I started my braces at 32, and honestly, I thought it’d be like a year, maybe a bit more? Ended up being almost two and a half years before my ortho finally said I was done. Felt like forever, especially those last few months where it was just tiny tweaks. Did anyone else have it drag out longer than expected? Or am I just super unlucky with stubborn teeth?
Two and a half years here too—started at 29, thought I’d be done before my 31st birthday. Nope. My ortho kept saying “just a little more, we’re almost there,” but those last few months felt endless. There was one stubborn tooth that just refused to rotate, and I swear it added six months on its own. You’re definitely not alone… seems like teeth have their own timeline, no matter what the docs predict.
My kid’s been in braces for almost three years now, and honestly, I’m starting to question if the original “18 months, tops” estimate was just wishful thinking. Feels like every other visit, the ortho finds some new reason for “just a few more tweaks.” I get that teeth can be stubborn, but at what point do we call it good enough? Sometimes I wonder if perfection is really worth all this extra time (and money).
