Newbie to the forum - expected treatment times?

[lizziebeth1028]

Hi All! I'm new to the forum. I've had my braces for almost 8 months - which has gone by surprisingly fast! Last night I just had my final wire put on! Exciting! Originally my ortho said possibly 18 months in braces. Now he said that I might only have 4 more months to go! Wow, that's fast. Is ortho treatments in general faster in this day and age? How many of you have progressed much faster than anticipated and are/ or going to get yours off sooner than expected? My teeth look realy straight now - we're working on bite alignment and having fun with elastics ouch. Have a great weekend everyone!

[Aler58]

Wow, lucky you to get them off much sooner than expected!

[DoubleT]

Hi!

I'm new to the forum, I'm getting braces next week. I'm quite anxious about the pain I might experience.

I have an upper narrow jaw and some crowding, I'm hoping for nice final result.

;)

[djspeece]

As you will read here, treatment durations are all over the place -- but i do see a lot of us going for 24 months as the initial plan. As I understand things (marginally) the length of treatment is dependent on the severity of the issues (i.e., moving things one way to make room for movement in another way, then back, and so forth), individual biology, and age (older patients take longer). I'm not certain of what the exact issues are related to the aging patient (bone density? less pliable connective tissue?) but frankly everything now takes longer for me . Congratulations and best of luck to you!

[djspeece]

Hi!

I'm new to the forum, I'm getting braces next week. I'm quite anxious about the pain I might experience.

I have an upper narrow jaw and some crowding, I'm hoping for nice final result.

Many people here report that the pain is not particularly bad when braces are applied, especially since the ortho often starts with a very small and flexible wire. In my case, i think i was most disturbed by the change in my body image -- more of a psychological issue than a physical one. I suppose I had some vanity going on, . It's safe to say you will have some mild discomfort, especially in the early weeks as your checks toughen up. You'll find dental wax to be very helpful in this regard. Dentakit.com, the sponsor of this site, has some orthodots that seem very promising, and also a mouth guard sort of thing that you chill and it is purported to reduce discomfort and inflammation. Take a look at what is offered and see if anything is appealing.
I tried to pump myself up thinking that the pain/discomfort represented progress, and that i have been through far worse in my life and if my kids could do it (many years ago when they were teens) then by God i could do it. Mostly, it's the unrelenting nature of the discomfort, especially after a new wire is placed or if you have powerchains and/or elastics added to the mix -- and even that improves over the course of a few days. I'm a believer in ibuprofen for pain -- it specifically works on the pain transmitting chemicals related to orthopedic and dental pain. Take as directed. Distraction helps too. Doing fun things, keeping your mind occupied, sex, and so forth. . You'll get through it. Best of luck to you!

[JiggyTzu]

[quote=djspeece post_id=501703 time=1524484507 user_id=20342]
As you will read here, treatment durations are all over the place -- but i do see a lot of us going for 24 months as the initial plan. As I understand things (marginally) the length of treatment is dependent on the severity of the issues (i.e., moving things one way to make room for movement in another way, then back, and so forth), individual biology, and age (older patients take longer). I'm not certain of what the exact issues are related to the aging patient (bone density? less pliable connective tissue?) but frankly everything now takes longer for me :lol: . Congratulations and best of luck to you!
[/quote]

Oh no! You burst my bubble! My orthodontist told me at 48, it would probably go faster for me. He said because his older patients follow the rules and keep up with check-ups, they can experience a shorter treatment time than usually expected.

I’m not listening to you...hahaha!

[djspeece]

As you will read here, treatment durations are all over the place -- but i do see a lot of us going for 24 months as the initial plan. As I understand things (marginally) the length of treatment is dependent on the severity of the issues (i.e., moving things one way to make room for movement in another way, then back, and so forth), individual biology, and age (older patients take longer). I'm not certain of what the exact issues are related to the aging patient (bone density? less pliable connective tissue?) but frankly everything now takes longer for me . Congratulations and best of luck to you!

Oh no! You burst my bubble! My orthodontist told me at 48, it would probably go faster for me. He said because his older patients follow the rules and keep up with check-ups, they can experience a shorter treatment time than usually expected.

I’m not listening to you...hahaha!

I've heard this before, . 48 isn't old. Now will you believe me?

[JiggyTzu]

I didn't mean for my last sentence to be so big and.... pink. lol I guess this will be the only time I'll be glad time flies lol

[djspeece]

I didn't mean for my last sentence to be so big and.... pink. lol I guess this will be the only time I'll be glad time flies lol

Oh, I did that myself so you would know to what part of your post I was referring.

[JiggyTzu]

Hahaha....oooooh!! I’m new to braces AND message boards.