It is *rare* that I write reviews. If I do, you can be sure that I have put a lot of thought into them and am as honest and sincere as I can possibly be. Now, if you want a review from a veteran orthodontic patient, you have come to the right place- no joke! I have had 4 different sets of braces with 3 different sets of orthodontists throughout my 4 decades of life. I was born with a a decent underbite jaw (Class 3 malocclusion, in dental-speak), that came with all sorts of quality of life issues. Needless to say, by the time I hit my 30's, I was having severe jaw and head pain, and it became clear that surgery was a necessary treatment.
So the wonderful teams at UCSF (Dr. Bast, with Oral and Maxillofacial surgery, Dr. Jehenson, with Orofacial Pain, and Dr. Nelson, with Orthodontics), put my primary pre-surgical orthodontic treatment in the hands of Dr. Curtis Contro. If you are looking for an excellent orthodontist, dentist, and human being, there are not enough good things I can say about Dr. Contro. For 3 - (yes....THREE) whole years, he treated me!! My teeth were old and stubborn and they refused to move. In addition, I had other medical issues that significantly impacted by treatment. They just did not want to be ready for the surgery.
I am a veterinarian. If I had a nickel, for every vet student who wanted to help fuzzy animals get better, since they were a wee little child, I'd have enough money to pay for my jaw surgery 10 times over. I have never met an orthodontist (or a dentist), like Dr. Contro, who aspired to be one, as a youth, so he could help people love their smile. I believe it, I have seen it, and I am living proof, today. Dr. Contro practices with care and compassion. He is very intelligent, very driven, clearly strives to continue to improve in every aspect, and has a great bedside manner. He speaks to patients and co-workers with respect. He always kept me informed about my condition and my progress. Anytime I had questions outside of the appointment time, I always received a timely response. No matter how frustrating things got, he continued to think outside the box. He consulted with periodontists, so we could try different treatment to maximize therapy. He always made sure my other medical issues cleared me to continue with treatment and that my pain was minimized.
When it came to preparing for surgery and other logistic hurdles, he was my advocate. You are more than just a set of teeth and a challenging case. You are a human being, who feels pain, emotions, and deserve a good quality of life.
I absolutely recommend Dr. Contro for orthodontic consultation and treatment! read more