Beginning Braces

I just got back from my first orthodontic consultation in probably 12-13 years.

It is *so* refreshing to hear somebody say that yeah, we can fix that... finally!

As I stated in my original post, this appointment was supposed to be my "second opinion". I'm still waiting to see the highly recommended orthodontist closer to where I live. Regardless, I was definitely impressed with this office I saw today. The support staff was great, and the orthodontist was very helpful, and only slightly hard to understand with his Swedish accent. He told me he's a strong believer in giving me as much information as he can, so I can make an educated decision. I really appreciate that approach.

As this was just a consult and no records were done, everything he's said has to be taken with a grain a salt. But after his initial examination, his recommendations were:
* 18-20 months in braces, to fix the overbite.
* Jaw surgery, to bring my lower jaw forward a bit. This would be done while the braces were still on, but I'm guessing the archwire would be removed?
* 3-6 months to fine-tune my bite.

He guessed the whole process would take 2.5-3 years. Also, with this approach, I don't have to make a final decision regarding the surgery until after the overbite is corrected.

I'm scheduled to do two root canals next week. His recommendation would be to put off the crowns on these teeth until my bite is fixed, such that they can be made for my new bite. This is good news, those crowns are expensive, and the whole reason I started this process was because I hate to spend money on a mouth I loathe.

Financially, he told me in the worst case scenario, the braces would cost about $7400. I'm not sure if that included the $300 for records or not. The surgery would be another $5000-$7000 dollars. I do like the fact that they will let me pay for the brace portion as 25% up front and the rest in monthly installments, interest free. I forgot to ask about the surgery portion of the payment.

Because everybody loves pictures, they'll be above you, in the next post. Ignore the horrible plaque on the molars please; I had to go a while before brushing before visiting the orthodontist, and man does it show up horribly on the pictures.

I can't believe I'll be posting these hideous things....