DO NOT go to to Bright Orthodontics. The actual orthodontic assistants are alright, with some…read morebetter than others; however, I can count on half of one hand the number of times Dr. Bright was in the office and actually involved.
When I got my braces off, I got a thin (the standard size) retainer. After a little while, we had to replace retainer #1, and one of the assistants recommended the 2mm (thicker size) retainer, which costed $50 extra, so I bought it because it would apparently last longer. I wore this retainer for more than 3 years, from early 2022 to today, 2025.
It had developed some holes in it, so we went back to get a new mold in 2025 just last week. Melannie, one of the orthodontic assistants, kindly informed us that the retainer we thought was 2mm (thicker size) was actually the standard thin size, indicating there was some kind of mistake that happened last time. That means that they had mistakenly given us the standard (thin) size when we paid $50 extra for the 2mm (thicker) size. I went home to compare the only two retainers, and both were the exact same size (both thin size), which Melannie confirmed the next time we went.
We then talked to Shannon, the office manager (dirty blonde hair; looks around 50-60s years old), who refused to refund us. Even worse, she implied that one of the thin retainers was something we got from somewhere else, that we were trying to trick Bright Orthodontics into giving us a $50 refund. That is incredibly disrespectful and illogical: why would anyone go out of their way, spend money to buy a whole retainer from somewhere else, just to try to extract money from Bright Orthodontics?? There are much more principled ways to earn income or save money.
Then, I showed Shannon the retainer I had been wearing for 3 years because she seemed so dismissive and unbelieving of any word that came out of my mouth. It was obviously the "thin" size, visibly thinner than the 2 mm size. She then proposed that there was "different management" back then, and they may have used "different material." What kind of retainer has 2mm of plastic melt in your mouth into the exact same size as the standard (thin) size when you wear it? Does she think that her business's clients are stupid enough to believe that?
Shannon then backtracked and said that since I wore it for 3 years, I got my $50 of "money's worth" already. But there are significant holes in that retainer because I grind. Those are holes that could be smaller if they had given the 2mm thick retainer that I paid for 3 years ago. Those are holes that have allowed my teeth to grind against each other that have likely damaged something at least a little, which will likely become another problem in the future. So no, I did not get my "money's worth." If she can't see that implication, maybe she should not be working at an orthodontist's office. If believes there is no difference between a thin retainer and a thick retainer, she should tell the business to stop selling the thick retainer because in her mind, it is the same outcome, right? But of course, at least I hope, she knows that there is a difference between the two retainer sizes, and she knows that I did not get my "money's worth." Words don't always reflect what the mind knows (assuming the mind does in fact know).
Throughout this exchange, Shannon repeatedly called me a crazy child and tried to get us to leave the office. She should know that children who stand their ground on basic principles are not crazy. Children who do not let businesses get off easy of ripping them off are not crazy. I don't think Shannon is crazy either. She is just a little rude, so I'm not sure if this job is the best fit for her.
Shannon also proposed that because Melannie, the orthodontic assistant, was the one who pointed out that the retainer I thought was the "thick" one was actually the standard thin one, Melannie is the one who should pay for the $50. How does this make any sense? Melannie told the truth, so she has to pay? Melannie has to pay for the business's mistakes? We live in a world where integrity and honesty is dwindling, and punishing people who speak the truth does not help at all.
Then Shannon didn't want to speak to us anymore, so Ziquia came to talk to us. She said essentially the same thing as Shannon, but in a more respectful, more professional, less accusatory way. She even offered a $50 credit. We didn't take the credit. If we did, it wouldn't have made a difference because that is the last time we are paying this office a visit.