I can definitely relate to the mental side of getting braces a second time. When my orthodontist told me I needed a redo, I’ll admit, I was frustrated—like, did I mess up with my retainer, or was it just bad luck? It’s so easy to slip into that mindset of “this should’ve been over already,” but honestly, the more I talked to people, the more I realized it’s not some rare failure. Teeth just have a mind of their own sometimes.
For me, what made a difference was reframing how I saw the whole process. Instead of thinking of it as “fixing a mistake,” I tried to look at it as giving myself another shot at long-term health. People joke about how straight teeth are just cosmetic, but there’s so much more to it—my jaw pain got worse when things shifted back, and chewing got weirdly uncomfortable. That stuff adds up over time. The redo wasn’t just for looks; it was about feeling better in my own skin.
I also leaned in hard on little comforts after appointments. I’m not even talking about big rewards—sometimes it was just letting myself binge a show without guilt or buying a fancy smoothie on the way home. Those small routines helped break up the monotony and gave me something to look forward to.
One thing I kind of disagree with is that everyone needs to vent to friends who’ve been there. For me, sometimes talking too much about it made me dwell on it more. Distracting myself with other stuff—work, hobbies, whatever—helped keep my mind off the whole ordeal.
At the end of the day, yeah, it’s annoying and feels unfair sometimes, but looking back, I don’t regret sticking with it. My bite feels better now than it did after round one. And honestly, that’s worth a lot more than just a “perfect” smile.
That mindset shift really resonates. I had to get braces twice too, and the second round felt like such a setback at first. But you’re right—teeth do their own thing, and it’s not always about what you did or didn’t do. Focusing on how much better my jaw felt after was honestly the real win for me. The little treats after appointments made a difference too... sometimes you just need that comfort food or a mindless TV binge to get through it. It’s annoying, but you’re definitely not alone in feeling frustrated.
I totally get what you mean about feeling like it was a setback—my kiddo had to get braces redone after a few years and honestly, I took it harder than she did. I kept worrying if we’d done something wrong or missed some step. But the orthodontist kept saying it’s just genetics sometimes. Still, I can’t help but stress about every wire check and adjustment. The ice cream after appointments helps a bit, but as a parent, I still find it tough not to overthink every little thing.
But the orthodontist kept saying it’s just genetics sometimes. Still, I can’t help but stress about every wire check and adjustment.
That resonates a lot—I remember feeling like I must have missed something when my own treatment dragged on. Honestly, genetics really do play a bigger role than we want to admit. My parents both had dental issues, and no matter how careful I was, some things just popped up again. Did your kid have any discomfort with the redo? Mine actually seemed less bothered the second time around, which surprised me.
Honestly, genetics really do play a bigger role than we want to admit.
That’s definitely been my experience too. I used to think if we just followed every instruction perfectly, we’d avoid setbacks, but sometimes it really is out of our hands. My kid actually handled the second round better as well—maybe because they knew what to expect? The anxiety around each adjustment never totally goes away for me, though. I guess it helps to remember that some things just aren’t preventable, no matter how diligent you are.
