Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi all.. I am just starting my othodontic treatment, and have been told about a and a half to 2 years, maybe even 2 and half. I just wondered how long you guys have been told your treatment will last and if anyones treatment time has been much shorter or longer? As like alot of you I am hoping it will happen alot quicker than that... Am I wishful thinking? lol.

I've been told my treatment will take about 18-24 months and im currently 5 months in so hopefully for my 19th birthday i'll be having them removed.

Its great to see someone else from the UK here, where abouts do you live? And why are you having orthodontic treatment?

My estimation is 24 months. But on my last adjustment, I told the ortho: "so 22 more months right?" He just smiled, patted my shoulder and said "we'll see"...So I am praying it wont be too long. I don't have much work needed on the bottom at all so as soon as my top arch gets better, I guess my ortho will be able to give me a better answer.

I have the same hope of a shorter sentence.

Ortho told me I would be braced for 20 months. Got my top ceramics in July after having 2 teeth removed due to crowding. My bottom teeth are not as bad so I got my bottom metals in October.

When I originally started, my adjustments were every 6 weeks, then he said that teeth were moving faster so he changed my adjustments to every 4 weeks. The ortho moved my remaing top teeth into postition before trying to close my 2 gaps. When this was done, he gave me springs over power chains in December. During my adjustment last Monday, he removed the springs because the gaps are completely closed and he told me that he now wants me in every 3 weeks!

I am afraid to ask him if this will shorten my "sentence".......I don't want to get my hopes up since it has only been 8 months and the movement could slow down or stop at any minute. However, I do feel hopeful since everything has gone so smoothly so far. Additionally, I have had only minimal discomfort with NO real pain.

I was originally told 18 - 24 months. I had severe upper and lower crowding... I'm now in my 19th month and the end is in sight... Just got to wait for these bloody gaps to close on my lowers and I'll nearly be done.

All I can say is aim for your maximum sentence - I was aiming for 18 months max and was even told by my ortho that it may be possible to get them off early. So I got all excited and then when I realised that there was no way that would be happening, it was so disappointing!

As much as you want it to be over, be patient... the end could come sooner than you anticipate.

Katy

I was told 12-18 months (and this is round two for me), which is considerably shorter than the 48 months I was in treatment for as a teen. I am not counting on anything at this point, but will be grateful if my treatment ends somewhere within that estimate.

I was told 24 months during my consultation. Lately I've been coming in every 3 weeks for adjustments. Does this mean that my teeth are moving faster then they expected?

My ortho estimated 2 years, but i'm 8 months over that now. I was told at my last adjustment that they'll be off in under 6 months though!

I was told 16 to 18 months. It was 2 years last January. I am hoping by May they will finally be removed but who knows. ....I just hope I am still young when they do come off.

My ortho told me two years. I have serious bite problems and crowding. I'm three months into my treatment. At each appointment, I keep asking my ortho if the movement is about what he expects and what is coming next.....but he rarely answers with any definite answers.....I always get "vague" replies from him.

However, I am amazed at the results in just three months. My top teeth are already more straight than I could have imagined.....and the bottom where most of my crowding is doesn't even look the same....I would have never thought that in three months my teeth could have moved this much.

I have two friends who both had braces as adults. The one friend, in his mid-30's, who I thought had serious problems actually finished early. He was told 24 months and got them off at 20 months. My other friend who was in his early 40's at the time, had a great smile and to me didn't look that bad....he was told two years and actually had them on for four years. So, I guess you just never know. Everyone's situation is different.

-Chris

My sentence was 3-4 years and I will have had upper braces for 2 years this april! I only got bottom braces last November!

I had 2 impacted canines that have just both finally been attached to the wire! It seems like its taken forever! And my bite is way out of whack and I'm missing 2 teeth on top so he decided to pull 2 on the bottom!

I remember at my consulation my ortho looked at my smile and looked very distressed and told me we needed to get started right away!

I haven't even thought about asking my ortho how much longer he thinks I'll need braces for because he'd probably laugh and then go into pointing out everything that we still need to fix! So, I'll just try to be patient and not expect them to be off anytime soon!

~Hannah




Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05
Last Adjustment: February 28, 2006 where they gave me a new bottom wire and attached my impacted canine, newly bracketed, to the wire! OUCH!

I'm stuck with metal for 18-24 months.

I was told that I had to have them on for 15-18 months. My payments are up in October, which will be the 15 month mark. Otherwise, I have to have them on until Jan of 2007. I'm PRAYING that I get them off early lol!!! I've already had them on for 8 months to the day, so it hasnt been too bad.

18-24 months. Waaaahhh! I want them off now! Instant gratification takes too long.

I was sentenced to 18-21 months, but I'm hoping to get them off early because all of mine are in place bar a tiny space between my top right canine and the one next to it. After that it's on to gum surgery!