So one of the first things people want to know about Invisalign is how long it will take. Everyone wants to know how long the treatment will be before they commit to it. Makes sense because you have to schedule around work, social events and personal milestones. Knowing the timeline helps you get your mind and body ready for the process of straightening your teeth.
The length of treatment varies from person to person. If there’s not much crowding and only a few small gaps, it can be fixed in 6-12 months. Moderate alignment issues can take 12-18 months to fix. 18-24 months or more for complex cases with a lot of misalignment, biting issues or tooth movement. The length of time you wear aligners depends on your situation.
There are several factors that can affect how fast your teeth respond to treatment. The worst the misalignment is the most important. Teeth that only need a little adjustment move into place faster than teeth that are badly rotated or out of place. Also how many teeth need to be moved. It takes less time to fix the alignment of a few teeth than to move a lot of teeth around in your mouth.
Your age affects the length of treatment but not as much as most people think. Younger patients’ teeth may move a little faster since their bones are still more flexible. Invisalign works for adults too. Most of the time the time it takes to treat people of different ages is not too different. How dedicated you are to wearing your aligners correctly is more important than how old you are.
Following the rules is the most important thing you can do. You need to wear your Invisalign aligners for 20 to 22 hours a day. People who take their aligners off a lot or for a long time slow down their progress a lot. Some people need to stay in treatment for months longer because they don’t wear their aligners every day. Following the directions will help you finish your treatment on time. We will tell you how long things will take when you come to Dentistry on the Pines for the first time. We will examine your teeth and use digital planning software to figure out how to do the whole process. This plan will tell you how many aligners you need and how long each phase will take. We can’t tell you an exact date when the work will be done because everyone’s body reacts differently but our predictions are right for most patients.
The kind of movement needed affects how long the treatment will take. Rotating twisted teeth takes longer than just closing gaps between teeth. Moving teeth up and down or changing their angle takes longer than sliding them sideways. When there are complex movements that go in more than one direction, treatment naturally takes longer. When we come up with an estimated schedule for your treatment plan we take all these into account.
Most people switch to new aligners every two weeks. Some cases allow you to change every week, while others have you wear each set for three weeks. Your plan will determine when you can move up. Faster isn’t always better since teeth need time to move safely. If you rush the process you could harm the roots or the bone around them.
Progress checks during treatment help you stay on track. We normally see clients who wear Invisalign every six to eight weeks. At these appointments we can check if the teeth are moving as they should. Sometimes we notice that some teeth aren’t doing what we expected they would. By making small changes to your plan you can correct these issues and avoid large delays.
The refinement phases can add time to the overall treatment. After you finish your first set of aligners your teeth may not be in the right places yet. Extra refinement aligners make the results even better and help with teeth that won’t move. We discuss refinements during the planning talks even though not all patients need them.
Retention is just as important as active treatment time but doesn’t count. After your teeth have moved into their final positions you’ll wear retainers to keep everything in place. You may have to wear retainers all the time for a few months at first. You can wear them at night after a while and that’s all you need to retain the results. This time of retention is forever so that teeth don’t move around slowly. When you look at the timeframes for Invisalign and regular braces they are usually the same. Both usually take 12 to 24 months. The biological process of moving teeth is more significant than the tools used to do so. You can only move your teeth so fast without harming them.
Some dental offices say they have faster treatment options that say they can speed up the movement of teeth. These procedures use different instruments or ways to get bones to move. These methods aren’t supported by all dentists because they don’t always work. We only do methods that have been proven to work and are safe and reliable.
If you have realistic expectations you’ll be more likely to stay motivated during treatment. Teeth don’t always move in a straight line. Some months you’ll see tremendous changes and other months you’ll see things move more slowly. This is normal and doesn’t mean your treatment isn’t working. Wearing your aligners every day and trusting the process will give you the best results.
Life can sometimes get in the way of treatment plans. If you lose or damage your aligners, go on vacation and forget to wear them, or get sick and can’t wear them, you may have to wait longer. When things don’t go as planned giving yourself a little extra time might help you deal with stress. Most delays are minimal and won’t impact the date you finish your treatment by much. Our Cosmetic Dentistry knows that time is often tied to certain goals or events. You may want your smile to be straighter before a reunion, a job interview or a wedding. When you tell us about these timeframes it helps us figure out what matters most to you. We can’t always speed up biological processes but we do our best to meet your needs when we can.
Sometimes the decisions made about treatment are affected by work obligations. People whose job depends on how they look, such as public speakers, performers or others, may be worried about being seen while they are getting treatment. These concerns are nicely solved by the fact that Invisalign is almost invisible. Most people finish their treatment without anyone noticing they are wearing braces. Age doesn’t stop treatment from working but it can affect how long it takes. Teenagers sometimes need a different approach than adults. You need to keep an eye on them during treatment because their teeth are still growing. We change how we plan and talk to people based on their age, whether they are teens or adults.
Taking care of your mouth while you’re getting treatment will help you avoid delays. You can’t use Invisalign if you have cavities or gum problems. You have to fix them first. While you’re having braces our Dental Hygiene services can help you keep your teeth and gums healthy. Regular cleanings and exams catch problems before they get worse.
When you start Invisalign treatment in Vaughan you’ll be dealing with people who know how to handle timing issues. We at Dentistry on the Pines will give you a realistic idea of how long things will take and be there for you every step of the way. Book an appointment to find out how long your case may take. Knowing your own timeline will help you prepare with confidence for the straighter smile you want.