Honestly, the whole process feels like a marathon. I totally relate to the rubber band struggle—I’m always paranoid I’ll forget them or mess up the pattern my orthodontist gave me. At first, I thought the “scary” stuff (like expanders or headgear) seemed worse, but now that I’m months in with just braces, it’s more about the slow grind and the constant little annoyances.
One thing that’s helped me is breaking it down into steps. Like, after each adjustment, I try to focus on just getting through that week of soreness. Then, once it eases up, I remind myself that’s one more month done. It’s not a quick fix, and some days feel endless, but there are small changes if I really look for them—my bite is definitely shifting even if it’s not dramatic yet.
It can be super frustrating when progress feels invisible. You’re not alone in thinking it drags on forever. Just making it through each stage is something to feel good about, even if it’s slow going.
I totally get what you mean about the slow grind. I keep wondering if there’s a way to speed things up, but my ortho just keeps saying “trust the process.” Some days I swear my bite looks exactly the same as it did months ago, then suddenly I’ll notice a tiny difference. The rubber band thing is the worst for me—I’m always worried I’m putting them on wrong or not wearing them enough. Do you ever feel like your ortho’s instructions are super vague? Sometimes I wish they’d give more concrete milestones instead of just “wait and see.”
