Totally relate to this frustration. Orthos definitely have their own dictionary, haha.
—been there myself. Underbite corrections can feel endless because they're gradually shifting your jaw alignment, not just teeth. It takes patience, but the results are really worth it. Eventually you'll look back and realize the wait wasn't as bad as it seemed... hang in there, you're closer than you think."minor adjustments," which apparently meant another six months
I remember those "minor adjustments" too—mine dragged on forever. Did your ortho ever explain exactly why it takes so long? I kept wondering if my jaw was just stubborn or if that's normal for everyone. Honestly, the waiting drove me nuts sometimes, but once it finally clicked into place, I realized how much had actually changed. Curious if anyone else noticed their bite shifting suddenly after months of nothing...? Felt like mine moved overnight after ages of zero progress.
Yeah, I totally get what you mean about the sudden shift after months of nothing. Had braces for my underbite a few years back, and honestly, it felt like watching paint dry most of the time. My ortho explained that jaw bones are pretty dense and stubborn by nature, so adjustments can be painfully slow at first. He mentioned something about bone remodeling—basically, your bones gradually break down and rebuild themselves as pressure is applied. Apparently, this process is just super slow, especially in adults.
Funny thing is, I had almost given up noticing any changes at all. Then one morning while eating breakfast, I realized my teeth were hitting differently. It wasn't dramatic or anything, but definitely noticeable enough to make me pause mid-chew and think "wait a sec..." After that point, it seemed like progress picked up speed a bit—or maybe I was just more aware of it?
I also remember asking my ortho why some people see faster results than others. He said it's partly genetics (lucky us!) and partly related to how consistently you wear elastics or follow their instructions. But even if you're doing everything right, sometimes your jaw just takes its sweet time adjusting.
Anyway, hang in there—I know it's frustrating as heck waiting around for visible results. But trust me, when you finally see that shift happen after months of zero progress, it's oddly satisfying.
Totally relate to that breakfast moment you described... I remember when I first got braces for my underbite, the ortho warned me it'd be slow, but man, I underestimated just how slow. Months passed with nothing noticeable, then one day I was flossing and realized the floss slid between teeth differently than before. Weirdly exciting moment, haha. Patience definitely pays off—but yeah, the waiting game can drive you nuts sometimes.
I get where you're coming from, but honestly, braces don't always have to feel like a waiting game. When I had mine done (and trust me, my teeth were a mess), I made it a point to track tiny changes weekly—snapping quick pics on my phone every Sunday. Sounds tedious, sure, but seeing those subtle shifts over time really kept me motivated. Maybe it's less about patience and more about finding ways to notice progress differently? Just my two cents...
