Step 1 - Dental Appointment; March 18, 2015
Dr Azad is extremely talented and has made the annual visits enjoyable by offering state of the art technologies, personable customer service and an office that feels more like a boutique hotel than a medical office. Best part is the yellow chairs and the view... but I digress. As we discussed the alignment issues I was keenly aware of, my confidence in her abilities and promise of the smile of my dreams made the journey seem inevitable.
Step 2 - Orthodontist Consult; May 28, 2015
Dr Azad referred me to Dr Good (impossible not to trust!). During the hour long consultation she took photos, measurements and walked me through her recommendations. I had braces as a child, and sort of knew that the current state wasn't entirely the result of not wearing my retainers regularly. I have a habit of shifting my jaw forward to ease lip teeth indentations / discomfort on my lower lip and speculate congested sinuses are related to a crowded tongue. Mentioning these and other issues I suggested that my jaw may also need adjustment. Sure enough, she indicated that Invisalign was not an option due to the severity of my case, predictable but nonetheless a huge disappointment. The treatment plan was 8-10 months of braces, jaw surgery, followed by 8-12 months of braces. She showed me an animated video of the process. Although entirely new and foreign to me, she has completed many similar cases with excellent results. Without hesitation I agreed to have molds made that day in preparation for the surgeon consultation.
Step 3 - Surgeon Consult; July 15, 2015
Dr Good referred me to Dr Bast (soon dubbed Dr Best). This is where I began to get frustrated as the first available appointment was almost two months out. I can take ages to make a decision, but once I do I proceed without delay and get extremely impatient. The appointment included more photos, measurements, and study of my facial features and molds. I was not impressed with the office as it is a teaching hospital and felt aged. During my hour long wait to see the surgeon interns kept stepping into the room, even during my consultation. I was already self conscious about my deformity and nervous about the prospect of a major surgery and the gawkers weren't helping. The surgeon gave me all the disclaimers - major surgery, 3-6 week recovery, potential for permanent numbness. I left feeling bewildered, but having begun could see the end goal.
Step 4 - Second Opinion, August 11, 2015
I consulted a second orthodontist who provided the same recommendations. She offered Invisalign and Propel, a technology to accelerate braces, and showed me an elaborate portfolio of dozens of cases, some identical to mine. I got very excited seeing the after photos and new it was for me. The alternate treatments seemed risky, perhaps leaning to what I wanted to hear versus best methods. Since I had a head start with the Good Team, I opted to go for it and scheduled the dreaded braces on appointment.
Before...
Dr Azad is extremely talented and has made the annual visits enjoyable by offering state of the art technologies, personable customer service and an office that feels more like a boutique hotel than a medical office. Best part is the yellow chairs and the view... but I digress. As we discussed the alignment issues I was keenly aware of, my confidence in her abilities and promise of the smile of my dreams made the journey seem inevitable.
Step 2 - Orthodontist Consult; May 28, 2015
Dr Azad referred me to Dr Good (impossible not to trust!). During the hour long consultation she took photos, measurements and walked me through her recommendations. I had braces as a child, and sort of knew that the current state wasn't entirely the result of not wearing my retainers regularly. I have a habit of shifting my jaw forward to ease lip teeth indentations / discomfort on my lower lip and speculate congested sinuses are related to a crowded tongue. Mentioning these and other issues I suggested that my jaw may also need adjustment. Sure enough, she indicated that Invisalign was not an option due to the severity of my case, predictable but nonetheless a huge disappointment. The treatment plan was 8-10 months of braces, jaw surgery, followed by 8-12 months of braces. She showed me an animated video of the process. Although entirely new and foreign to me, she has completed many similar cases with excellent results. Without hesitation I agreed to have molds made that day in preparation for the surgeon consultation.
Step 3 - Surgeon Consult; July 15, 2015
Dr Good referred me to Dr Bast (soon dubbed Dr Best). This is where I began to get frustrated as the first available appointment was almost two months out. I can take ages to make a decision, but once I do I proceed without delay and get extremely impatient. The appointment included more photos, measurements, and study of my facial features and molds. I was not impressed with the office as it is a teaching hospital and felt aged. During my hour long wait to see the surgeon interns kept stepping into the room, even during my consultation. I was already self conscious about my deformity and nervous about the prospect of a major surgery and the gawkers weren't helping. The surgeon gave me all the disclaimers - major surgery, 3-6 week recovery, potential for permanent numbness. I left feeling bewildered, but having begun could see the end goal.
Step 4 - Second Opinion, August 11, 2015
I consulted a second orthodontist who provided the same recommendations. She offered Invisalign and Propel, a technology to accelerate braces, and showed me an elaborate portfolio of dozens of cases, some identical to mine. I got very excited seeing the after photos and new it was for me. The alternate treatments seemed risky, perhaps leaning to what I wanted to hear versus best methods. Since I had a head start with the Good Team, I opted to go for it and scheduled the dreaded braces on appointment.
Before...
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