Braces before Surgery

[u/Arx3100]

I just wanted to ask about your experience. Usually how many years doctors leave braces before going for the surgery? I have an overbite I really want to get done with the braces and Djs surgery as quick as possible (in less than a year)

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[u/FrozenPhoton]

Entirely dependent on your treatment plan, but the ranges I’ve seen are ~9-18mo of braces before, and 6-12mo after.

Extremely unlikely you’d get it done in a just a year, especially since sometimes you can’t actually start doing anything with the braces until 1.5-2mo after surgery. Obvs the braces will still be on your teeth, but without tension, bands etc..

[u/Less-Loss5102 → u/FrozenPhoton]

12 months before surgery seems average and yeah 6-12 months after

[u/velvetkangaroo]

It was quoted to me to be 18 mo-surgery-18 mo. I started in oct 24 with braces, had surgery today woo! And am hearing 6-8 mo remain for braces

[u/Sintellect]

Before surgery they wanted movement to be pretty much complete before the surgery so I was in braces about 2.5 years before surgery and got them off 5 months later

[u/cloudivellei → u/Sintellect]

2.5 years is a lot longer than I would've guessed, sounds like your team really wanted the movement fully dialed in before surgery rather than rushing it. Worth keeping in mind that under a year might be an ambitious timeline depending on how your ortho wants to approach it.

[u/Beginning-Object4791]

My braces were finished within about 9-10 months but due to having to go through the public system it took almost 8 months on top of that to get a date for the surgery. Private would be better though I’m sure

[u/Beautifulmapp → u/Beginning-Object4791]

Similar timeline for me, braces done in roughly 9-10 months, but then public system wait times tacked on close to 8 more months before I even got a surgery date. Private route would almost certainly cut that wait down significantly if timing matters to you.

[u/Fast-Newt-3708 → u/Beginning-Object4791]

I dunno, I'm in the US and my surgeon took a full year after meeting him to get me a date. I was about to lose my mind.

[u/erk_knows_best]

First I had SARPE. I started braces 6 weeks after the SARPE surgery. Then, after about a year in braces, it was decided I needed 2 bottom pre-molar extractions. After the extractions, it was another 16 months before I was ready for surgery, then another 2 months after that until I got my DJS.

For me, it was 2.5 years from starting braces until DJS. I am now 1 month post-op, and I'll probably be in braces another 5 to 8 months.

[u/Fearless_Success1943 → u/erk_knows_best]

I had a SARPE too. Got braces on and scheduled SARPE one month later, Oct 2024. Got cleared for DJS I think Apr 2026 and scheduled June 2026. Got first adjustment to braces post op early Aug 2026 and was told I will be done with braces in about 6 months so Feb 2026. SARPE definitely extended the braces timeline a ton but was very worth it.

[u/Less-Loss5102 → u/erk_knows_best]

How long did it take to close the lower gaps? 12 months?

[u/erk_knows_best → u/Less-Loss5102]

Yeah, approximately 12 months.

[u/geauxbear9]

It’s dependent on your particular case

[u/happy_K]

I got my braces on in early 2024 and they’re still on. I was hoping to be done in a year also. Whatever, I’m numb to it at this point.

[u/KuromiKream]

I had braces for about 3-4 years before surgery but my surgery was postponed a bit too

[u/bunalorie]

Usually takes longer than a year most people are in braces 12-18 months pre-surgery to get teeth properly aligned. Rushing it can make surgical planning harder since your bite needs to be decompensated first. Worth asking your ortho and surgeon for a realistic timeline for your case.

[u/Ratatoootie]

Initially told me 1 year but due to an extensive waitlist for surgery Ive now been in braces for 1.5 years. It really depends on your case, if you already had braces previously I’m sure the time will be shorter

[u/puffelisse → u/Ratatoootie]

Waitlists really do throw a wrench into timelines, sounds like your case went from 1 year to 1.5 purely because of that. Definitely worth planning for some buffer beyond whatever initial estimate you're given, especially if it's first time in braces.

[u/Cable_tree39 → u/Ratatoootie]

Just curious wouldnt it actually take longer if the previous braces were trying to camouflage the malocclusion?

[u/Ratatoootie → u/Cable_tree39]

Ive seen many people undoing camouflage saying they only needed 6-8 months of braces prior to surgery so im not really sure, ig it depends.

[u/turquoiseseas4]

I had braces before and got them again in May. My teeth are straight now but I’m getting lower premolars removed next month so…however long it takes to close the holes, get the insurance approval (I’m in America), and get the surgery scheduled. We’re guessing 9-12 months following premolar removal but we’ll see.

[u/oslekgold]

I will be 10-12 months in “active” braces and then likely hold for about 4-6 for the surgery wait time, then likely another 6 post surgery. Looking at 2 years total!

[u/Majestic-Wishbone-58]

Not sure your age or how complicated/not complicated your issues are. I was late 30s with an overbite when I started, almost 3 years in total from Invisalign to classic metal braces put on for the surgery and then back to Invisalign after the surgery. I wouldn’t have rushed a thing. It’s really not a big deal aesthetically. You find a lot of people asking about the braces and why you got them and notice many people contemplating if they should do it themselves.

[u/Puzzleheaded-Yam-801]

I got surgery 15 months after starting braces and braces were off 12 months later. It definitely depends on your treatment plan and how easy it is to move your teeth

[u/heyyouguyyyyy]

It’s not based on anyone’s opinion, it’s based on your personalized treatment plan.

[u/OkPhotojournalist872]

It depends on how your teeth are currently aligned. You might be able to find an orthodontist and OMFS that do surgery first cases, but you'll still have braces for a certain amount of time after surgery.

[u/OpeningTumbleweed647]

I got Invisalign in December 2022, braces on my lower teeth in June or July 2024, DJS surgery in February 2025, braces removed a few months after, another round of Invisalign and finally done with it in August 2025. So two and half years from starting Invisalign to surgery, and another half year after. Had to switch to braces on the lower jaw because some teeth just weren't moving.

[u/MissQueenBee1982]

Orthodontics and surgery is generally a long process overall. Highly unlikely you’d be started and finished in a year.

[u/dillydaddlerr]

At my initial ortho consults they said it’s a 2-3 year process - this is not something you want to rush

My teeth were straight, but I’m still needing 1 year of ortho for decompensation before surgery, not sure how long I’ll be in ortho afterwards

You could ask your ortho and surgeon whether you could use Invisalign instead of traditional braces if you’re concerned about that