How To Become An Orthodontist's Mortal Enemy
Posted on: 13 April 2016
If you're reading this it's likely you're the parent of a child who needs or is receiving orthodontic treatment. As with most things in life, seeing you and your child can be either a pleasure or a nightmare for the orthodontist you choose, depending upon your behavior. Here you will learn a few things that drive orthodontists up the wall, and how to avoid (or ensure) becoming an orthodontist's mortal enemy.
Making Excuses
As a parent it is tempting to defend your child at all costs. You'd do anything to prevent them having to confront difficult problems, and that's a hallmark of a caring parent. When it comes to orthodontic treatment, however, a lack of accountability on your child's part can become supremely frustrating. Not only is it annoying to hear a parent say that there's a good reason little Timmy isn't wearing his rubber bands, has broken off another bracket, or has enough plaque build up to choke a walrus, it also makes treatment take a lot longer. Little could be more frustrating.
Missing Appointments
Some orthodontic patients are minors. That means it's still a parent's responsibility to get the patient to their appointment in a timely manner. If you're failing at this you are succeeding at making enemies of everyone in the office. You're wasting their time, and you're wasting even more of your own time and your child's time. Missing appointments means that treatment is delayed. Being late to appointments means you may have to reschedule, and that creates paperwork and delays all around.
Keeping Bad Habits
When is the last time you told your little patient they couldn't have that soda, taffy, or caramel? When is the last time you handed your kid a whole apple to munch on? When is the last time you nagged your kid to brush their teeth on their lunch break at school? If the answers to those questions are "never, today, and never" you're on your way to a showdown of Superman v. Batman proportions (or maybe just a stern talking-to from the orthodontist). If neither of those things sound exciting it's time to start encouraging healthy orthodontic habits in your child.
Sure, making enemies is easier than making friends, but with your child's oral health at stake are you sure you're doing all you can to be on your orthodontist's good side? Double check this list and get back to good.
Share