6-8 week wait between orthodontist visits. Why?

[Optimistic]

After they adjust my braces I'm generally sore for about a week, which I presume means my teeth are being moved into place. After two weeks they feel completely fine again. Why then should I wait six to eight weeks? If I'm willing to take on all the pain couldn't I just get them readjusted every 3-4 weeks and be done months sooner than I otherwise would have?


Maybe I'm missing something here, just waiting six and even eight weeks between visits seems like such a waste of time.

[Snackan1986]

Teeth and gum health and greater risk of teeth relapse i guess

[Ben]

Yeah mine were 6 to 8 weeks apart, I was thinking the same thing as you at the time. I think that avoiding root damage is probably one of the reasons why the wait is so long between visits

[overbiter]

Yeah, because the ortho is trying to move the teeth but still keep the roots upright. To move the teeth faster more pressure would have to be applied and that would just buckle them over.

[Optimistic]

Yeah, because the ortho is trying to move the teeth but still keep the roots upright. To move the teeth faster more pressure would have to be applied and that would just buckle them over.

Ah ok. The only thing is that I recall when I had invisalign braces two years ago I was putting on a new set every two weeks.

[Modigliani]

s**t, I go every 4 weeks 

[Tiny]

s**t, I go every 4 weeks 

Maybe they don't tighten you as much?

[PloskoPlus]

9 weeks here.  I think my ortho uses Suresmile ( http://www.suresmile.com/ ), which allows for longer times between visits, though he never mentioned it (he's kinda dry and not very talkative).  The first ortho I saw really talked up Suresmile (and talked a lot in general).  When I mentioned it to the next one I saw (who sees people once a month), he said that "Good old J jumps on every trend.  2 years ago it was Damon, now it's Suresmile".  Finally he blurted out, "he needs Suresmile, cause he can't finish his cases without it!"  My surgeon sort of implied the same thing.  "J is a nice guy... a relly nice guy, but he has trouble finishing surgical cases".  Oh well, competent asshole >>> incompetent nice guy.