Hi Valaber- i really sympathise with your concerns. Although my daughter was referred to an orthodontist quite quickly it took ages for her first appointment(about 8 months).Then having spent 10months in braces they suddenly realised they were still baby teeth there! (dispite several x-rays) She had to have these removed by our regular dentist and now has an unsightly brace and big gaps in her teeth - just what you want when you are 16!!
She often gets very upset about it and i was worried her confidence was getting really low. The orthodontist (a young woman) is also very stroppy and dismissive with her and i really feel like telling her to take the b****y thing off and get lost. The treatment is now going to take over two years. Im not sure how well qualified these people are (i assumed an orthodontist was higher than a dentist but i don't think so) If i knew what it was going to be like i would have gone private with her - and paid in monthly installments. If this is an option for you i would seriously consider it. I hope your appointment goes well today.