Invisalign is a inconspicuous orthodontic appliance that straightens your teeth without any metal or wires. Read on to find out how long the Invisalign process might take for you.
Invisalign treatment is made up of a series of clear plastic aligners. These aligners straighten your teeth in small increments over a period of time that is estimated by your dentist at the outset of treatment.
For adults, the average course of Invisalign treatment is about a year, and it takes a bit longer for teens. Each patient is different, and there are several factors that can have an impact on the duration of your treatment.
The Severity of Your Misalignment
With Invisalign, as with any other orthodontic treatment option, the extent of your misalignment will have a significant impact on how long your treatment will take. The more misaligned your teeth are, the longer you can expect it to take to straighten them.
The Number of Aligners in your Series
Each set of aligners in your Invisalign series will be switched out to the next one on a bi-weekly basis. If you already know how many aligners you'll have to go through, then you can just do the math:
Let’s assume you have 16 sets of aligners.
You have to switch them out every two weeks, so that’s two sets of aligners each month.
16 divided by 2 is 8, so that means your treatment will take 8 months to complete.
Your Compliance to Treatment
The choices you make during treatment play an important role in its duration. Your dentist will give you an estimate of how long your treatment will take, and you can help make sure that treatment goes as planned by always wearing your aligners exactly as prescribed.
While undergoing treatment with Invisalign, you must wear your aligners full time every day, to ensure things stay on track. Full time means 22 hours a day of aligner wear each and every day throughout your treatment.
The more compliant you are, the more efficiently your teeth will be straightened. So be sure to only take your aligners out of your mouth when you eat, brush, and floss. And don't forget to put them back in!
Are You Using AccleDent?
AcceleDent is a supplementary orthodontic device that uses soft pulse technology and cyclic forces to accelerate tooth movement by up to 50% during orthodontic treatment.
Ask your dentist about whether this device is right for you.
How long will it be before I start noticing results?
Most of the time, patients begin to see noticeable results around the 4 - 6 week mark. You might want to take a picture of your smile each week, so that you can see how your teeth change over time.