Just got back from the orthodontist with more bad news – at least another month of waiting for the braces to come off. My daughter is 13 and got braces right after her 10th birthday. The ortho said that she would have them for 2 years, but now we are going on 3 ¼ ! To make matters worse, every time she goes in for her monthly appointment, the staff and the doctor tell her that next month they will come off, and then when she comes in the next month, they tell her that it will be another month. This has been happening since this past February. Is it normal to have braces on this long? Should we be patient or is there something else going on here? It seems like her teeth weren’t doing much moving after about the second year. The brackets themselves are big and dark and take up almost each whole tooth, not the smaller kind like some of her friends have, so she’d like to get rid of them soon and is almost in tears (privately, in the car) after each disappointing appointment. Anyone been there? Advice for me or her?
Thanks to all of you for helping talk me down off the ledge! I guess 3¼ years is well within normal range – we are probably all just getting impatient with the nicer weather and end-of-the-school-year things happening soon. My daughter did have a palate expander and a cross-bite, so her bite might be what’s taking so long as everything settles into place. It does help that a lot of her friends have braces by now, so at least she’s in good company! We did pay for everything up front, so at least they aren’t nickel-and-diming us every time we have a visit. And hopefully we are almost done. I think it makes sense to stay with this orthodontist and wait it out, but it sure has been kind of an emotional roller coaster over the past few months! If there’s no movement (no pun intended!) on this issue next appointment, I will speak to the orthodontist to ask what his goals are and to ask that he not mention an end date if he isn’t sure of an end date. Then maybe we’ll shop around a little more for when my son needs braces in a few years! Thanks for your suggestions!
My son got braces in August, was told they would be off between Christmas and New Years. They were trying to shift his jaw and two teeth. Come Jan. they said 6 more weeks. Come March, they said 6 more weeks. I think he finally got them off mid-April/beginning of May.
Yes, each time had disappointment. All we can offer is hugs and ice cream. (the ortho is right next to an ice cream shop.)
Yes this is normal. Would you prefer you paid that much and they took them off too soon? Within the first few months the teeth do most of the obvious moving but after that is actually more important. Think about it this way, if they were that easy to move that much, that quickly, how easily and quickly do you think they would move back?
I know you want to see the smile but trust me, don't rush your orthodontist. Both my kids that have already had braces went a year longer, or more, than the two years they tell you in the beginning.
My friend had hers on for 6, SIX, yes 6 years. She had a retainer and wore it 24/7 and with in 3 weeks her teeth moved RIGHT BACK as if they were never there for SIX years. Braces just do not work for some people. She got veneers(spelling) as an adult and now has the smile she longed for.
Where as I was able to have mine removed 6 months early - ALL patients are different and initial estimates are based on averages.
Everybody's body works at its own pace.
Her teeth are doing what they need to do..
It will be worth the wait.
I have an adult friend that wore braces in her 40's. Her family was not able to afford them when she was young. She would have loved to have them at your daughters age for as long as it took, instead of as an adult.
I agree, ask them to just tell her, "we need to wait and see how YOUR teeth are doing. We want them to be perfect. "
I would at least call the orthos office and tell them NOT to keep telling her that. Explain to them how upset she is every time she leaves. Tell them to say nothing from now on so when it is time, she can have a happy surprise instead of continued disappointments.
Advice. Tell the ortho to stop telling her "next month" let it just be a happy surprise if in fact they can come off.
If she is asking them, instruct them to tell her that they don't know yet.
Poor thing. That build up and let down is the worst!
T.:
Talk with the orthodontist and find out what exactly he/she is expecting to happen over the next month.
My braces were on for 2 years, 2 months, 2 days, and 2 weeks (I wasn't counting!!). However, my sister's were on for 3 years - head gear, etc.
Make an appointment with another orthodontist to see what they say...what they would do, etc.
It might not bee the TEETH that the ortho is waiting to move - but the alignment or bite. I know there are times when it can take a LONG time for the jaw bone (mandible) and teeth to match up.
Good luck!!
I had braces from 6th grade through the beginning of Freshman year, my grandpa and uncle were my orthodontists (helps to have "connections" to get your braces off the day before Freshman pictures)! I also had head gear, and an expander, to correct a cross bite like your daughter. I had 5 or 6 different generations of expanders from the time I was 3 years old up to the braces and then another during the time I had the braces on, too ( lucky it was in the family, or my parent's would've gone broke fixing my bite). With the cross bite it can take a long time to move all those bones to the right position, don't rush it. That said, if you really feel they are stringing you along, just go get a 2nd and/or 3rd opinion.
Talk to the orthodontist about your concerns that it keeps getting extended, remind him that he said 2 years and of how much longer it has been, and see if they can do the rest of the correction using the retainers she will be required to wear every night to keep things aligned, they can make minute shifts in teeth using them.
Good Luck, and make sure she wears her retainers AS PRESCRIBED, or else all this will be for naught, if you don't wear them, your teeth will try to move back to their natural positions, mine have shifted a little, even though I was religious with my retainers through HS and college - I haven't been in the last 10-12 years, and some of my teeth are slightly crooked again.
Jessie
If you are thinking that your ortho is leading you astray, find a new one for a 2nd opinion. My SS had braces and the wires were always snapping. The ortho conveniently charged for every visit, even for minor repairs. So DH finally got so angry he pulled SS from that guy's care and paid out of network fees for someone else, but for SD, everything was paid upfront. We were given a flat rate and anything within reason (even sending her to a friend of our doctor when SD was with BM in another state) was covered. If she's stuck and upset, and you question your care, seek another opinion, IMO. BEST choice we made was to move on, and the other ortho was fine taking on SS's care at the end.
heres an idea-take control back n tell them to remove them-i think their just yankin your chain for more money..if not happy go get a 2nd opinion..good luck
My daughter's friend had them on for nine years! They just came off and she says it was well worth it.
With braces, a lot of the time if you are suppose to wear rubber bands and you don't follow your instructions - you can definitely make the treatment last longer.
The teeth need to line up a certain way and once the braces are off - you HAVE to wear your retainer(s) at first 24 hrs a day and after about 6 months you can wear it/them only at night - because the teeth will try to shift back to their old positions if they are not held in place for a long while.
My son had braces for 2 1/2 years.
He got them off in the 6th grade and he still religiously wears his retainers at night.
If it makes you feel any better - 3 yrs or even 4 yrs in braces is not that bad.
My teeth were a mess (I had to have 8 permanent teeth pulled to get the remaining teeth to fit in my mouth) and I spent a total of 7 years in braces.
This was in the 1970's - they hadn't invented expanders yet - and there are many people my age that went through the same thing.
I finally had them off for my senior year in high school.
The last month I had them I broke down and sobbed in front of the whole office - the orthodontist, the assistants, the other patients and their parents - about when they were EVER coming off.
And I've never been a dramatic person.
So I know EXACTLY how she feels - but she's not going to be in them for 7 whole years.
She'll have them off way before she's finished with high school and she'll have a dazzling smile!
Mine were on for 3.5 - 4 years. I got them on in 4th grade and off in 8th. I also had to have the palate extender and had a cross bite.
I can understand your daughter's frustration with the office. They should stop telling her next month.
I hope it was for one price, and not "per month".
If you are worried that they don't know what they are doing, you could get a second opinion...
