12 Questions Your Orthodontist Hopes You Never Ask

It’s easy to believe that your orthodontist’s medical advice can be trusted 100%. But through a combination of greed and misinformation, patients all over the country are left scratching their heads at questionable decisions made by their doctors.

If your ortho can’t answer the following questions, you might want to look for a new one.

1. Why doesn’t my smile look good?

Your smile doesn’t look good because straightening teeth makes up just a small part of an aesthetic smile, but most orthodontists only focus on the “straight” part because it’s easy.

2. Do I really need surgery? 

You probably don’t need surgery. Many doctors will prescribe surgery because they simply don’t  know how to correct jaw problems without it. 

3. Are there alternatives to fix impacted canines? 

There are noninvasive ways to bring in impacted canines. If you were told that you need surgery to correct your impacted canines, you probably don’t.

4. Why can’t I have a permanent retainer? 

You can. Most doctors think that it takes too long to place, and they will be responsible for the retainer for its entire lifetime. My team and I use permanent retainers because our patients like them—it’s that simple. 

5. Why did we end up doing a phase 1 anyway?

Many phase 1 patients are not overcorrected, so the original problem comes back eventually. To get perfect results, you have to correct beyond perfection—that way, when your smile “settles” you won’t have the same old problems you were dealing with before. Otherwise, your phase 1 will be a waste of time.

6. What do you mean, aligners won’t fix this problem? 

Aligners can fix anything, but that all depends on the expertise of your doctor.

Through self-study and sharing ideas with some of the world’s best clinicians, we’ve seen time and time again that just about anything is possible with aligners. Trust us, we’ll find a solution to your problems with aligners.

7. Why do I need to use bands? 

You don’t. Not anymore, at least. Brackets are more than strong enough, and 3D-printed braces have already replaced most of the applications bands were used for in the past. Bands hurt, and they’re just not that healthy for your teeth.

8. Can I chew gum? 

Yes! Studies have shown that chewing gum while you have braces is actually more effective than pain relievers if and when your teeth move.

9. Do I really need an extraction? 

Again, probably not. Extractions make it easier to treat your case, but we never extract for space—only for aesthetics.

Extracting teeth as a “shortcut” for the sake of convenience is really doing a disservice to the patient, which is why we don’t. 

10. Why don’t I just get Smile Direct Club? 

Assuming you have healthy teeth, Smile Direct Club can be a great solution for minor corrections. 

In many cases, just a couple teeth need to be corrected to enhance your smile—which is why we came up with an even better, cheaper solution than Smile Direct Club called Just This Tooth. Give us a call to see if you’re a good candidate.

11. Why can’t I be done with treatment sooner? 

Because many doctors want to keep you in braces to collect your entire bill.

That’s an absurd way to do business, and why most of our treatments are finished in less than a year.

12. Why do I still have this glued in appliance after 3 years? 

Again, many doctors want you to feel obligated to come in for your treatment, so they leave appliances in your mouth to “force” you to return for the second phase.

That’s unethical. In fact, one of our core values—Brilliance—means coming up with brilliant solutions to outdated ortho problems that cost patients unnecessary time, money and discomfort.  

If you’re looking for a brilliant solution instead of these questionable orthodontic practices with other doctors, give us a call ASAP and let’s get you started on the path to smiling better, faster.