Why does orthodontic treatment sometimes last longer than originally anticipated?
The treatment time for any patient is dependent on several factors, some the orthodontist has control over, some the patient has control over, and some that none of us have control over, like growth. Keeping regular appointments, wearing elastics/following instructions, avoiding broken brackets, and keeping your teeth clean can all contribute to keeping the treatment time on track. Failure to follow these suggestions will increase total treatment time. When we fist examine you we are giving you an “estimate”, we try very hard to predict accurately, but we never want to lose sight of the goal which is to provide a great end result and not to rush to the finish line of the treatment.
