Temple University Orthodontic Department

I started here while I was a Temple student and did not have insurance. At the time, my teeth were beyond unbearable due to my wisdom teeth crowding everything. I came here after having my wisdom teeth extracted elsewhere. I was supposed to finish after about a year and a few months but I ended up staying for about 3 years through 2 residents graduating.
From the beginning I asked if invisalign was capable of giving me the results I needed and was reaffirmed that they could. Fast forward to the end and I am told that they can’t. I feel scammed and ripped off.
I’m still extremely dissatisfied with my teeth and I was constantly dismissed throughout the entire treatment. When a tray didn’t fit correctly, my first resident ignored it and forced me to continue until it became physically impossible to get the next trays on. My treatment kept getting delayed due to this negligence and waiting for refinement trays.
I had to take extra time off from work to come in almost weekly just to be dismissed and barely looked at. I was also forced to sign a final warning notice that detailed things that were false or not applicable to me. My teeth are still misaligned and I constantly bite my tongue in various spots and now my inner cheek.
I had no choice but to get retainers or pay to start all over again for 2 years of treatment. That is basically admitting that they messed up.
Avoid at all costs!

As of August I am no longer a Temple Orthodontic patient. I relocated to California, and have transferred to a traditional orthodontist. This worked out in my favor because
(1) My student orthodontist at Temple was graduating
(2) Going to a non-​student orthodontist made me realize just how poor my experience at Temple really was!
My student orthodontist was planning to remove my braces at the end of August but I was completely unsatisfied with my teeth. This was two months after the «one year max» that I was quoted last June. I expressed my concerns to him – telling him that I felt my lateral incisors should be lower and that the brackets should be adjusted. He disagreed and refused to make the changes. This should have been a red flag.
Dejected, I allowed him to do what he thought best. However, due to scheduling conflicts, I relocated to California with my braces still in place. I found a new orthodontist, and she immediately identified the issues I had with my teeth, suggested that my lateral incisors were too high, stated that she would replace the brackets, and quoted me six additional months in braces. I was disappointed to have an additional six months ahead of me, but I am already much happier with the appearance of my smile.
There is really no very good reason to go to Temple.
(1) I’ve called around, and you can find an established orthodontist for the same price.
(2) Temple has limited appointment times and no weekend or evenings available.
(3) Because you are working with students, each adjustment can take longer than necessary
(4) The payment plan is great, but most orthodontists offer similar plans
(5) Orthodontia is largely an art, and it is in your interest to find an «artist» who has honed his or her craft.
(6) Also, another reviewer noted that she had TMJ after treatment. I too have suffered with TMJ since beginning treatment. I don’t know if I would have had TMJ regardless because it can happen with braces, but I thought I would note it.
My recommendation is that you find the best orthodontist you can find, then find out which payment plan they can offer you. It’s worth it.

If you’re looking into getting Invisalign, DO NOT come here. I came here thinking they’d be cheaper than a normal orthodontic office. They charge a flat rate fee for their Invisalign treatment, no matter how simple your case is. My case was extremely simple, my only issue was a few minor gaps in my teeth (I’ve had braces years ago). I was told it would cost me $ 4200 total (which I confirmed was a flat rate), and would take longer than 20 months to correct. I knew this didn’t sound right so I went to a regular ortho office. Luckily there, they told me my total would only cost $ 2500, and would only take 10 months to correct. Bottom line– do your research. This place doesn’t take the time to meet your individual needs or give you realistic information. Not to mention, they charge $ 35 for a 7-​minute (literally) consultation, whereas most ortho offices are free of consultation charges.

I highly recommend Temple’s Orthodontics Department. I had braces twice before, invisalign when I was 16 and then a second round of invisalign at 21. Unfortunately, I lost my retainer, so within 2 years all of my gaps had come back. I went to Temple for a consultation for adult braces, and they said that my case would be a fairly straightforward one. I started the process in March 2012 and by September 2013 I had perfectly straight teeth.
Your primary orthodontist will be a student, which was cool because I had someone the same age as me as my orthodontist. We could chat about music, grad school, and whatever. However, before your orthodontist makes any final decisions, he/​she has to check in with the attending orthodontist who basically just checks to make sure that your student is doing everything correctly. The orthodontists also explain EVERYTHING to you in layman’s terms, so I never felt like they were talking medical jargon at me.
You pay on a payment plan, which was the awesome part, so you put down a down payment and then pay a little bit at each monthly visit. I think I paid $ 140 every time I went and as a non-​profit employee, this was right in my budget. The total price you pay is a flat fee (AWESOME!!!) no matter how bad your teeth are. The price also includes all visits, retainers, pictures, and they give you floss and rubber bands too if you ask.
I got clear brackets on top and regular metal braces on the bottom. Barely anyone noticed that I even had braces! If anything goes wrong, like if you break a bracket, you can just call your orthodontist and they are usually able to let you come in within 24 hours to get it fixed.
Overall I would highly recommend Temple Orthodontics. They made me feel at ease with having adult braces and the location is super convenient. The payment plan helped me so much, and I love my new smile.
PS.Most people seem to complain about the long wait time to schedule your initial appointment, so if you are interested in getting braces call now to schedule. It took me about 3 months to get off the wait-​list.
PSS. If you have trouble finding the orthodontic department, all you have to do is walk into the main entrance of the Kornberg building, take the elevator (or stairs) to the 2^nd floor, turn left out of the elevators, and then turn an immediate left at the next hallway. Walk all the way to the end of the hallway and turn right. I got lost the first few times, so I just wanted to share that tidbit.

As I figured, the secretary never called me back.
In my previous review, I was not clear with what the $ 300 was for. Basically, for the first check up and «records» to mold the shapes of your teeth, the X-​rays, etc…
Since SEPTA was on strike for the week after this incident happened, I could not even make it to the place. Since the customer’s service was so bad, I figured that arguing for my $ 300 back would be useless. Instead, I decided that I will NOT go back for treatment.
After more than a month, my jaw still hurts and I cannot chew properly on hard food…
If you can, I advise you to you to go to somewhere else that is more professional, and a place that has better customer service and EXPERIENCE. I mean money can be a problem, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

If you haven’t noticed, times are tough. Paying six or seven grand to get your teeth straightened may not be realistic these days… but paying $ 3300 for it just may be.
Enter Temple Orthodontics, a graduate program of 12 residents dedicated to creating a smile that you love. Don’t want to see braces on your teeth? No problem. Both Invisalign and I-​braces (braces on the backs of the teeth) are offered. In fact, the chairman of the department (Dr. Orhan Tuncay) wrote the first textbook on Invisalign treatment and was instrumental in its development!
As if that isn’t good enough, Temple Orthodontics has a brand-​new state-​of-​the-​art clinic opening May 2009!