I can ask him about it next visit, but I feel like I shouldn't have to ask. I feel like she should have just said sure if that is what you want he will do that. I did say back "well why wouldn't he want to be apart of the final decision if I am a complex case". She said well they have a lot of complex cases. Every other orthodontist I've spoken to, they all have the main doctor handle the treatment decisions from beginning to end. Or at least sign off on what their other doctors say. I get I am supposed to trust his team, which I would, but still something feels off about that, because he's not even approving it. It's hard for me to accept someone is making final decisions on my teeth that I have never met. But everyone goes to this place so they must be doing something right. I don't know, am I overthinking this? I don't feel I am, but maybe I am.

I am now leaning towards the smaller practice. But the big question with that is, if he does so many more cases than her a month, wouldn't that make him the better choice? He's a diamond and I think she is like 2 below that. She said each clincheck is important for me. The bigger practice said the first clincheck is really the most important. I don't know who to pick. Can she be just as good as him for my case even though he has so much more experience and see's so many more cases a month? I would think every clincheck is important. It just seems common sense to think that is correct.

Hi all,

So my braces journey has become...complicated. I'm 15months into a 24-36 month estimate to fix an open bite. I've had 4 premolars out and now just waiting for gaps to close.

It turns out my impacted wisdom tooth has destroyed the roots of the adjacent molar. I now face losing my upper second molar. I have no idea what impact this will have on my bite and the future of my upper and lower arch.

I'm awaiting recommendation by my ortho but from what I've read I have 2 options..

1. See if they can use tads to straighten my wisdom tooth and then extrud it and drag it forward to fill the gap. Even if this is possible, it will add on cost and time. But will be cheaper and better than an implant.

2. Get a dental implant. These things are like 3k in London. Almost half of what my ortho work cost. For 1 single tooth.

This wasn't in my plans but I guess life happens. The hole in my pocket keeps growing.

I don't suppose anyone has had a similar experience? Any advice?

A word of caution for anyone shopping for orthodontic treatment:

Be careful with high-volume, multi-location orthodontic or dental chains that advertise extremely low monthly payments or “too good to be true” pricing.

That does not automatically mean every large office is bad. There are good doctors in bigger groups. But the business model matters.

Orthodontics is not just “put braces on” or “order aligners.” It is a long-term treatment relationship that usually lasts 12 to 30 months. During that time, consistency matters. Doctor oversight matters. Communication matters. Staff training matters. Treatment planning matters.

In some high-volume offices, the model is built around seeing as many patients as possible, as quickly as possible. That can lead to:

• Different doctors checking you at different visits
• Staff turnover and inconsistent communication
• Short appointment times
• Less individualized treatment planning
• Difficulty reaching someone when there is a problem
• More focus on starting cases than finishing them well
• A “mill” feeling where patients become numbers

The advertised fee may look lower upfront, but patients can end up paying for it through frustration, longer treatment, poor communication, inconsistent care, or results that are not as carefully finished.

When choosing an orthodontist, ask better questions than just “How much per month?”

Ask:

• Who is actually planning my treatment?
• Will I see the same orthodontist consistently?
• How often will the doctor personally evaluate my progress?
• What happens if treatment is not tracking well?
• Are retainers included?
• Are refinements or additional aligners included?
• How easy is it to reach the office if something breaks or feels wrong?
• Does this feel like a real doctor-patient relationship, or a sales process?

Low fees are not automatically bad. Expensive treatment is not automatically better. But in orthodontics, you are not buying a product off a shelf. You are trusting someone to guide tooth movement, bite correction, facial balance, gum health, root position, and long-term stability.

Choose the office that you would still trust if something does not go perfectly.

That is usually where the real value is.

So I had my permanent wire retainer glued back on Monday, I noticed after on the end of my wire where my canine tooth is, it is glued hire up then the rest of the wire. The next day my bite started feeling weird, almost like the teeth where he had glued the retainer higher, were touching the back of my top teeth first. So I made another appointment for Wednesday, when I went in this time the dentist decided to shave the teeth down without even letting me know (which didn’t help btw) anyways that didn’t do shit. So I went in again today, and basically I was being dismissed again, and the dentist was stressing to me, that the way my retainer was re cemented on shouldn’t or should not have affected my bite. Can anyone confirm this? I feel like I’m being gaslit but my bite is literally off. And I’m pissed because I paid 4k for my teeth as an 18 year old, and now I’m scared my teeth are fucked.

hellooo I have a question is it normal to feel like your teeth are moving and if I touch them slightly with my tongue they make a small noise. is that normal?

When getting my braces off I specifically asked that they not reshape any of my teeth, and that I liked them how they where. They agreed then completely ignored my request and shaved down my teeth leaving me with tempeture sensitivities and feeling very very unsafe. It left me in a really bad place and I probably won't get justice.

I'm now trying to put together a lawsuit but because nothing was in writing and I waited so long due to having little to no support in the matter I am having a very hard time.

Make sure every request you make is in writing and in a format that makes legal sense (signatures and dates), don't want your teeth shape to be changed? Write it out and have your orthodontist (or dentist or whoever) sign it, then keep it in a safe location!!! If you get a new person, even for only one day, make them sign a copy aswell.

If something does happen and you want to go through the legal process start as soon as possible! However, if it's been awhile you may still be able to file, especially if you where a minor!

Don't be dumb like I was and trust that your dentist/ortho will do what they say they will.

If anyone has advice for this legal process, please let me know, I have 4 months left to file.

I’m starting to get sick of wearing it every night for the past 3 years. I wake up with stinky and dry mouth no matter what. My lips end up severely dry. When can I stop wearing these stupid things?

On presentation he has a class II division I incisor relationship on a skeletal II base complicated by bimaxillary proclination (upper and lower incisors are proclined).
 
The overjet is increased at 10mm and there is an anterior open bite from the lower right first molar to lower left first molar.
 
There is mild crowding in both arches.
 
The malocclusion is complicated by the fact that he has had previous orthodontic treatment involving extraction of a premolar in each quadrant.

Location: California

I really need some honest input from dentists/orthos or anyone because this has gotten really frustrating and I don’t know if this is normal or not.

My sister has had braces since 2020. It was a 2-year contract, then extended another year because she missed some appointments (which we understand). But now it’s been about 5 years total and her teeth, especially the bottom ones, are still not straight.

At her appointment in February, she was told her braces would be coming off in about 2 months. That didn’t make sense because her teeth were visibly still crooked, so I started asking questions. I wasn’t rude at all, just trying to understand what the plan was.

Instead of explaining anything clearly, the orthodontist kept giving vague answers like “teeth aren’t like math, it’s not 1+1=2,” and when I asked what the plan actually was, he responded with things like “what do you want me to do?” When I asked why her bottom teeth were still crooked, he said “I don’t know, the biology didn’t perform the way it was supposed to.” It felt really dismissive. When I asked again if they were still coming off in 2 months, he rechecked and changed his answer.

That’s when things started feeling off and we decided to request her records to see what has actually been going on.

My sister has been trying to get her records and answers since February:

* Feb 12 – emailed requesting full records
* That same visit, I was told I was not allowed in the room with my sister anymore because they said she’s over 18 (even though we had been allowed for years), so she sent written authorization that same day so family could be involved
* Feb 19 – followed up for records (no response)
* March 19 – followed up for records again (no response)

We went into the office on March 25 for her routine visit, and the front desk confirmed they had been receiving her emails the whole time. Despite that, they still didn’t provide the records.

During that same visit, they also would not allow me to go into the room with her, even though she had already provided written authorization for family involvement. We had been allowed in for years, including after she turned 18, so this was a sudden change. Suddenly it was “against their policy,” but they were unable to show us that policy when we asked for it. I hate being that person, but I was just really frustrated at this point because of the lack of communication.

When my sister asked when she would get the records she had been requesting for over a month, she was told she needed to meet with the office manager first. When she asked to schedule that meeting, they would not give her an appointment, would not give a timeline, and would not provide anything in writing.

On March 27, my sister called again for her records and was told the request had been sent to “upper management,” but again no timeline, no contact info, and no follow-up.

She kept trying.

In late April, when she called again, she was told they only provide X-rays and that they don’t schedule meetings with managers, financial discussions, or any kind of consultation at all. She was told the only time she can talk to someone is during her ortho appointment.

The issue with that is they also won’t allow family in the room anymore, even though they had allowed us in for years, including after she turned 18. This only changed after I started asking questions. When we asked to see the policy they’re claiming this is based on, they won’t provide it.

So basically, they’re saying the only time she can talk is during an appointment, but also making it so she has to go in alone, even though she gave written and verbal consent for us to be there.

She has been diagnosed with pretty severe anxiety, so having support during these conversations is really important for her.

3 months later, we still do not have her full records despite many, many emails sent.

We also got a second opinion. That dentist reviewed everything, including the emails she’s been sending, and even suggested that if they continue not responding, we may need to escalate or threaten going to the board just to get a response (not necessarily file, but just to get them to respond). He said her braces have been on for too long and recommended taking them off for a few months to give her teeth a break before doing anything else. He also noted bite issues and TMD symptoms.

There’s also a billing issue:

* treatment started in 2020
* insurance was billed in 2024 after coverage had ended
* when this was brought up, it was brushed off

At this point, she’s just trying to:

* get her full records
* understand what has been done and what work is left
* sit down and have a normal conversation about her treatment and express concerns
* figure out what the right next step is

No one is trying to argue or be difficult. She’s just unhappy with how things have turned out and wants to understand what’s going on.

I just want to know from people in the field:

* Is it normal for an office to ignore multiple record requests like this? She has been requesting them for about 3 months now.
* Is it normal to refuse to schedule any kind of conversation or consultation?
* Does this sound like reasonable handling, or is this a red flag?
* Would you pause treatment in this situation based on a second opinion?

I’m just trying to figure out if we’re overreacting or if this is actually not being handled the way it should be.

I had retainers but stepped on the bottom one in bed and broke the strip holding the teeth. How risky would it be to carefully glue it back? It works in my mouth when it's not fully pushed in but then at lowest point on my teeeth it wasn't working right broken haha.

Please don't judge i have no money to fix it i bought a online clear retainer which has just broken and my orthodontist has died so i can't get an official replacement.

What are the chances superglue can hurt me if it's used in surgery and if I'm careful to glue it in place? And is there any way the orthodontist assistants might have a copy of my retainer records after the office closed down if i desperately mail them at home? Thanks!

And maybe i should add my bottom teeth were messed up before braces so this whole issue is hurting me the longer its taking me to figure out and I'm scared

So basically, I’m 20. I’ve had two rounds of braces and a pallet expander so my teeth are pretty perfect.

I got all this done at a young age because I’ve sucked my finger ever since I was young and honestly, I still do it.

The only thing is that I feel like my mouth protrudes forward, I don’t really have an overbite, but I’m going to the orthodontist to get a check up and see if anything has changed.

But basically my mouth is really bulky like it tends to move forward. I don’t know how to explain it, My questions are is this all in my head is this a real thing? Is there a way to fix it?

Hello everyone,
I would really appreciate an honest evaluation of my profile. Do you think it is realistically competitive, and is it reasonable for me to stay hopeful for a positive outcome?
I’d be grateful for any sincere feedback, suggestions, or insights from those familiar with the process.

1. Internationally trained orthodontist, experience 10 yrs
2. Teaching experience 10 yrs
3. Research: 5 publications
4. ADAT 570,
5. GRE not attempted yet
6. Clinical research diploma, Canada
7. Actively involved in ortho CE courses
8. Working as dental Clinic Administrator in canada

Downside: been out of clinical practice for than 5 yrs

The end of my permanent retainer had started to cut my tongue. I went to the dentist today and they put more bonding on top of it. While it’s not cutting my tongue anymore, it feels bulky. Is there another solution?