1. 

   scarebaby
   

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   At the ripe old age of ....well...middle age... my periodontist has recommended I look into braces. Crazy. Anyway, does anyone know of an orthodontist in the area who works mostly with adults?

   Posted 1 year ago #
2. 

   onederfullone
   

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   No, because all orthodontists work with youth/young adults primarily. It would be tough to survive as an orthodontist if your clientele base was mostly adults.

   I'd yelp search 'adult orthodontic Seattle'

   one in Queen Anne, highly rated,

   http://www.yelp.com/biz/leone-and-vaughn-orthodontics-seattle-3

   good luck

   Posted 1 year ago #
3. 

   RichY
   

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   Normally, your dentist works hand in hand with the orthodontist - check with your dentist for recommendations

   Posted 1 year ago #
4. 

   gurple
   

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   I did the same thing last year, scarebaby. I agree with oneder, you're going to have a hard time finding an adult-oriented ortho. My dentist recommended Nelson Orthontics (77th & 15th), and my experience there was fine. Could've been better, probably (Dr. Nelson's attention is stretched pretty thin); could've been worse.

   Lotsa kids in the waiting room, yeah. But the nice thing about orthodontists being kid-oriented is that they're open super early (so kids can get there before school). If you schedule well in advance you can get appointments as early as 7 or so. If you want to avoid the kids, schedule during school hours.

   Posted 1 year ago #
5. 

   teigyr
   

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   Another thing you can do is ask an adult you see wearing braces. I went to a guy in Burien who has since retired but I did a consult with a fantastic guy in Seattle, I'll try to remember his name. While it does seem like it's more of a kid oriented thing, I think more and more adults are getting braces. Research the type you'd prefer too. I was initially drawn to ceramic ones but realized they took longer, were more expensive and larger, and were easier to break. I decided on metal and tried to celebrate the geekiness :)

   Posted 1 year ago #
6. 

   Compass Rose
   

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   Actually, there's been a big increase in the number of adults getting braces in the past few years. The NYT published a story about that a few years ago:
   http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/14/business/yourmoney/14teeth.html?_r=2&ex=1175054400&en=4a436d6d9dca1703&ei=5070

   I have braces and go to Diane Doppel, who's downtown near Pacific Place. I would highly recommend her. I'm halfway through the process and have been very happy with the treatment I've received. She and her staff are excellent. And more than half of her patients are adults. I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen kids in her office. It's usually adults.

   It was difficult for me to make the decision to actually do it, but I'm thrilled with how my teeth look and am very excited to see them when the train tracks come off. If I can help with any other questions, let me know. Good luck!

   Posted 1 year ago #
7. 

   teigyr
   

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   A good reference website is archwired.com. There are a LOT of articles and also a really helpful forum that is all to do with adults and braces. I had braces when I was young and it's a totally different experience (along with different concerns) as an adult.

   Posted 1 year ago #
8. 

   Compass Rose
   

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   Teigyr, very gutsy of you to go all metal! I got ceramic. My ortho hasn't said they'll take longer. I hope that's not the case.

   Posted 1 year ago #
9. 

   PDaddymom
   

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   There are a lot of adults wearing braces nowadays. And there are a lot of options for adults as well. I just finished up with Invisalign - the removable braces - and am very happy with the results. I am currently in the follow up full time retainer wearing period until my teeth firm up into their final positions. My dentist did them so I didn't even have to use an orthodontist except for the initial photos that were taken to work up my case. And my dentist - Robert Keever, in the Medical Dental building downtown, referred me for those photos so I didn't even have to worry about finding someone to do that part. Not everyone qualifies for Invisalign but if you do I highly recommend it as long as you are a motivated patient since it requires a lot of diligence on the part of the patient for it to be successful. I was motivated since I was paying the $4500 it cost me ;-) This is still cheaper than full metal.

   Posted 1 year ago #
10. 

    Compass Rose
    

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    Jeez, no kidding it's cheaper than conventional braces. Mine cost $8K - and they wanted me to have jaw realignment surgery that would've cost another $8,500.

    That's four adults in this thread who've gotten braces recently. So much for the notion that orthodontist can't survive on an adult clientele base. :)

    Posted 1 year ago #
11. 

    PDaddymom
    

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    He usually charges $5500 I believe but I am a long time patient and the lab was giving him a $1000 break at year end. So I jumped on the deal. If your doc was recommending jaw surgery it sounds like you are a more complicated case than I, so you probably wouldn't have been a good candidate for Invisalign anyway.

    Posted 1 year ago #
12. 

    Compass Rose
    

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    I'd hoped to do Invisalign but my teeth needed more than that, unfortunately. I have my English dad to thank for the bad teeth genes. :)

    Posted 1 year ago #
13. 

    HenryVIII
    

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    To make such ridiculous proclamations about your genes HIS GRACE suspects your mother was French?

    Posted 1 year ago #
14. 

    teigyr
    

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    I think jaw surgery (along with braces) is also common in adults. You can't change things with headgear like you can with someone who is still growing. I had jaw surgery and while it wasn't the most fun I've ever had, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

    Compass Rose, you're not kidding :) I was a single cat lady who went back to school and got braces. The first time I ate in public I was on a first date with my now-husband. I spit on him as I was artfully trying to swish water in my mouth as to not have food stuck in my braces. For our wedding the orthodontist offered to remove the braces for the wedding and pictures but I opted to keep them in. While the braces made me feel awkward at times, I figured they were a part of me and I wasn't going to try to hide it.

    Maybe my case was more difficult or my orthodontist wasn't a fan of ceramic, who knows. I don't like the invisilign, my retainer (that I don't wear) is that and it's just creepy to me.

    Posted 1 year ago #
15. 

    scarebaby
    

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    Wow, this is great. Thanks for all the good advice. I was hoping to get this done for $5000 or less, since that's the limit on my credit card but looks like that's not going to happen.

    Posted 1 year ago #
16. 

    teigyr
    

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    scarebaby, most orthos will do payments. Might be better than a credit card because generally (at least mine) was done in-house so there was no interest. Might be worth checking around to see if there's one you like who will work with you on financing.

    Posted 1 year ago #
17. 

    Compass Rose
    

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    Teigyr, you poor thing! That description of your first date was hilarious, but awful. But hey, he obviously wasn't deterred by you spitting on him. :)

    And good for you for keeping the braces on for your wedding! That's keeping it real, for sure.

    I would have opted for the jaw surgery if my insurance covered it, but I couldn't quite justify spending $16,000-plus on my teeth. I wish it was covered.

    Your teeth must look great now.

    I used to see a curly-haired, middle-aged woman on the bus when I was commuting from Ballard downtown to my previous job. She had braces, and seeing people her age with them definitely made me feel better about my decision to get them. I wonder if that woman was you or another poster here. It would be funny if it was.

    Posted 1 year ago #
18. 

    BallardP
    

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    My partner is using Simons and Lowe in Shoreline. He went to Leone and Vaughn for a consultation and thought they were overpriced and we weren't happy with the customer service. Simons and Lowe are nice, reasonably priced and accommodating. They also offer payment plans and we have one that we think is quite reasonable.

    Posted 1 year ago #
19. 

    teigyr
    

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    Compass Rose, I went to a surgeon who was skilled in getting surgery approved by insurance. The office had a questionnaire that had all these random questions that I guess are important when they submit it for approval. My poor now-husband...that night was only the beginning. There was the surgery (blending my food, feeding me through a baggie), the multitude of cats, and our various "vacations" that are usually to do with me running a race somewhere. He is a patient and wonderful man. I wouldn't say my teeth look great but it is a vast improvement in how everything works. Before, my bottom teeth actually hit part of the roof of my mouth. Was toward my front teeth so it wasn't that extreme but still, it was really different being somewhat normal post-surgery. My now-husband (not quite yet husband at that point actually) endured me at the grocery store when I was strong enough to go out but was still on soft food deciding to say "oh no, pls don't hit me again!" in the check-out line when someone was checking out the swelling and bruising. Wasn't me on the bus though kudos for whoever it was! There can be social stigma still to be an adult in braces and I applaud whoever does it.

    So yeah, there are a lot of options out there. If you go full metal, you can get festively colored ligatures on them and if there is a need, you can coordinate them to events or pedicure color. I really wouldn't put it on a credit card - there are probably better and easier ways to do it. It's temporary, it's different, and it'll make you think twice about eating creamed spinach at a dinner party but overall, it's worth it.

    Posted 1 year ago #
20. 

    Compass Rose
    

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    Teigyr, it sounds like you have a great sense of humor, which can make challenging situations a lot easier.

    May I ask which surgeon you went to? I saw Dale Bloomquist and he wasn't able to convince my insurance company to cover the surgery. I tried appealing their decision, but no go. I still wish I could do it. Wondering if maybe I should see your surgeon, if it's not Dr. Bloomquist.

    Posted 1 year ago #
21. 

    Compass Rose
    

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    Bumping this in case Teigyr is reading. I'd be interested in knowing who your surgeon was and if you were happy with him/her.

    Posted 1 year ago #

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