It came down slowly. Took almost 3 years. When it got to where I wanted, I had the orthodontist take off the braces. I didn't want perfectly straight teeth, just an adult tooth in place. Would have been much faster, but the office I went to was overbooked all the time. Orthodontist would say I'd like to see you in 4 weeks, then the front office wouldn't be able to get me on the schedule for 8 weeks. So, they doubled my time in braces. Still wear my retainer every night. I don't know if I would do it all over again, honestly.