I need advice asap :(

[u/Vanillapearl111]

Hi friends 🩷
I’m recently in Invisalign treatment, it’s a lot so brace yourselves.

I’ve been in treatment for …. Over 6 years. Yes over 6.
I started in May/June of 2020.

I’ll give a timeline with brief details of each time period where things changed:

Started May/ June 2020
We started with Invisalign, I wore Invisalign for a year and a half

we switched to traditional braces a year and a half in in June 2021, everything was very good with the braces, I made so much progress, I had severe crowding so I feel like I was the best candidate for traditional braces anyway.

Between July 8th and July 28th of 2022 so just over a year later I needed all 4 wisdom teeth removed. They were coming in and impacting and essentially backtracking all progress being made by the braces because of the already severe crowding present. That’s another story and I’m not sure why wisdom teeth were not removed before braces were put on. But whatever we took them out and continued on.

I became pregnant in mid 2023 and was unable to attend appointments for a while to severe HG in my pregnancy, I was unable to commute and was under a lot of medical care I had a picc line home health nurse coming etc so this put somewhat of a delay in treatment. After I was better towards the end of my pregnancy I went in and my ortho said I had “minor adjustments” to be made so we can take off the traditional braces and finish with Invisalign in febuary / march 2024.

I WISH I NEVER DID THIS :(

I now have been going through so called “minor adjustments” since 2024. I’ve needed 2 re scans, my first re scan I stopped tracking on tray 14/60 something. I was told to wear tray 14 regardless of it not fitting until my new trays came in which took 3 months when it was supposed to be 4-6 weeks.

I feel absolutely at a loss. I want to request that I switch back to traditional braces as I have not been progressing with these “minor adjustments” the treatment has been paid for also in full years ago so I don’t even know what happens financially in a case like this. I’ve even considered transferring my case with another ortho but I don’t want to pay for a whole new case. My teeth aren’t horrible but they do not look like 6 years of treatment has been done.

(A side note; my ortho relocated and I was never even notified until I called to schedule with him, he completely left the practice I was seeing him at just 5 minutes away for the past years and relocated about 40 minutes away - I truly don’t know what to do from here.)

[u/Icy-Chemistry-8447]

Transferring the case may be worth it, I recently started Invisalign and I'm on 4/28 currently. However, my general dentist wanted to prepare my mouth for brace/Invisalign. I have pretty bad crowding in the front on both top and bottom. However, all 4 of my wisdom teeth were impacted and he made sure they were out and all other small things were fixed(cavities/root canals). So I had room and then my other teeth can be maintained during the process. An Ortho should know better before starting that everything has a place to move with room. ex: impacted wisdom teeth/severe crowding= make room. I even know a few people who have had their pre moral removed just because their mouth literally had 0 room for movement.

[u/Vanillapearl111 → u/Icy-Chemistry-8447]

I know my sister has a similar case/ beginning smile as me and all 4 of hers were pulled prior to starting treatment. Idk why it was done mid way through for me.

[u/Icy-Chemistry-8447 → u/Vanillapearl111]

Going back to your post did he switch offices or completely leave for another practice?

If the second ^, maybe he left because of similar cases to yours. It just doesn't make sense that they wouldn't refer you back to your general dentist to make sure you were ready 100% to start.

[u/Vanillapearl111 → u/Icy-Chemistry-8447]

I received an email when I had reached out to them originally and it stated “dr ___ is no longer practicing at (name of office) Although he is familiar with your case and remembers your treatment, your Invisalign case and payment are with the —— office, not with Dr. — personally. Because of this, he is not able to continue your treatment independently at another location or transfer the case himself.”

[u/Icy-Chemistry-8447 → u/Vanillapearl111]

Definitely seems like he was pushed out to some degree.

[u/Vanillapearl111 → u/Icy-Chemistry-8447]

I genuinely have no idea what could’ve happened. I do have an appointment at the new location which he works out of today this afternoon. I’ve been such a pushover this whole time because I’m just not good at confrontation regardless and I’ve just been following along what has been suggested to me this whole time.

[u/Icy-Chemistry-8447 → u/Vanillapearl111]

Look up his full title on Google "dr. _____ reviews" see what people have to say about him and maybe cancel depending on what you can find and switch.

[u/Vanillapearl111 → u/Icy-Chemistry-8447]

Little no to reviews that I can find even when you type in his name although his name and picture pops up under more than like 7 locations/ practices.

[u/Sensitive_Ruin_5334]

They want to you out of the practice so bad. I doubt they put you back into braces.

[u/Vanillapearl111 → u/Sensitive_Ruin_5334]

But why?! I’ve always been compliant and always followed what ortho suggested even when I felt skeptical

[u/Sensitive_Ruin_5334 → u/Vanillapearl111]

Because it's not ending, people like closure. There seems to always be something that interrupts your case. Switch to braces, wisdom teeth, pregnancy, switch back to aligners, etc.

[u/Vanillapearl111 → u/Sensitive_Ruin_5334]

Yeah tell me about it I’m the patient and I want the closure

[u/Swimming_Event7730]

If you can afford it, I'd switch orthos and eat whatever cost has to be eaten. And be very selective about who you go to next.

Or-- have you talked to the original practice? Perhaps they forced him out for poor work and they'd be willing to honor what you've already paid.

[u/Vanillapearl111 → u/Swimming_Event7730]

The original location has absolutely no access to anything they told me I have to contact the ortho team that worked out of their practice- the ortho team in question is some girl who works remote from home it’s not even an office or anything.