Changing Orthodontists

Consistency and regularity is important when you are undergoing dental treatment. However, there are situations in which you might have to move for personal or professional reasons.  So, how does a major move affect your orthodontic treatment, and what can you do to make sure that your move doesn’t  affect your treatment?

Fortunately, there are some steps that you can take to safeguard your own interests. You don’t want to end up blaming your dentist for any issues with the way your teeth finally turn out, because you were not able to keep up with your regular dental visits as you were required to do.   The most important step is to request your orthodontist for your dental case records. That includes the PAN X ray reports and also a history of the kind  of treatments and procedures that have been performed on your teeth. If you are moving on short notice and do not have enough time, then ask your orthodontist to forward all your reports to your new orthodontist.

Once you begin planning a move, it's also necessary to begin looking for  a new orthodontist in the city you’re moving to.  Your new home may be in a new place with absolutely no friends around, who can give you references of a reputed orthodontist to continue your treatment. Ask your orthodontist if he can recommend an orthodontist at your new place. Chances are that he can.  Orthodontists can be a well connected, close knit community and your dentist may know of someone who can continue your treatment for you.  If he knows somebody personally and actually shares a good rapport with him, then that makes your job much easier.

Remember, it is communication and understanding between your two orthodontists that plays a very important role in the effective transfer of your case. In case your dentist cannot recommend anyone for you, then you could find an orthodontist in your area by doing a Google search for your city. No matter how you find  a new orthodontist, it's important that both your new and old dentists are able to share vital information that’s important to your case. Make sure that your old dentist and your new orthodontist have each other’s contact information, so they can discuss if they need to.

If you’ve been following a staggered or installment payment policy for your orthodontic treatment, you will need to look into how changing doctors will affect your pay structure.  Most orthodontists will prefer a “Pay as you go” structure. That simply means that you make a down payment for the braces, molds etc that are custom made for each patient by the orthodontist. Later, you pay the remaining sum through monthly installments. Once you’ve decided to move,  the last visit to your current orthodontist to fit your braces will also be the last time you pay him. That fee structure will now be carried over into the new structure with your new dentist. Make sure that you confirm the pay structure with your new dentist before you begin your monthly visits for adjustment.