Metal Mouth Message Board

Hey everybody,
I don't post here much, usually just when I get paranoid/aggravated about my braces.
I got my braces in March of 2007 with about a 24 month estimate for treatment. On my last appointment in March my orthodontist said about another 3 visits and I should be done (in other words about 3 months if it all goes according to plan). I think what's holding me up is a small gap from extractions on my right side. It's really small and I had one on the left side, but that's really all closed up. It seems like I'm so close to the end and this one, tiny little gap won't close. My orthodontist has has me wearing elastics on both sides at night (they go from the back bottom hook to the top hook near the front, if that helps). I use the "medium" ones in the purpleish bag. I feel like they're not helping really. Needless to say I want to get these things off as soon as I can. Would using the stronger elastics make a noticeable difference in how fast they close? It's tempting to double up on them or wear them full time but I know doubling up is a bad idea unless they tell you to, and I'm afraid if I wear them full time without asking I could screw something up. I'm kind of at a loss for what I could do though. It just seems like every time I go in my treatment time gets expanded yet again, when I thought I would have them off like a month ago.
Sorry for the long winded post, it just feels good to rant sometimes.

The elastics are for your bite, not closing gaps-- at least from what I know.

I got my braces on about the same time as you and mine are coming off on the 17th. When they say they might be coming off in a few visits I wouldn't take much from that, only when they officially say they are coming off you should perk your ears up. I think my last few visits they kept saying they would come off in a few trips and it was agonizing each time.

Oh my God, I know.

My orthodontist got me with the tantalisingly vague "we should be able to get them off by summer"...

But my upper and lower back teeth are still spaced by about 1mm when I bite together and it's still only my front teeth that meet

I also have a teeny tiny gap which seems to be closing sooooo slowly now.

I so want to just get these bloody things off now (it's only been a year, so I *know* I'm impatient but it's only after getting my hopes up!)

Do your teeth have to be perfectly aligned for a while before they'll take the braces off? Or are they usually moving right up until the last minute?

I'm in a similar boat. I was originally slated for removal in early April of this year and my ortho told me that he would give me a debanding date in March. Well he didn't and he said that I would probably be another "10-12 weeks" and that was his best guess... then he said he would probably be able to let me know a date next time. I went in yesterday and not only did he not give me a date, but he estimated 8-10 weeks, when 4 weeks ago he had said 10-12 so by simple math I should be down to 6-8 weeks. Then he said "I should be able to give you almost an exact date next time." But I don't believe him, haha.

Anyway I have a LOT more than just one space that needs to be addressed... I'm in elastics and a crazy archwire with huge loops in it.

I hope your space closes up soon. I know how you feel when it seems like absolutely nothing is happening and you're thinking, hmm what could I do to speed this along...? But yea it really isn't a good idea to mess with your own treatment plan and not discuss with the ortho first. I asked mine yesterday if there was anything I could do to speed things along and he said he gets asked that alot. He said no there isnt because teeth will only move so fast and if you try to force them to move faster, then sometimes they will just dig in to where they are and refuse to move at all, which would definitely be bad. So keep your chin up and good luck!