"Maybe it's not always about patience or doing everything right... could it just be luck or genetics playing a bigger role than we think?"
Honestly, I think you're onto something there. My ortho initially said 16 months for my underbite, and I ended up wearing braces for almost two years. Like you, I followed every instruction to the letter—no popcorn, no gum, elastics 24/7—but still had delays. When I asked about it, my orthodontist mentioned that bone density and jaw growth patterns can vary a lot from person to person, and sometimes teeth just move slower than expected.
Makes me wonder if orthodontists should give more flexible timelines from the start instead of setting us up with these optimistic estimates. Has anyone else had their treatment extended significantly beyond the original timeline?
I totally get what you're saying about genetics and luck. When I first got my braces, the ortho said it'd be around 18 months tops. Well, here I am at month 23 and still counting. I've been pretty diligent too—no sticky candies, elastics religiously, brushing like crazy—but my teeth just seem to have their own stubborn agenda.
Funny thing is, my younger brother got braces after me, barely follows any of the rules, and he's already scheduled to get them off next month. Go figure... When I asked my orthodontist about it, she shrugged and said something similar about bone density and jaw structure being unpredictable. It's honestly a bit frustrating because you start wondering if you're doing something wrong or if it's just your body being difficult.
Maybe orthodontists should emphasize from day one that timelines are more like rough guidelines rather than firm deadlines. It'd probably save us all a lot of anxiety and disappointment along the way.
"Maybe orthodontists should emphasize from day one that timelines are more like rough guidelines rather than firm deadlines."
Couldn't agree more with this. I remember my ortho saying 12 months, and it ended up being closer to two years. Honestly, it's not your fault—everyone's teeth move at their own pace. Have you noticed any recent progress though, even small changes? Sometimes those tiny improvements help keep the motivation going... Hang in there, it'll be worth it in the end.
Sometimes those tiny improvements help keep the motivation going... Hang in there, it'll be worth it in the end.
Same here, my "18-month" braces turned into almost three years... I learned pretty quickly to take those estimates with a grain of salt. Have you asked your ortho about any adjustments or tricks to speed things up a bit?
"I learned pretty quickly to take those estimates with a grain of salt."
Haha, same here... my "one-year" braces are now pushing two and counting. I swear orthodontists must have their own special calendar or something. Have you tried asking about elastics or different wire types? My ortho switched me to stronger elastics halfway through, and it seemed to help move things along a bit faster. Also, weirdly enough, being super consistent with wearing them made a noticeable difference (who knew actually following instructions would help, right?). Hang in there though—every little improvement counts, even if it's slow going. One day we'll all look back and laugh at how impatient we were... or at least that's what I keep telling myself.
