When Will Orthodontist Know Exact Remainder Time of a Patient's Braces Treatment?

I'm not really asking how long a treatment is, because I know it varies from patient to patient, but I"m wondering how far into a patient's treatment until the orthodontist can be able to tell how much longer until the braces get to come off. Does the orthodontist decide that a patient is ready to have his/her braces removed a year before they come off? Half a year? A few months?

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1 Doctor Answer | Asked by magnoliafire

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How does the orthodontist know when to remove my braces?

Good question! And of course it all depends...Some treatments require good patient cooperation (elastic band wear for instance) other treatments require good skeletal growth (big overjets in children)..In these case it is hard to know exactly because it depends on factors beyond the Orthodontists control. Other problems, like just straightening crooked teeth with braces are much more predictable. We have to be careful because if we guess too short then the patient is unhappy... more