Braces for underbite taking forever and a day

Yeah, I noticed something similar when I had braces, but honestly, I don't think it's anything to stress about. Your jaw muscles relax differently overnight, especially if you're sleeping in a weird position or clenching without realizing it. I used to wake up feeling like my bite was completely off, almost like my teeth shifted overnight (which freaked me out at first!). Mentioned it to my ortho, and she explained it's pretty common because your mouth settles into different positions while you're asleep.

But hey, if it's really bothering you or feels super uncomfortable, definitely bring it up at your next appointment. Better safe than sorry, right? For me, it always went back to normal after being awake for a bit and having breakfast. Just one of those weird braces things nobody warns you about...

Ugh, braces and weird jaw stuff overnight is a whole mood. Did your ortho say how long it usually takes for things to feel normal again after waking up? Because for me, it sometimes takes until lunchtime before my bite feels right again...like my teeth are having an identity crisis or something.

I mentioned it to my ortho too, and he just shrugged it off as "part of the process," but honestly, it's been forever and I'm kinda over it. Anyone else feel like their braces timeline keeps getting longer every time they go in for adjustments? Mine started as "about a year," and now we're creeping up on two. At this point, I'm convinced I'll still have these things when I'm 80.

I remember when my ortho told me braces would be "a quick 18 months," and I ended up wearing them for nearly three years. Every time I went in, it felt like the finish line was moving further away. That weird morning bite thing you're describing - I had it too. My ortho explained something about muscles adjusting overnight, but honestly, it always felt like my jaw was just confused until mid-morning coffee kicked in... Hang in there, it does eventually get better.

Haha, I totally feel you on the "quick 18 months" turning into a marathon. My ortho was always like "just a few more adjustments," and I swear that phrase haunted me for two extra years. That morning bite confusion is legit - I used to joke my jaw had its own timezone, lagging behind until at least lunchtime. Coffee definitely helped, but so did some gentle jaw stretches first thing in the morning...might be worth trying if you haven't already. Hang tight, you're not alone in this braces saga.

Haha, your jaw having its own timezone is spot-on. I remember waking up and feeling like my bite had shifted overnight - like my teeth were playing musical chairs while I slept. Coffee was my go-to as well, but honestly, what helped me most was keeping a small notebook tracking adjustments and changes. Sounds nerdy, but it gave me a clearer picture of progress (or lack thereof) to discuss with my ortho. Might help you feel less stuck in the endless "just a few more adjustments" loop...

I totally get the anxiety around feeling like your teeth are shifting overnight - it's like you never know what you're gonna wake up to next morning. Honestly, the notebook idea is pretty smart. I haven't tried that yet (maybe I should?), but I do take occasional selfies to compare changes. It helps calm my nerves a bit when I'm convinced nothing's happening, even though deep down I know progress is slow. Thanks for sharing your method, might give it a shot too...

I feel you on the anxiety part - it's like every morning is a mini-surprise, and not always a good one. Do you ever find yourself obsessively checking your bite throughout the day? I catch myself doing that constantly, especially after adjustments. Drives me nuts sometimes...

The notebook idea sounds interesting, but honestly, I think I'd stress myself out even more if I started tracking every tiny detail. Like, what if I notice something weird and then can't stop thinking about it? I already overthink enough as it is. The selfie method works pretty well for me too, though sometimes I swear my teeth look different depending on the lighting or angle. It's like, is it actual progress or just my imagination playing tricks on me?

One thing that's helped me a bit is asking my ortho to show me the before-and-after models every few visits. Seeing the physical molds side-by-side makes it easier to actually visualize the progress. Photos are helpful, sure, but holding those plaster casts in your hands feels more reassuring somehow. Have you ever tried asking your ortho to show you your molds or scans? Might be worth a shot if you haven't already.

Also, random thought - do you ever get paranoid about your retainers after braces? I'm not even there yet, but I'm already stressing about forgetting to wear them and undoing all this hard work. It's like the anxiety never ends...

"Do you ever find yourself obsessively checking your bite throughout the day? I catch myself doing that constantly, especially after adjustments."

You're definitely not alone there - I used to do the exact same thing. After every adjustment, I'd find myself subconsciously biting down and checking alignment, sometimes even mid-conversation. It got to the point where my coworkers jokingly asked if I was chewing invisible gum. Honestly, it drove me crazy too, until I realized that obsessing over tiny daily changes was making the whole process feel even longer.

I get why the notebook idea might seem stressful, but for me, tracking progress actually helped calm my anxiety. Instead of fixating on daily fluctuations, I noted bigger milestones like gaps closing or teeth noticeably shifting positions. Seeing those concrete changes over weeks or months gave me a sense of control and reassurance.

As for retainers... yeah, that paranoia is real. But trust me, after investing all this time and effort into braces, wearing retainers becomes second nature pretty quickly. Just keep them visible - mine live right next to my toothbrush - and you'll be surprised how easily it becomes part of your routine.

I used to do that too, especially after adjustments. I'd catch myself biting down randomly, even while watching TV or reading... drove me nuts. Eventually, I just accepted the process takes forever and tried distracting myself - helped a bit with the frustration.

"Eventually, I just accepted the process takes forever and tried distracting myself - helped a bit with the frustration."

Yeah, distractions do help a bit, but honestly, I found that being aware of the biting actually helped me more. Instead of trying to ignore it completely, I'd gently remind myself to relax my jaw whenever I caught myself doing it. Sounds weird, I know, but after a while it became second nature and eased some of that frustration. Different strokes, I guess... braces are a patience game either way.

Yeah, I get what you're saying about being mindful of the biting. I tried that for a bit too, but honestly, it just made me hyper-aware of my jaw tension and kinda drove me nuts after a while, haha. Weirdly enough, what helped me most was chewing gum (sugar-free obviously, orthodontist-approved 🙄). I guess it gave my jaw something else to do and kept me from clenching so much.

But yeah, braces really test your patience. I remember thinking I'd have mine off in a year tops... two years later, still rocking the metal mouth look. Underbites especially seem to drag on forever. Did your ortho give you elastics yet? Those were a whole new level of annoying for me - constantly snapping or forgetting to put them back in after meals. But hey, at least it felt like progress!

Anyway, hang in there. Eventually you'll get to the point where you barely notice them anymore... until someone points out spinach stuck in your brackets. 😂

Yeah, elastics were a pain for me too - kept snapping at the worst times. I ended up buying a cheap little pill organizer to keep extras handy. Saved me from digging through my bag constantly... might help you too.

"I ended up buying a cheap little pill organizer to keep extras handy."

That's actually a pretty clever idea. Elastics snapping randomly is super common, usually because they're getting stretched beyond their limit or rubbing against brackets. If it's happening a lot, you might wanna double-check you're hooking them exactly as your ortho showed you - sometimes even a tiny difference in placement can cause extra tension. Also, swapping them out regularly (like after meals) helps keep the elasticity consistent and reduces snapping... annoying, I know, but it does help.

Haha, the pill organizer trick is genius - I wish I'd thought of that back when I had braces. Those elastics were always snapping at the worst possible moment (like mid-yawn... ugh). Honestly though, hang in there. Braces feel like forever, especially with an underbite - I swear mine took twice as long as they promised - but once they're off, it's totally worth it. You're doing great!

I get that it's worth it in the end, but honestly, does it always have to take so long? My ortho said 18 months tops, but I'm already at 20 months and counting. I follow every instruction step-by-step - wearing elastics exactly as told, brushing after every meal, avoiding popcorn (which is torture btw) - but still no end in sight. 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?

"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.