You look in the mirror, and your teeth look straight, so why are your braces still on? How long braces take varies from patient to patient, but getting straight teeth is only part of your treatment plan.
We've covered why teeth sometimes look worse before braces do their job and why your bite can feel weird partway through treatment. Now for the finish line. The final stage of braces, sometimes called the finishing phase, is a round of fine-tuning. It includes work on three things that are hard to see in the mirror: how your top and bottom teeth fit together, whether small spaces close, and how your roots sit beneath the gums.
Straight teeth don’t always mean a balanced bite. You can have a great-looking smile and still have top and bottom teeth that don’t meet the way they should. That’s true even for patients who started with overbites or underbites. So when the mirror says you’re done, we’re still working on how your teeth fit together.
The back teeth get a lot of that attention. Neighbors there should sit at the same height, which orthodontists call marginal ridge leveling.
We also look at whether neighboring back teeth sit at the same height. The raised edges between them are called marginal ridges, and leveling them helps those teeth touch the way they should.
This part takes time. If your treatment includes rubber bands or other orthodontic appliances, bite correction can take longer than a single six- to eight-week stretch of wearing them.
The American Board of Orthodontics, the specialty's certifying board, includes it among the criteria it uses to evaluate finished cases.
As treatment winds down, we check for small gaps between your teeth. Moving teeth into line can leave little spaces behind, and in most cases the goal is for neighbors to touch at the contact points between them. A few patients are meant to keep a space, and we’ll tell you if that’s you.
We check for spaces late because it's hard to know how much is truly left until your teeth are in their final positions. Left open, spaces can lead to food getting trapped between teeth, which can make oral hygiene harder and is one reason the same certifying board looks for neighboring teeth to be in contact.
Teeth can look straight from the outside while the roots underneath angle toward or away from each other. You can't see that in the mirror. An X-ray lets us see how your roots are positioned.
Why does that matter? The American Board of Orthodontics grades finished cases on root position. When roots are properly angled, there is enough bone between neighboring roots, which could matter if someone later becomes prone to bone loss from gum disease. A review in the IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences summarizes the same standards.
If your X-ray shows roots that need adjusting, we may need to remove a bracket and reposition it so the wire can guide the root where it needs to go. These changes are small, but root movement is gradual.
The big tooth movement is mostly behind you, but brackets and wires are still doing precision work, and precision takes time. This applies to any type of braces, including ceramic braces. According to the same review, the finishing phase can take as much time and effort as correcting the major problems in some cases. A longer finishing phase doesn't, by itself, mean something has gone wrong.
At your regular visits (why braces checkups are vital), we make these adjustments step by step. Keep brushing, flossing, and seeing your dentist to keep your oral health on track. To learn why you shouldn't rush this stage, see speed or consistency.
The goal of the finishing phase is a result that fits and functions well. Even so, teeth can shift after braces come off, which is why retainers matter. The bone and soft tissue around your teeth, including your gums, need time to adjust to their new positions. Retainers help hold your teeth in place during that adjustment, supporting long-term stability.
Clinical reviews in Dental Update and the IOSR journal describe this adjustment as lasting many months, with some gum fibers taking even longer. It's also generally accepted that patients should wear retainers, at least part-time, for as long as they want their teeth to stay aligned. Retainers come as removable retainers or fixed retainers bonded behind the teeth, and we'll go over which fits you and how to wear it. To learn more, see which type of retainer is best for you.
Straight-looking teeth are only part of a finished result. In the final stage, we still fine-tune how your top and bottom teeth fit together, check for small spaces, and check your root positions. Some of that doesn't show up in the mirror.
Removing braces early can leave small bite, spacing, or root-position details unfinished. If you're ready to be done, talk with us. We can show you where you are and what's left.
It varies with your starting case, your progress, and how many details still need attention. When you visit your orthodontist, ask for an estimate based on your X-rays and progress.
The last stretch of braces can feel like the longest, but it's when your bite, spacing, and root position get fine-tuned for a beautiful smile. If you’re in braces now and wondering how much longer, ask us at your next visit. We’ll show you where you are and what’s left.
Thinking about braces for yourself or your child? Learn what to expect at your first visit, or request an appointment with Zombek Orthodontics in Weston or Hollywood, FL.
“Why does my bite feel off during orthodontic treatment?” It’s a common question during Invisalign or braces treatment. If your braces or Invisalign bite feels weird, then your treatment is actually doing its job.
Zombek Orthodontics creates beautiful smiles, but those smiles can feel odd during the process. As your teeth move, your bite may feel odd. It doesn’t mean anything has gone wrong. It just means your teeth are moving as expected.
How long will your bite feel odd? It varies from patient to patient. It could be a few weeks or a few months. In the end, you’ll have a bite that fits the way it should, so it will feel normal.
To understand the shift in your bite, you need to understand how orthodontic treatment works. Whether you choose braces or clear aligners, your treatment will happen in phases.
Teeth will need to be moved and straightened, and your bite will need to be aligned. Then, everything needs to come together and line up for the perfect smile.
It’s normal to feel an odd bite while your teeth shift into proper alignment. You may find that your bite isn’t as strong or as accurate as normal, and that’s OK. It’s not a sign of a problem. Instead, it’s a sign that your treatment is working as expected.
Changes in your bite usually don’t happen until several months in because tooth alignment comes first.
What does that mean? Your braces or clear aligners will start with straightening and positioning your teeth to form a proper dental arch. Until your teeth are lined up as they need to be, we can’t move them into a proper bite.
Once your teeth are properly aligned, we can move them to create a proper bite where the top teeth fit against the bottom teeth as they should. Your teeth are designed to fit a certain way so they tear and grind your food without wearing themselves down.
Those dental arches and your bite would be inaccurate if the teeth weren’t aligned properly first. An inaccurate bite would mean corrections later, which would prolong your treatment. That’s why we straighten and position the teeth first.
This is also why your bite may feel “off” at first. It’s not a mistake — it actually shows that your treatment is working.
When It’s OK vs. When You Should Call Us
Your teeth will move a lot, and your bite will change over time. All of this is going to make your mouth feel “weird” for a while. When does the “weird” feeling go from normal to something that requires a phone call to the orthodontist?
Here are some instances where things may feel “weird” but are actually normal, and when “weird” isn’t normal and may need a call to Zombek Orthodontics and an intervention from us.
Normal
Worth a call
Keep in mind, Zombek Orthodontics is always here for you. We are happy to answer any questions you have. You can always call with concerns about treatment, or bring them up during an office visit.
We strongly recommend you keep all office appointments. Those appointments allow us to track your treatment and make any adjustments needed to keep your tooth movement and bite corrections on track.
Yes. We start by straightening your teeth, which may make your bite feel “off.” Once your teeth are aligned into a proper dental arch, we will move them to correct your bite.
If we try to correct your bite while your teeth are still crooked, your bite will be inaccurate and will need to be corrected again later. Treatment needs to be done in phases.
It usually takes several weeks or even a few months to correct your bite and remove that odd feeling, though the feeling will likely change during that time as your teeth realign.
If the feeling that your bite is off doesn't change, give us a call. You may still feel like your bite is off, but it may feel different over time. It will only be a problem if your bite doesn't change at all, even after several weeks.
Braces and Invisalign treatment can make your mouth feel strange for a while, but it’s perfectly normal. The result is a beautiful smile and a bite that chews food efficiently and won’t cause excessive tooth wear.
Start a virtual consult with Zombek Orthodontics for orthodontic treatment in Weston, FL, or Hollywood, FL. Let us show you how amazing a new smile can look and feel.
Why does braces treatment take so much time? It comes down to biology. Kids' jaws, teeth, and facial structure are all still developing, and we have to work with that growth rather than rush past it. Teeth, jaws, and bite relationships shift over time, and guiding that process carefully helps keep your child's dental issues from creeping back once their jaws finish growing.
At Zombek Orthodontics, we want to build a healthy, beautiful smile that actually lasts, which is why we often plan treatment in phases rather than one quick fix. Understanding why braces treatment takes time and what actually happens at each stage makes the whole process a lot less confusing.
Most kids don't walk out with braces on day one. First, we build a plan tailored to their mouth and their specific dental issues, and the more complex those issues are, the more thought that plan takes.
That first visit usually includes a full exam, some photos, and often digital scans or X-rays, so we can actually see what's going on with the teeth, jaw, and bite before recommending anything.
Dental issues tend to get worse over time if left alone, which is one reason the American Association of Orthodontists recommends kids see an orthodontist by age 7, even if braces are still years away.
For some kids, we'll recommend a two-phase orthodontic plan because it sets up better long-term results by guiding how the mouth develops, rather than just straightening what's already there.
Say your child has crowded teeth because their jaw is narrow. Phase One might mean a palate expander to widen it. If thumb sucking or tongue thrusting is part of the picture, we might use a tongue crib instead, to stop a habit before it does more damage. A significant overbite or crossbite is another common reason for early treatment, since correcting it while the jaw is still growing is usually far simpler than waiting until growth has finished.
Phase One often starts somewhere between ages 7 and 10, while the jaw is still developing and baby teeth are still on their way out. Phase Two, the part most people picture when they hear "braces," usually comes later, once permanent teeth are in, typically between 11 and 13.
Not every kid needs both phases. Sometimes Phase One is enough on its own to head off bigger problems down the road, like a narrow palate that would otherwise crowd the adult teeth. Other times, a child's dental issues are minor enough that waiting and going straight to braces later works just as well.
We won't know which path is right until we've actually examined your child's mouth. Once we have, we can tell you what treatment will involve, roughly how long it'll take, and what kind of results to expect. It's never a one-size-fits-all answer, which is part of why the planning stage matters so much.
Starting too early, while the jaw still has a lot of growing to do, can sometimes let normal growth push teeth and bite out of alignment again, meaning more treatment down the line.
Starting too late has its own downside. Teeth that don't align properly wear unevenly during chewing, and waiting only gives those issues more time to compound, which can mean more discomfort, more damage, and a longer road to fixing it all.
That's why we recommend age 7: it's early enough to catch problems while there's still room to guide things, without jumping the gun on treatment your child doesn't need yet.
Their jaw may still be growing, and putting braces on too soon can throw off how the teeth, bite, and jaw settle into place. We typically wait until most of the permanent teeth are in, and sometimes we'll do some pre-treatment first, like stopping thumb sucking or tongue thrusting. As we often tell parents, consistency matters more than speed here.
We'll monitor jaw development and permanent tooth eruption, usually with checkups every six months or so. If your child is wearing an appliance like a palate expander or tongue crib, we may want to see them more often just to make sure it's doing its job.
Not necessarily. Our goal is always the best result in the shortest reasonable time, not the fastest possible timeline. Rushing treatment can actually do more harm than good to your child's teeth and jaw.
We rely on X-rays to see how the jaw is developing and where permanent teeth are still waiting to come in, along with the tooth roots, which aren't visible any other way. Panoramic X-rays are considered safe for children. Research on digital panoramic units puts the dose at roughly a tenth to a third of a typical chest X-ray, a small fraction of the background radiation we're all exposed to over the course of a normal year.
Zombek Orthodontics takes a methodical, comfortable approach to kids' orthodontics, because we know how much a confident smile matters to a child or teenager. We love seeing the confidence boost our patients get
Can I get braces with crowns? What about Invisalign with dental implants? Can I get orthodontic treatment with veneers? Will my previous dental work keep me from orthodontic treatment?
Many adults think they can’t get braces treatment or clear aligners treatment because they have crowns, bridges, dental implants, or fillings. That’s not the case at all! We can certainly work around your previous dental work to give you the smile you want.
Zombek Orthodontics will work with your dentist to provide the customized treatment you need and accommodate your previous dental work.
Yes, you can get braces with a crown. We will use a special bonding agent so it doesn’t damage your crown. We can move what’s left of the tooth under the crown.
Absolutely! We can move your teeth with or without fillings. We’ll work carefully to avoid damaging the tooth, depending on how much of the original tooth is left after it’s drilled for the filling.
Yes, though they can be a bit tricky. Dental implants are metal “roots” implanted in your jawbone that lack a periodontal ligament, which is what moves your teeth. They can’t be moved during your treatment, so we’ll have to work around them. But it shouldn’t be a problem.
The good news is, we can treat your dental issues with braces despite your dental implants. We can fix your overbite, underbite, or crossbite. We can close your gaps and relieve your crowded teeth. We don’t attach a bracket to the crown of a dental implant. Instead, we skip that tooth.
Your dental implants may not be in perfect line with the rest of your teeth after braces. There are ways to improve this, including placing a new crown that lines up better with your other teeth.
You can, but as with crowns, we may use a special bonding agent on your veneers and we may attach the brackets in a special way. Many people get veneers to close gaps between their teeth. Your orthodontic treatment may close those gaps without needing veneers or dental bonding.
You can also wear Invisalign with veneers. We can customize your clear aligners to fit around your veneers.
If you’re considering getting veneers, it might be a good idea to get them after your orthodontic treatment.
In fact, if you’re planning to get any dental work such as crowns, bridges, dental implants, or veneers, we recommend you get your orthodontic treatment first. Dr. Zombek will work with your dentist to coordinate your dental work with your orthodontic treatment.
Absolutely! You can definitely get Invisalign with fillings.
Yes, you can, although we will skip your crown when placing your braces. But we can move the tooth underneath, so that shouldn’t be a problem. We can also treat you with a bridge. We will just have to be careful not to close the gap where your crown goes, but that won’t be a problem.
Yes, although we won’t be moving your dental implant. It’s fused to your jawbone and won’t move. We will work around it.
Zombek Orthodontics will work with your regular dentist to provide you with the best orthodontic treatment as possible around your previous dental work. If you’re an adult who’s interested in braces treatment or Invisalign treatment in Weston, FL, or Hollywood, FL, schedule an appointment with Zombek Orthodontics.
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