Other advice:

I think it is great that you are considering going to an orthodontist, and getting braces, as an adult..... I don't remember what the percentage is, but it is quite high (25%?) of orthodontal patients who are now adults.

Types of braces -- 1) Metal outer on top and bottom, 2) Clear plastic outer on top and bottom, and 2) inner braces on the top and clear plastic on the bottom.

I choose the third option which was more exepensive. Costs of course vary by what you need done, and how long you will have braces. My total cost was around $7,500 and I wore braces for two years. I believe the total cost would have been about $2,000 less if I had chosen the first option....... I also received a 10 percent discount for paying upfront - rather than over time. It is my assumption that just about any orthodontist would take credit cards.

My experience with braces was perfectly fine. Because I had the interior braces on the top (I forget the technical name for them) my speech was effected for about two weeks until my tounge got used to them. So I slurred my words for two weeks.

I went to Dr. Robert Quinn in San Francisco. 415 433 4045 He was highly recommended and my experience with him was fine. I believe something like 75 percent of his patients are adults.

I kind of forgot that I had them on after that. Good luck to you and hope this helps. margo

Don't want braces and surgery (adult)

I recently visited Dr. Kenneth Brehnan, DMD for an evaluation on my teeth. He believes I should be put back into braces for 18+ months, have jaw surgery and myofunctional therapy. I am 37 years old and the thought of braces again makes me really depressed (even more so than getting my jaw broken and realigned). Here are my questions if anyone has recs.:

1) Do you have any experience with Dr. Kenneth Brehnan?
2) Can you recommend another orthodontist for a 2nd and 3rd 
opinion?
3) If you've been through orthognathic jaw surgery who could you 
recommend?
4) Does insurance cover adult braces? Does jaw surgery come 
under medical insurance (e.g. Cigna)?

Orthodontist in Oakland for 10-year-old

Our regular dentist recommends that my 10 year old son have an orthodontist evaluation and does not have anyone to refer to close to where we live. I would like to find an orthodontist near the Montclair/Glenview/ Lakeshore neighborhoods that runs an efficient office with parking. I can't stand doctor and dentist offices that routinely run 30 - 40 minutes behind schedule. That drives me crazy. I'd be willing to drive a little further to appts. if when I got there I could easily park and have things run on time. Thanks in advance. Helene

Recommended:

Just moved here, braces in progress

I am in a quandry. My 15 year old son started orthodontia in Santa Cruz a few months ago. At the time we consulted with every one we knew with braces, met a few doctors and tried to make a good decision. Within weeks of contracting with this doctor we were informed that he was retiring and another doctor would take his place. For simplicities sake we stayed with the new doctor. A month or two later we decided to make this move to Albany and are now in search of another orthodontist, close if possible. Our present doctor, whom we know very little, recommended someone in Oakland. I don't wish to go that far necessarily. My son, who is fairly distressed about the braces thing over all, would appreciate, I'm sure, a new situation that would be simple and stable until he is done with treatment, in about 18 months or so. Any thoughts? Susan

Shopping around

My father is an orthodontist and he recommends always getting at least two opinions of treatment before making any decisions. Any reputable orthodontist will evaluate your child for free. Just take the models and x-rays along with you from the first orthodontist. Orthodonture is an art-form as much as a science. There are many different approaches to the same problem, most of which will work, some may not, and some will work better than others. The judgement as to which is best often has to do both with the outcome and the treatment itself, as well as the patient's relationship to the doctor. There are issues surrounding the shape of the persons' profile and jaw after treatment, as well as to the effort involved during treatment itself. Make sure the orthodontist is Board Certified. Discuss with the orthodontist your concerns. If money is one of them, let them know. If you think your child will not be diligent in handling retainers or wearing night gear, let them know. Personally, with my two sons' treatments (both from different orthodontists) we found that braces were much less of a hassle than any of the retainers involved. We went to different orthodontists for the two boys because my dad evalulated their prospective treatment plans (we actually got three opinions) and picked the one he felt most comfortable with. He still has issues and wishes he could get his hands on my sons mouths himself, but, alas, he has retired. --Dr. Farber's daughter March 2002

Our daughter's dentist referred us to the Nelson-Meyer-Kasrovi group for orthodontia. After an exam they sent us a treatment plan that included periods of retainers and braces for a total of something like 18 months at a cost of $3300. This may be followed by additional braces (for an additional cost) when she is a teenager. I mentioned this to another mom at her school, and she said she had heard that the charges can really add up at this orthodontics group, and she suggested getting another evaluation for comparison. (She recommended Kenneth Brehnan.) Can anyone advise, is this a reasonable thing to do? Do the charges seem excessive at the Nelson-Meyer group? Faced with two proposals, how would I make a decision? Thank you!

To a parent who is seeking a new Orthodontist I recommend Dr. Kenneth Brennen on San Pablo ave. in Albany or El Cerrito (I'm not sure). He treated my son when he need some work and I was very happy with his excellent work over the two years of treatment. His staff was also very organized and always helpful. You can find him from the phone book. Helen

I recommend Dr. Brehnan (sp?) on San Pablo ave north of Portland ave in Albany. His office has a big mouth hanging outside...big red lips with white teeth. My son doesn't need braces yet but we go there every 6 months for a check-in. He's always friendly, gives us the time we need...I never feel rushed or like he's trying to sell us braces. June

I can recommend two orthodontists in El Cerrito/Albany area. One is Dr. Neal Wells whose office is in the El Cerrito Plaza across from the travel agency (if that is still there?) - 527-7111, and the other is Dr. Kenneth Brehnan whose office is now 591 San Pablo in Albany - 525-1772 (I got this from the phone book).

When I first went to have my teeth straightened these two doctors had a joint practice. Later on I was seen more often by Dr Brehnan because of scheduling, and when they split we continuted working with him. My younger brothers also had all their orthodontic work done by Dr Brehnan, and I know that we were not ideal patients. He always had a good sense of humor when dealing with us despite the fact that my brothers frequently broke off their braces and refused to wear their neck gear and retainers. It was also a very kid friendly office with comic books and toys to entertain (and magazines for the parents.) Most of my friends went to the same orthodontist so we always made our appointments so that we could all go together which was great. Some times one parent would be available to drive, and sometimes we all just walked there together. Rose

For the parent who wanted comments on Dr. Kevin Carrington, I can highly recommend him. He has been treating our daughter for several years. He is bright, thorough, pleasant, and has a good sense of humor (which we found refreshing). He has done a wonderful job on our daughter's teeth. Also, he has a very nice, friendly office staff. They get to know their patients well and are very welcoming. We never feel rushed. He and his staff take plenty of time to talk to us and our daughter. Also, when we arrive for our appointment, we never have to wait long. Overall, we have had a good experience with him and his office. Dianne

Dr. Kevin Carrington of Oakland is a great orthodontist. His office staff is very friendly and conscientious.

In case any one is interested, here's some feedback regarding my son's current orthodontist Dr. Charles Gillooly located in El Cerrito Plaza. When we started about 3 years ago to do my son's first phase, he gave us a free evaluation and discussed what needs to happen with us. That was very good and our fist couple appointments were on various days. After about the 3rd appointment, he suddently tells us he's only at the El Cerrito office on Thursdays ONLY so all future appointments will have to be on Thursdays. This is not a problem except when those wires start poking out at the end or rubber bands start popping out unexpectedly. Since we had already started, we just figure we'll work around it. Since then, things have been going ok and the last 10 months or so, my son has been able to go on his own after school and then home.

A few months ago, I noticed they added more braces on my son's other teeth which I was concerned about. We were considering changing to another orthodontist because of the Thursday only issue so we didn't want them to start the second phase without being notified. Well, they said they would check and never called me back.

A couple weeks ago, on a spur of the moment thing, I took my son in for the first time in months. They immediately pulled out a contract for me to sign which says I would pay another $900 for the second phase. I was very uneasy with this and this also reminded me of my experience with them 3 years ago when I felt tricked into staying with him.

Fortunately, because I could document that I did call a couple months ago asking about this second phase, if I choose to change an orthodontist now, I would have to pay NOTHING for the work they've done. I think those of you that are new to getting an orthodontist, you should make sure they will be at the office regularly because those rubber bands, wires, etc always seem to come loose or poking a couple days after you've just seen the doctor. And even if they tell you they're sharing the office with another doctor and they would help in emergencies, it would have to be a REAL emergency before they help. If it's "just a little pain or discomfort for your child", then they make you wait until next time they're in.

Orthodontist -- we really like Dr. Iezman on Walnut Street. Well organized office, nice staff, and they call and remind us before each appointment. Oh, and he's very good and very nice Heather

I consulted with several orthodontists including Dr. Iezman who I didn't care for. His diagnosis seemed weird and radical to me. Andrea

I recommend Dr. Iezman, who took over the practice from Dr. Brown who was killed in a car crash several years ago. We originally went to Dr. Brown because she was the only one that was willing NOT to pull my daughter's teeth. Fortunately, when Dr. Iezman took over, he concurred with her judgement and agreed not to pull her teeth. He is a really nice man who teaches a dentistry (or ortho) classes at UCSF. Toby

My daughter has been going to Dr. Bradley Irving at 6116 Merced in Montclair (off Mountain Blvd. right next to Safeway). Parking is on the street but I've never had a problem finding a place. I usually put a quarter in the meter for 30 minutes but we are in and out of there in about 15 max. We have never had to wait more than 2 or 3 minutes to get in. In fact, I lamented yesterday that I couldn't finish a People Magazine article during my daughter's appt. I like Dr. Irving and he seems to have done a fantastic job so far (we've been 4 time - one for consultation, one for placement, and two periodic adjustments.) My daughter's teeth look great already. quetzal

We really recommend getting more than one opinion. If we had gone with Righellis, the process would have been much more expensive, painful and difficult. We were also turned off by the hard sell that the Righellis office put on us. When we went for a second opinion, Righellis called us to try and get us to use him. Also, that office was very busy and loud which worked badly for our son, and you often get treated not by the orthodontist, but a technician. Good Luck. Myriam

My daughter (age 12) and several of her friends have gone to Dr. Matsunaga. Everything has gone well and we have no complaints, nor have we heard any complaints about his work or style. (Of course my daughter complained about the head gear but that is a different matter.) We are one year into a proposed two year program.

We also use Dr. Matsuishi who shares a waiting room and find the arrangement very convenient. When it is time for teeth cleaning, we stop by Dr. Matsunaga first to have the wires all removed, then get the cleaning done, and return to be rewired!

To the parent looking for an orthodontist in Berkeley. We have had great experience over the years with Doctors Nelson and Meyer. They have an office on Colby Street across from Alta Bates and another off of Solano Avenue. They did my orthodontia (as an adult), my eighteen-year-old son's orthodontia, and are currently working on my fourteen- year-old daughter's mouth. My son hated the whole idea of braces and both of these orthodontists were great with him-- they were as much psychologists as they were orthodontists. I highly recommend them.

Nelson & Meyer in Berkeley (offices on Colby and on Ensenada, as well as in Orinda) have been just great for my two kids, who are just finishing up orthodontia. They do good work, are very well organized and pleasant, readily available when there are problems or questions. The offices are attractive and full of things to "fiddle" with, helpful for fidgety kids. I have been told they are more expensive than some; I don't know if this is true. Their Colby St. number (main office) is 849-2434. Louise

My family had orthodontic care from Drs. Nelson, Meyers, and Ung and the experience has been positive. They are a highly regarded practice. We fortunately had some dental coverage. You and your family will be in good hands. Lisa

I highly recommend Nelson, Meyer, Ng, and Trosien. I don't know much about Ng and Trosien but Nelson and Meyer are great. I think there's a lot of art in addition to the technical side of orthodontia and they are both very artistic and very compulsive---and in orthodontia being compulsive is a very good trait. I don't think they are the cheapest; their offices are both aesthetically pleasing, no TVs or video games.

Orthodontists - We use Drs. Nelson, Meyers et al. Office near Alta Bates and Solano Ave. in Berkeley. We have no complaints. They have done well by us and seem well organized and professional as well as kid-friendly. Barbara

I was wondering if any one out there has had any positive or negative dealings with John W. Merchant DDS, Orthodontist, located at 2999 Regent Ste. 408. My daughter is 10 and has her first appointment with him very soon. Thanks

My son goes to Dr. John Merchant, 2999 Regent St in Berkeley next to Alta Bates. 849-3613 He takes Delta, which is the insurance I have. Many of my son's friends who have braces go to Dr. Merchant too. I'm happy with him - he seems reasonable.

A big consideration for me was convenience, since my son has to go in every few weeks to get his braces tightened. So the main thing I like about Dr. Merchant is that his office is close to Joe's school. He can go to appointments by himself after school and then walk home. The office seems to easily accommodate kids' school schedules and also casual drop-ins for little emergencies like a loose wire. Ginger

Montclair Orthodontics

My child's dentist recommended the following orthodontists. Please let me know if you have or have had any positive or negative experiences: Dr. EG Righellis Dr. Elena Peikoff
Thanks you, renee

He did my kid's teeth--transformed her bite and straightened her teeth when the permanent teeth came in. He also has state-of-the-art equipment that allows him to make realistic and ideal projections of the final product.

Dr. Peikoff (also in his office) seems less knowledgeable and sure of herself. I think that Dr. R. is a tough act to follow.

We are a medical family and think he has tremendous talent.

Mom of a metal mouth

Dr. Peikoff is my orthodontist, Dr. Righellis is her partner, and they are Grrrrrrreeeeeeaaaaaat. I am one year into treatment. They have very good assistants, I feel well taken care of. I am in my 40's with braces for the first time, but I see a lot of kids and parents, and have a friend whose son finishes with Righellis in March. No bad news, here. I had what I understand was sort of a rare anomaly, and I am very satisfied with their approach to correcting it. My dentist is, too. Having braces is pretty interesting, in and of itself, so I think it is worthwhile to have a really good orthodontist, which is what Righellis and Peikoff both are. Good luck! mary

I highly recommend Dr. Righellis in Montclair. He has followed my two daughters for years and has never charged us. He only charges for the orthodontia itself. He's very willing to explain things and his staff are pleasant. He does have a parking lot (shared with some other businesses). The phone number is 510-482-0600. Larry

I consulted with several orthodontists. We finally choose and orthodontist in Monclair named Dr. Righellis. His office is on Mountain Blvd. and the number is 482-0600 and he was great. Nice office and office staff too. Andrea

Robert Quinn

I went to Dr. Robert Quinn in San Francisco. 415 433 4045 He was highly recommended and my experience with him was fine. I believe something like 75 percent of his patients are adults.

I had orthodontic work done by Dr. Russell Speer, whose office is near Alta Bates. He put braces on my teeth when I was 40. Also, he did some work on my daughter when she was 8. She wore an adjustable retainer for about 6 months. He was very cooperative about setting up a payment plan because Delta Dental paid only a portion of my bill. If you have any questions just write me: Olga

Re. Orthodontists. We had a very wonderful experience with Dr. Michael Teichman in Concord. It is a bit of a trek from the Berkeley side of the Hills, but well worth it. ajc1

At that time we were on PMI and there were only two orthodontists in the East Bay that were on that plan. One in Berkeley, near Alta Bates, and one in Concord. We interviewed both and found that a Concord doctor, Dr. Michael Teichman (2881 Willow Pass Road, 682-1008) was down-to-earth, kid-friendly, and extremely conscientious. We instantly warmed up to him and his staff, and so did our son. Dr. Teichman no longer takes PMI patients but I know he's on Delta Dental. (The Berkeley orthodontist was condescending and just a bit too fast to give us a computer generated diagnosis and treatment plan. Sorry, but I can't remember his name.)

Anyway, the answer is to shop around until you find someone you feel comfortable with -- just like a family doctor. Your child will go through the treatments (and follow the rules) much easier if they like their orthodontist. Good luck. Trish

Douglas Tinloy

We also would have liked to have found a "low-key and nice" orthodontist in the Albany-N.Berkeley-El Cerrito area. We've ended up going to Oakland, but have decided the orthodontist is worth it. My 8 year old daughter is using Dr. Douglas Tinloy, 530-4500. Our dentist referred us to one of those "popular high-volume" orthodontics offices with an aggressive treatment philosophy and Dr. Tinloy, who we were told is usually a little more conservative and measured with his treatment plan. At the "popular high-volume" place, I felt a little as though we were being sold a car with premium bells and whistles. They would have immediately started what sounded like a horrifying amount work on her mouth. Dr Tinloy advised us to hold-off, because he wanted to see if certain of the problems would correct themselves, circumventing the need for treatment. We took Dr. Tinloy's advice, and my daughter continued to see him while he tracked the developments in her mouth. (All of these visits were without charge.) Indeed, some of the problems DID correct themselves, and she ended up NOT needing the work the other orthodontist would have already completed. All they had to do was make a retainer which she'll have to wear for 3-4 months. She'll probably still need braces, but the other place had already planned that, too. Dr. Tinloy could be the poster child for "low-key and nice" health professionals. He's calm, gentle, friendly, and explains orthodontics well to children and adults alike. He's always taken the time to answer all of our questions in a thoughtful, unhurried way.

I can recommend two orthodontists in El Cerrito/Albany area. One is Dr. Neal Wells whose office is in the El Cerrito Plaza across from the travel agency (if that is still there?) - 527-7111, and the other is Dr. Kenneth Brehnan whose office is now 591 San Pablo in Albany - 525-1772 (I got this from the phone book).

When I first went to have my teeth straightened these two doctors had a joint practice. At the beginning I saw Dr. Wells. His office was always filled with comic books for kids to look at and he was very clear with instructions on what to do and how to take care of your appliance (retainer, braces, etc.)

I am not sure if he still does this, but at the time, Dr. Wells even had early morning appointments (like at starting at 7:00 or 7:30 I think) so that one of our parents could take us in on the way to work. By the way, we used the Delta Dental Insurance with these doctors. Rose