Second Opinions

We went yesterday to meet with an orthodontist for a second opinion about Darein's braces. Yes, we know that she needs them that is not in question. We were a little unhappy with the set up at the other orthodontists' office. I just think that it is a little intrusive to have to walk through patients who are out in the open to get to an office for a consultation and then have the door open the entire time. When we go to a doctor's office I like my privacy to speak with the physician without hearing everyone else's medical information. I know this seems to be a growing trend in the dentist and orthodontists office but it isn't one that I feel comfortable with. I am also not a fan when physicians speak to you of them talking really fast and giving very little information and then asking if you have any questions...kind of makes me feel like they don't know what they are talking about or are leaving the expertise in my hands. I didn't go to medical school and don't like to be the expert on my daughter's care. Yes, I want to have an input and an opinion and I want to be a knowledgeable patient but I don't want to feel like I am the puppeteer pulling the strings and making all of the decisions.
Anyways, the appointment went very well. Darein was very determined that she was not going to make a decision about who we chose as the orthodontist and stated that she didn't care. We really try to have her be a part of the discussion and have her input on decisions about her medical care as much as possible. I was frustrated with her but told her that we would go and see what we thought. The office was very friendly and the atmosphere was soothing compared to the chaos of the other office that we visited. We were led back to a private room and didn't have to walk through patients to get there which was nice. When we were taken back one of the hygienists came and spoke with us and told us what to expect. The doctor came in shortly and explained that he was going to look at Darein's mouth, take a few notes and then visit with us. He did ask some questions before and as he was looking at Darein's mouth to get some background. He was very pleasant and made sure to talk to me and Darein both. He assured us that he had 7 other rooms all just as private as the one that we were in and that we would see him every month and not just a hygienist tech. He stated that there was no charge for molds, braces, etc separately...everything was included in one price. He stated that he would put both the top and bottom on at the same time instead of making us wait between sets which he said other offices do for financial reasons only but takes longer treatment by doing it that way. Therefore, Darein's braces should be done in about 2 years instead of 2 1/2 years which is nice. He was very knowledgeable of the surgery that she is scheduled for and assured us that he would be in close contact with her plastic surgeon in St. Louis via phone, email or written letters. He explained that he would put an attachment onto her braces after visiting with her doctor in St. Louis if he would like them to in order to make it easier for the wires that they sometimes have to apply during surgery. He asked Darein if she had any questions and she asked him how he took the braces off as she was worried about the pain. He explained that they just cut them off and that it is pain free as he does not like a lot of pain in his office. She also still has 2 baby teeth that we have been told needed to be extracted prior to her getting braces on. He assured her that he doesn't do things this way and that her teeth will fall out on their own and he will make adjustments as necessary. There is one that he said might have to be extracted that is a baby tooth but he said that we will leave it be as long as possible and not take it out unless absolutely necessary and definitely will not have to be out prior to her getting her braces on. He explained that once we get the molds, it will take approximately two weeks before Darein would come back and at that time she would get her braces placed. He told us that he had been in practice for 30 years and that he strongly encourages patients to seek several opinions prior to making a decision on an orthodontist. Needless to say, me and Darein were extremely impressed. He was about $300 higher than our other consultation but broke payments down a little cheaper and it was a set fee with no surprises. We have to make a down payment and therefore will wait just a little bit before starting but hopefully with in the next month or so we can get started. Darein talked quite a bit after the appointment and is actually excited now to start her braces and said that she really liked this doctor better than the other office and he made her feel comfortable about everything. Sometimes, you just need that little extra caring in a doctor. In a day of no customer service, its the little touches that make things so nice and can make all the difference in the world. We will definitely be going with this doctor.
We have seen many physicians over the course of Darein's life so far and we expect that extra little touch out of them and their offices. There are many many doctors out there and if you don't feel comfortable with how yours is handling their business and they don't take the time to explain things, visit with you as a person who has an intelligent opinion or their office staff is not pleasant then there are enough others out there to try someone else. I find it extremely important to make sure that you mesh with the physician that you are choosing. Not all of them graduated at the top of their class and there are definitely good and bad physicians out there just as in any other profession. Even if they are good, they need to have good customer service skills with you as a patient. By customer service, I don't mean that the customer is always right but I mean a mutual respect for you as a patient. We have seen physicians in Columbia, MO; St. Louis, MO; Kansas City, MO; and here in Springfield, MO and I can tell you from experience that it makes it so much easier to be a compliant patient if you and your physician are on the same page 100%. I have had doctors that have told us when we call, we need to notify the receptionist that we need to talk directly to the doctor every time. We have had doctors that give us their email address and communicate via email with us so that we can visit with them in between appointments about things that might come up. We have had doctors that give us their home phone number and tell us to call any time day or night if there is an issue. Yes, these are exraordinary doctors and not every case needs to be communicated with the same. However, your doctor should know the patient well enough to know what their particular situation is and how the family is and then decide what is going to be the best benefit of being able to work with that patient. Every individual is different and we deserve to be treated accordingly instead of as a mass.
I hope that the above information today has been helpful to someone who is seeking medical care, seeking a second or third opinion or trying to decide if their current physician is right for them. Just because you may or may not get along with your physician doesn't mean that they aren't good, it may just mean that they aren't right for you. Surgeons are a little trickier as MOST do not have very great personalities and so in that case you have to go with expertise and put personable behavior on the back burner. However, for choosing a physician that you are going to have to work closely with the above information is extremely important. We have had mostly phenomenal physicians over the course of Darein's life to date. However, there have been a few that we have had to seek expertise elsewhere. Mostly, it was just a gut feeling and not something majorly wrong with the physician. Sometimes, you can just feel that something is missing or you aren't quite getting the care that would like to receive. A lot of times I know we are a little more careless with our own personal physicians when we choose them but it is important to have that confidence in your physician whether you are working with them for yourself or with your child or other family member. We are in a day of very poor customer service and if we want better than we have to demand it by choosing wisely who we give our money and trust to.
Have a great day :)