i think my orthodontist may have screwed me over

[nadiaxx]

(i live in ohio) i got my braces off recently and i stopped midway through treatment because my dad backed out of an agreement to pay for the second half of installments. so my braces got left on for almost a year without tightening, somewhat acting as a retainer. i get my braces off and have to blow up my orthodontists phone everyday to ask if i need a retainer. finally i speak with a nurse and she said that my doctor said i don't need a retainer and he isn't making one for me (bitchily i might add) and said anyones teeth can move back in place. so recently my teeth are starting to move back and i dont know what to do. can i sue if they move all the way back and he lied and i did need a retainer?

 

[collegegirl]

Yes

Yes, the stupid nurse and doctor who told you that you didn't need a retainer after braces was clearly trying to screw you over. You DO need a retainer. I got my braces off and went through 3 sets of them, eventually loosing the last pair and my parents got tired of paying for them and my teeth have shifted since. You threaten to sue and they will make you a retainer. I had a dentist that malpracticed, I called him on it and now he has paid for all my replacement fillings. (From a different dentist of course) Happy smiles!

 

[divona2000]

Yes, the stupid nurse and doctor who told you that you didn't need a retainer after braces was clearly trying to screw you over. You DO need a retainer...

Wow, you are able to view OPs dental records and dental work and make that assessment over the Internet!
Are you an orthodontist? Are you an attorney?
Please give legally correct advice, not just your opinion.

 

[Gail in Georgia]

Sue for what?

Gail

 

[Antigone*]

(i live in ohio) i got my braces off recently and i stopped midway through treatment because my dad backed out of an agreement to pay for the second half of installments. so my braces got left on for almost a year without tightening, somewhat acting as a retainer. i get my braces off and have to blow up my orthodontists phone everyday to ask if i need a retainer. finally i speak with a nurse and she said that my doctor said i don't need a retainer and he isn't making one for me (bitchily i might add) and said anyones teeth can move back in place. so recently my teeth are starting to move back and i dont know what to do. can i sue if they move all the way back and he lied and i did need a retainer?

You stopped treatement half way through You kept your braces on for almost a year without the orthodontist tightening.. They were not required to treat you any further. You could have sought a consultation somewhere else and paid for the retainer you wanted to badly.

 

[ariastar]

You expect this orthodontist, who isn't going to get pad for the rest of our ortho work, to make for you a retainer for teeth that didn't finish treatment?

Collegegirl, your experience doesn't apply to all ortho patients. You may have needed a retainer, but not all people do. Also the OP stopped work a long time ago. What is a retainer needed for at this point? Treatment was never finished. How is it malpractice?