Orthodontist prolonging braces for lack of payment?

[Girl Power]

Dd15 had braces put on a little over two years ago. The ortho set me up on a payment plan (insurance does not cover) which included a lump sum down and monthly payments spread over two years, the projected duration of treatment.

 

About six months ago my husband left suddenly after 20 years of marriage. It threw finances into a tailspin. I got behind on everything, including my mortgage. I've slowly climbed out of my hole (I'm on a repayment plan with the mortgage company), thankfully, but am now about six months behind on my ortho payments. I've paid them in dribs and drabs over the last six months, but not nearly enough to catch up.

 

During my hardship I kept in communication with them about what was happening, and promised to resume full payments as soon as I was able. I outlined in a letter exactly what I was able to do, which was to start full payments last month and continue until they are paid off.

 

The question I have is this. The braces are ready to come off very soon. Dd thought they would be off by Christmas. But because I'm behind on payments, they will not remove them until I am paid in full. Unless I can scrape together extra money, that won't be for about six months.  Dd is disappointed at the prospect of keeping them on that much longer (although she is a sweet soul and won't say anything because she knows I am under stress financially).

 

This is just not sitting well with me. Do you see anything unethical with keeping braces on indefinitely and unnecessarily because of lack of payment?  Just curious what everyone thinks on this one . . .

 

Beck

[mereminerals]

Both of my sons have required braces, using different a orthodontist each time. Both of the offices had it in their initial paperwork that braces would not be removed until there was a zero balance. I don't necessarily agree with the policy, but from the friends I have spoken with, this seems to be a routine practice.

[mereminerals]

Sorry. Double post.

[Swimtaxi234]

Is your husband not taking any financial responsiblity for his children?

 

As far as the delay, I suggest that you contact the ortho office and ask them specificially. My daughter's ortho told us in September that my daughter should be out of her braces by early December, but now it looks like it will be in January at minimum.

[Chris in VA]

Wow, I've never heard of that! I do recall my own ortho having a difficult time with my father's insistence that he remove my braces before I moved out of state, but I wasn't quite finished--different in your case.

 

Honestly, I'd get your child's father to pay. You shouldn't have to do this alone. You can sue him.

[In The Great White North]

I don't think leaving them on a few months extra will hurt her teeth (unless she's not good at brushing).

 

They left "permanent" retainers in my dc's mouths that are supposed to last forwever but have already needed repairs.

[Girl Power]

Wow, I've never heard of that! I do recall my own ortho having a difficult time with my father's insistence that he remove my braces before I moved out of state, but I wasn't quite finished--different in your case.

 

Honestly, I'd get your child's father to pay. You shouldn't have to do this alone. You can sue him.

 

He's on unemployment and barely able to pay rent on his apartment. He gives me a little every week, but until he gets a decent job, he doesn't have two dimes to rub together.

 

Beck

[Stayseeliz]

I know it seems strange for a medical professional to do that but it does make sense from a business standpoint. It would be like a car repair shop letting you pick up for your before you paid for it. I know it stinks though. :(

[Wheres Toto]

We had a similar problem with my oldest. Her father let his insurance lapse which meant they were no longer paying on her braces. The office would not do any further treatments until the arrangements were made and the balance paid off. We ended up paying it and having her dad reimburse us so that her treatment could continue. It seems like it's not unusual for them to refuse treatment or removal until payment is made

[Parrothead]

I'd just go somewhere else and have them taken off. Or are they like stitches? Can they be removed at home?

[GraciebytheBay]

Just a thought - you may want to have her keep them on until you can pay for further treatment. She will need a retainer immediately after getting the braces off, or her teeth will shift significantly. It would be a shame to negate the benefit of her braces. I would think the braces would keep them in place until you can get caught up.

[GraciebytheBay]

Just a thought - you may want to have her keep them on until you can pay for further treatment. She will need a retainer immediately after getting the braces off, or her teeth will shift significantly. It would be a shame to negate the benefit of her braces. I would think the braces would keep them in place until you can get caught up.

[Stef03]

That's frustrating... However as ppl have mentioned you will need to pay for a retainer (her teeth will start shifting right away if she doesn't use one) so keep the braces on until you can afford it.

[GraciebytheBay]

Just a thought - you may want to have her keep them on until you can pay for further treatment. She will need a retainer immediately after getting the braces off, or her teeth will shift significantly. It would be a shame to negate the benefit of her braces. I would think the braces would keep them in place until you can get caught up.

[GraciebytheBay]

Just a thought - you may want to have her keep them on until you can pay for further treatment. She will need a retainer immediately after getting the braces off, or her teeth will shift significantly. It would be a shame to negate the benefit of her braces. I would think the braces would keep them in place until you can get caught up.

 

Oops, I see this was mentioned above. It took about 20 minutes to get it posted due to so much wonderful activity on the board today!

[stripe]

I'd just go somewhere else and have them taken off. Or are they like stitches? Can they be removed at home?

I went to high school with a girl who removed hers at home several times.

 

However, I wouldn't rush to take them off if you won't be able to have a retainer.

 

I can certainly see why you are upset, though. I hope your financial situation improves.

[redsquirrel]

In the contract I signed for ds' braces it stated clearly that the braces would not come off until there was no balance. And, I would not ask another ortho to take them off either. It would be a professional discourtesy and the other ortho wouldn't do it.

 

But, just because the dentist gave a possible end date for the braces to come off doesn't mean they are ready to come off. We were told that ds's braces would be off in two years. The two year anniversary was back in October 2011 and there has been no mention of taking the braces off. We paid them off in October 2011 so all treatment etc since then has been 'free' (already paid for) so the braces aren't still on due to non-payment.

 

If you take them off and don't have a retainer then her teeth will just shift back and all that hard work paying the ortho will be for nothing.

 

I am sorry. I cannot imagine how difficult these past 6 months have been. I hope things get easier for you and your kids very soon.

[Beth S]

I know our agreement with the ortho had this condition (full payment before removal) in it. You really, really do not want to switch orthos! Possibly consider asking the deacons at your church, or others for assistance, and just continue to pay what you can toward it. But truly wearing them for a bit longer will solidify the change. Don't worry about it.

 

Yes, the retainer is the next step . . . but I believe the cost of our son's retainer is included in the total price of the braces. If the original retainer is lost, then they would charge for its replacement. I know it's hard to wait, but it really, really, really is worth it.

[Halftime Hope]

If you take what the others have said, you'll see that this is really a blessing in disguise. I gives her teeth a chance to settle more solidly into their new location. When I got my braces off last year, my teeth immediately wanted to go back where they had been for "lo, these many years" and we fought with retainers for 8 months before the ortho finally threw in the towel and put on a permanent retainer, since they refused to stay put. It is a like living with a tyrant when you have a retainer: you have to wear it, and I was always in a panic, since I had to put it in right away, even a couple of hours and my stoopid teeth would move. If you forget to put it in, your teeth hurt when you do put it in. The permanent retainer is such a relief, since I don't have to remember it or panic if I forgot it. Her "extended" braces should give her teeth more time to acclimate to their new position, and hopefully she won't face the "mobile teeth" difficulties to as large a degree.

[katilac]

I'd just go somewhere else and have them taken off. Or are they like stitches? Can they be removed at home?

 

 

Egads, no! She will need a retainer and follow-up at any rate. And I can't imagine any ortho agreeing to take off braces that his office didn't put on.

 

 

I went to high school with a girl who removed hers at home several times.

<snip>

 

 

I honestly did not think this would be possible, but I googled and you can indeed find instructions for doing this (from random people). It seems dangerous and painful to me. May I ask why on earth someone would remove their braces several times?? Did she just not want them?

[QueenCat]

The contract we signed when ds got his braces explicity said the braces would not be removed if payment had not been made in full. This was in every contract we saw for the various orthodontists we checked out when choosing an orthodontist for ds. Too high of a risk for them to not receive the money owed

if they take off the braces without the payment.

[stripe]

I honestly did not think this would be possible, but I googled and you can indeed find instructions for doing this (from random people). It seems dangerous and painful to me. May I ask why on earth someone would remove their braces several times?? Did she just not want them?

 

This was before the internet. ;) I think she just used a wrench. She wasn't a good friend of mine, so I never really got the details, but my impression was that she got mad in general or at the braces in particular. The orthodontist put them back on. I think she did it at least twice.

 

I've read things online about people taking out their IUDs at home, too.

[LMA]

I know someone who tried this. If you go to another orthodontist, the new orthodontist will ask who is her orthodontist and will talk with the original orthodontist. Once they find you haven't paid your bill in full, they will not take out the braces. They will not interfere with another orthodontist. The person had to pay the bill.

 

In the best interest of your daughter, I would just wait patiently until you pay the bill. Her teeth will be fine and she will get the retainer care she needs after the removal.

[Girl Power]

thank you ladies for your responses. I can understand this policy from a business standpoint, certainly. It just seems a bit muddled to me since we are talking about medical/dental treatment, there seems there should be some ethical implications on leaving braces on indefinitely. What if I wasn't able to pay at all? What if circumstances have caused such hardship that I couldn't pay this off for years? Do they have an ethical obligation to discontinue treatment (i.e. remove the braces) if requested? Don't get me wrong, I have every intention of meeting this obligation and if that means dd keeping braces on for an extra six months, so be it. I just think there is more to consider than don't pay, don't remove. As a medical professional, there seems there should be more to the equation than that.

 

Beck

[LMA]

The best thing is to talk with the orthodontist and ask them directly. It's best not to speculate on what could happen. Hugs.

[dirty ethel rackham]

thank you ladies for your responses. I can understand this policy from a business standpoint, certainly. It just seems a bit muddled to me since we are talking about medical/dental treatment, there seems there should be some ethical implications on leaving braces on indefinitely. What if I wasn't able to pay at all? What if circumstances have caused such hardship that I couldn't pay this off for years? Do they have an ethical obligation to discontinue treatment (i.e. remove the braces) if requested? Don't get me wrong, I have every intention of meeting this obligation and if that means dd keeping braces on for an extra six months, so be it. I just think there is more to consider than don't pay, don't remove. As a medical professional, there seems there should be more to the equation than that.

 

Beck

 

 

Well, seeing that, for the most part, braces are usually seen as a life-threatening emergency, I don't see any ethical problems with leaving them on until the treatment is paid for. Most orthos try to make sure that the payment plan finishes before the treatment plan ends. The only situation where I think it would be necessary to remove them on a more timely basis would be if there was a health problem associated with the braces. I knew a family where their daughter reacted badly to the metal in her mouth and had to have them removed, pronto! I also knew another family where the child had terrible decay issues and needed to remove the braces to deal with that.