Will my braces come off early?!
Question: My orthodontist said when I first got my braces that I would need them for two and a half years. Well, so far I've had then for one and a half years and all of my teeth are perfectly straight.
During my very first visit, my orthodontist said that I was going to need to wear rubber bands to help fix my slight overbite. But since everything's straightened out, I don't have an overbite anymore, everything is lined up perfectly. I thought maybe because of that, I won't need the rubber bands, hence making my projected time wearing braces shorter.
I haven't asked him about this yet, though. I'm not going to ask him to take them off early, I want them to stay on as long as they need to so my teeth stay straight. But under the circumstances, do you think I will get my braces off earlier than they initially said, even by a month or two (I'm suppose to get them off March 2009)?
Answers: My orthodontist said when I first got my braces that I would need them for two and a half years. Well, so far I've had then for one and a half years and all of my teeth are perfectly straight.
During my very first visit, my orthodontist said that I was going to need to wear rubber bands to help fix my slight overbite. But since everything's straightened out, I don't have an overbite anymore, everything is lined up perfectly. I thought maybe because of that, I won't need the rubber bands, hence making my projected time wearing braces shorter.
I haven't asked him about this yet, though. I'm not going to ask him to take them off early, I want them to stay on as long as they need to so my teeth stay straight. But under the circumstances, do you think I will get my braces off earlier than they initially said, even by a month or two (I'm suppose to get them off March 2009)?
It is an estimate, you may get lucky and get them off a little early.. Sometimes they stay on a little longer than you think though- there are other things that are really important to your teeth besides how they look, like how they touch each other. That helps to prevent or minimize the amount they move afterward. It's probably too early to tell for sure, stick with it and think about your perfect smile in about a year.
Good Luck
My son's orthodontist talked about the fact that even once your teeth are aligned, they need time to "learn" the new positioning. That could be the stage you are in now.
If your confident enough, then just tell them that you're ready to take them off. Don't let him hold you back.