Metal Mouth Message Board

How long were you in braces before and after your surgery?

I was told 9 months before surgery and 9 months after. It ended up being 25 1/2 months before surgery and 5 1/2 months after. I've been out of braces about 2 1/2 months.

As Merytan said, everyone is so different. It depends on individual cases and how much alignment is needed prior to surgery, and how much finishing off is required afterwards.

Like everyone else has said, the time required in braces pre/post-surgery varies from person to person. Time in braces pre-surgery is usually not less than 6 months and it can be far, far longer... Post-surgery, the soonest you might get debraced is around 3 months post op, but it usually ranges from 6-9 months or so.. But it definitely depends on your situation!

For me, I was ready for surgery after six months, but due to school, moving, etc, I will be having the surgery after 13 months in braces. It's a drag to have them on for so much longer than I actually "need" them but there was no other way.

Post-op I'm expected to have them on for at least a few months, but depending on the healing process (and living halfway across the country eight months a year for school) it could be anywhere from 3-9 months... I was told that I will probably be able to get them off around 6 months post-op, so I'm hopeful that estimate will hold true!

Your orthodontist and surgeon should be able to give you an estimate, but these things change (often drastically) with time.

well the thing is I really hope I wont have to have them on that long because I will be enlisting in the marines and am aiming for boot camp in summer 08. My teeth arent very crooked right now because I only recently got out of braces about a year ago. The straigtening wasnt the problem it was the bite which was messing everything up.. hence i have to get this surgery (I have the bite where the front top doesnt come over the front bottom). Im still wearing my retainer at night to keep the teeth from gettin out of control to hopefully lessen the time I will need to be in the braces.

do you think its possible to have my ortho speed up the process by tightening the braces more than usual or whatever to get out of them faster?

I don't think they can speed up the process, they are professionals afterall!

It takes so long because they aim for a stable result. The teeth have to become fixed in their new position, and this takes time.

My teeth were also pretty straight before surgery..I had braces on for 3 months and 12 days before surgery. I am now 4 months post op and lookin to be in braces for a couple more months.

In the beginning the ortho said i could expect to be in braces for 18months than have double jaw surgery than stay in braces for another 18months after. So 3 years in all. Im only 9months in so guess we'll see how it goes!