I feel ready to quit...

[vampirefangs22]

I've had my upper and lower braces on for almost 3 years and I've reached the point where I'm ready to quit having braces, particularly since my teeth have mostly straightened out by now and by the time I see my orthodontist again on November 17th, my lower left canine should be completely aligned with the rest of my teeth by then (I had the expose and bond for that tooth back on February 24th at the same time my wisdom teeth were extracted) and there really shouldn't be a need for me to have braces beyond that date. The problem is that my orthodontist wants to put brackets onto my 2nd molars (I already have them on the lower set) for some reason, which will increase my treatment time. I don't blame my orthodontist for wanting to bracket all 28 of my teeth to make sure they're all perfectly aligned, but at the same time, it feels more and more like I'm being tortured as time goes on.

I got my lower braces on Thursday, 10/31/2019 and my upper ones on Thursday, 1/9/2020 and I believe that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed my treatment by at least 5 months (possibly even longer since I had to reschedule the expose and bond for my upper canines from April 2020 to October 5th, 2020 and didn't get the chains tightened until November 2020 for the left side and January 2021 for the right one). I was lucky that all 3 of my impacted canines came in very quickly within only 3 months due to their vertical or near vertical positions and being close to the gumline. If the pandemic never happened, I likely would've already had my braces off by now.

I've been through a lot in these past almost 3 years and I think I've reached my breaking point where I feel ready to call it quits for the sake of my mental health and because I don't think I will benefit from having my braces on for longer than the next 5 weeks since I'm so close to finishing treatment and my teeth are aligned (except for that lower left canine, though it should be aligned with the others within the next few weeks). I've been feeling very frustrated by how ridiculously long this is taking in these past few months. I just want to get my Hawley retainers already and be done with this torture. I'm sick and tired of feeling this way and having to cancel last minute plans that happen to occur on the same day as my monthly orthodontist appointments. I will gladly wear my retainers 24/7 as long as it means that I am free from these metal prison bars I currently have over my teeth right now.

I'm seriously debating whether I should ask my orthodontist to have my braces removed a little early or not, though I'm leaning towards the former more and more each day. If I do make the decision to have them removed, my teeth should be fine as long as I wear my retainers as directed. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

[Dunnyet]

Hi vampirefangs22! Hang in there, your braces misery is almost over! Agreed, three years is a long time to be a metal mouth, but what’s another two or three months at this point? Quit quitting, take a deep breath, and get the beautiful smile you deserve .You can do it! By the way, Best username ever!!! Cheers

[djspeece]

I think most of us have been there, and the last phase of treatment is the worst in some ways since the major movements have been accomplished and your conscientious ortho wants to give you the optimal result for the long haul. Now is the time to be patient and follow your ortho's treatment plan. You'll probably regret terminating treatment prematurely. My original two-year plan stretched to three, as my bones are dense and the teeth moved slower than expected. The last 6 months could be characterized as "I am so over this &^%#!!" Every time I made my monthly visits I was hoping to hear the magic words, " Well I think we are done" but no. It got a lot better when I just gave up all hope of ever being done with braces and resigned myself to being a metal mouth for the rest of my life. My ortho was very meticulous -- and I'm thinking "Hey, it's not like I'm a movie star and need perfection, look at my face, does it look like it needs a perfect smile?" and so forth. Yes, I have issues.
Hang in there, come here and vent. And, best of luck to you!

[Danielle]

I agree with what’s been said. The last few months seem pointless. I can’t honestly say they made that much of a difference visually. If they did something orthodontically, I can’t say. I wore my retainers 24/7 (except to eat) the first full year and then have worn them at night every night since. My teeth have pretty much stayed where they were day 1 with braces off. So retention does play a huge role in long term results. It’s up to you to decide to continue on until your Orthodontist gives you the okay to remove or not. You do what’s best for you.

[trifecta]

I am sorry you are feeling so frustrated. Three years is a long time to be in braces but I suspect your case was somewhat extensive with the impacted cuspids and all. Hang in there and the end will come at some point, hopefully soon. I think the other replies are on the right track. I think Dan is right that in the long run you will regret having your braces removed early. In the short term it might seem right but looking back maybe not so much. The second time I had braces the treatment plan was 18 months and ended up as 36 so I can relate to your situation. Even ended up with high pull headgear for the last six months due to an anterior open bite which came about mid-treatment. As I said in a previous post, ortho time is island time, it will be over when it is over. As Dan also said, it is easier when you give up hope of being done. I am currently 14 months into what was initially a 6 month plan. It will be over when it is over. Just hang in there and try to be happy!

[vampirefangs22]

It's March 2023 and I've decided to just stick through with the treatment plan. It can feel frustrating at times, but I know it will be worth it in the end.

[djspeece]

That's great! Hopefully the end is in sight and I am certain that you will be glad you stayed the course! I wonder what the record is for the longest sentence with braces? You've got to be in the running!
Best of luck to you!

[Dunnyet]

Way to go, vampirefangs22! You’ve come this far , time to finish your treatment! I’m about to start my orthodontic treatment, braces day is March 29. You are almost finished! Cheers!

[bigopenbite]

Hang in there, I got braces about the same time as you, and whilst my bite is mostly fixed there are still a few small issues so I don't know how much longer I will be in braces but I think it will be at least 4 years.

Sometimes I get sick of the hassles like how long flossing takes, or how nice it would be if I didn't have to sleep in headgear anymore.

But then I think of the positives, I had a horrible openbite, I could only chew with my 2nd molars. Now I find it very satisfying to be able to bite things off without looking like T Rex. I am also glad I was able to avoid jaw surgery, and it's really nice that I don't have to wear headgear 24/7 anymore either.

It's been so long since I didn't have braces I can hardly remember, so weather it's another few months or even a year I don't think it really matters at this point. After all these years of inconvenience I think waiting a little longer might just be worth it.