Most people know how long braces take to work, but what about Invisalign clear aligners? Do they take as long as braces? How soon will you see your new smile with Invisalign or Invisalign Teen?
Dr. Smith of Smith & Davis Orthodontics in Rogers, AR, is an Invisalign and Invisalign Teen provider. He can tell you how long your treatment will take after your first consultation. It depends on many factors, including age, the number and severity of dental issues, and how well you follow his instructions and wear your clear aligners as directed.
How long will you need to wear clear aligners? Let’s take a look at the factors that will decide.
Average Time for Invisalign to Work
What’s the “average” time for Invisalign treatment? It’s 6-24 months. Half a year to two years seems like quite the range, doesn’t it? So where will you fall in that? Lots of factors determine the length of your treatment time.
While it can take as little as six months or as long as two years, those aren’t the most common times. It’s more common to wear Invisalign for 9-16 months.
Let’s look at what might determine your treatment time.
Factors in Invisalign Treatment Time
What are the most common factors in determining your treatment time?
- Age: Jaws are still developing in children and teenagers, so the teeth are easier to move. That’s not to say that adults can’t have their teeth straightened. It just takes a bit longer to get everything moving.
- Severity of Dental Issues: Slightly crooked teeth will take less time to fix than very crooked teeth or severely impacted teeth. A large overbite will also take longer to fix than a slight one. The more severe your dental issues, the longer it will take to fix them.
- Number of Dental Issues: Are we fixing just crooked teeth, or are we fixing an overbite and crooked teeth? Multiple dental issues will take longer to fix because there is a strategy to moving the teeth and fixing everything at once and on time.
- Dedication to Wearing Invisalign as Prescribed: Part of your treatment time will rely on you. Invisalign trays are removable for eating, brushing, and flossing. But you still have to wear them 20-22 hours a day to be fully effective and to hit your target date. As long as you do that, there is a good chance you will hit that date.
Need for Pretreatment/Dental Appliances: Do you have bad habits that are damaging your teeth and need to be broken, such as thumbsucking or tongue-thrusting? Is your palate wide enough to move all of the teeth in place? You may need pretreatment with dental appliances such as a tongue crib or palate expander before you get your Invisalign.
How to Keep Your Treatment on Track
We will give you an estimate of your treatment time when we present you with your treatment plan. What’s the best way to stay on track?
- Wear your Invisalign 20-22 hours a day. Remove them only for eating, drinking dark liquids, brushing, and flossing. Yes, that means you must sleep in them as well.
- Switch trays on time. Don’t delay a few days or switch them early. If you aren’t sure of the schedule, give us a call!
- Don’t skip appointments. We need to see you during regular appointments to ensure your treatment is on track and to make any necessary adjustments. Skipping appointments could keep us from making the adjustments that could keep your treatment to a minimum.
- Call us right away if a tray doesn’t fit properly. Improper fit could delay your treatment by not moving your teeth properly.
Invisalign Treatment in Rogers, AR
If you’re looking for Invisalign treatment in Northwest Arkansas, schedule an appointment with Smith & Davis Orthodontics in Rogers, AR. We’ll bring you in for a thorough evaluation and can give you an estimated treatment time once we’re finished.
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