ctreelmom
TUG Member
My 17 year-old dd is about to get her braces off 
Her orthodontist referred us to a periodontist for a consult about a procedure called a fiberotomoy. This procedure basically clips the fibers that connect the teeth to the bone (they will heal) to prevent the teeth from rotating back to their original pre-braces position. In addition, the periodontist wants to do some trimming of her gums to make sure her teeth have the right proportion of length to width.
This procedure is not covered by insurance, as it is considered cosmetic, and it is not inexpensive. I know in today's climate, you can't look at an insurance company's view as whether or not something is truly medically (or dentally) necessary and while I hate that the cost is a factor in the decision, the bottom line is that it is definitely a factor. I'm not sure having the procedure guarantees the teeth still won't rotate.
I have a call into our dentist to get his take on it, from a tooth/gum health perspective. Our orthodontist is very good, but it's clear that he is a PERFECTIONIST and while I respect that, I'm not quite sure how far we really need to go with this. My daughter is not hoping for a career in television or film, or as a toothpaste model, lol.
Have any of you had experience with having this procedure (or deciding against it)? I'm just not sure what to do. My daughter is kind of on the fence about it. It doesn't sound like a complicated procedure, but it does require stitches and as with any surgical procedure I suppose there is the risk for infection or other complications.
Her orthodontist referred us to a periodontist for a consult about a procedure called a fiberotomoy. This procedure basically clips the fibers that connect the teeth to the bone (they will heal) to prevent the teeth from rotating back to their original pre-braces position. In addition, the periodontist wants to do some trimming of her gums to make sure her teeth have the right proportion of length to width.
This procedure is not covered by insurance, as it is considered cosmetic, and it is not inexpensive. I know in today's climate, you can't look at an insurance company's view as whether or not something is truly medically (or dentally) necessary and while I hate that the cost is a factor in the decision, the bottom line is that it is definitely a factor. I'm not sure having the procedure guarantees the teeth still won't rotate.
I have a call into our dentist to get his take on it, from a tooth/gum health perspective. Our orthodontist is very good, but it's clear that he is a PERFECTIONIST and while I respect that, I'm not quite sure how far we really need to go with this. My daughter is not hoping for a career in television or film, or as a toothpaste model, lol.
Have any of you had experience with having this procedure (or deciding against it)? I'm just not sure what to do. My daughter is kind of on the fence about it. It doesn't sound like a complicated procedure, but it does require stitches and as with any surgical procedure I suppose there is the risk for infection or other complications.