I’m about 8 months into braces and my ortho just changed my adjustment schedule from every 4 weeks to every 6 weeks. Not gonna lie, I was a little surprised. At first I thought maybe it was because my teeth are moving slower or something? Or maybe it’s just normal at this stage, but I don’t really know.
Honestly, I kinda liked the monthly check-ins because it felt like things were always progressing. Now with the extra two weeks, I’m worried my treatment is gonna take longer or that something’s wrong with my teeth. Has anyone else had their appointment intervals changed up like this? Did it slow things down for you, or is this just how it goes sometimes? Would love to hear if this is typical or if I should ask more questions next time.
Yeah, my ortho did the same thing around the 7-8 month mark. I was kinda bummed at first too because it felt like things slowed down, but honestly, it didn’t make my treatment longer. My teeth were just at a stage where they needed more time to settle between tweaks. Totally normal, from what I’ve heard. It’s weird not going in as much, but you’re probably on track.
Happens all the time, honestly. Around that stage, teeth usually need a bit more time to stabilize after the bigger moves early on. Sometimes folks get worried it means things aren’t progressing, but really, it’s just your ortho letting your bite settle in properly. I’ve seen people actually finish faster when they don’t rush every tweak. If anything feels off or uncomfortable though, always mention it at your next visit.
Yeah, my ortho started stretching out my appointments too and I was convinced they’d forgotten about me or something. I mean, I waited so long for that “tighten the wires” pain, it’s almost like I missed it… almost. Did anyone else get worried their teeth were just chilling instead of moving? My bite feels fine but sometimes I swear my teeth are plotting to shift back overnight.
When my braces journey hit the 7-month mark, my ortho started spacing out my visits too. At first, I was almost convinced it was a sign something wasn’t going right—like maybe my teeth were being stubborn or I was somehow “failing” at orthodontics (which sounds ridiculous now, but that’s where my head went). I kept thinking, “If they’re not checking as often, how will they catch problems early?” Plus, like you said, those monthly appointments gave me a weird sense of progress, even if it was just the ritual of getting new wires and rubber bands.
But after a few longer gaps, I realized my teeth didn’t backslide or anything. My ortho explained that in the beginning, teeth need more frequent adjustments because the big movements are happening. Later on, it’s more about letting things settle and giving the roots time to stabilize in their new positions. I guess there’s a fine balance between moving too fast (which can damage roots or cause resorption) and moving too slow. The six-week schedule is apparently pretty standard once you’re further along, especially if you’re not having any issues with brackets or wires.
One thing I noticed: the soreness after adjustments was less intense when the intervals got longer. Not sure if that’s because my teeth were less “shocked” by the changes, or if I just got used to it. But I did get a little antsy sometimes, wondering if things were stalling out. My ortho reassured me that as long as I’m wearing my elastics like I’m supposed to (that’s the real struggle), things are still progressing on track.
I do keep a close eye on my teeth in the mirror, probably more than is healthy, but it helps me feel like I’m still involved in the process. If you’re worried, it never hurts to ask your ortho for a quick progress update—they’re usually happy to explain the reasoning. But from what I’ve seen (and heard from friends), shifting to 6-week intervals is pretty routine.
