Invisalign is a low profile, invisible orthodontic appliance that straightens your teeth without any metal or wires. Read on to find out how long your Invisalign process will take.
Invisalign is made up of a series of clear plastic aligners that straighten your teeth in small increments over a period of time that is estimated by your dentist at the outset of treatment.
The average course of Invisalign treatment for adults is about a year, and a bit longer for teens. However, each patient is different, and there are a variety of factors that may impact the duration of your particular treatment.
The Severity of Your Misalignment
As you may expect, if your teeth are severely misaligned, it will take longer to straighten them. With Invisalign, as with any other orthodontic treatment option, the severity of your misalignment will have a significant impact on how long your treatment will take.
The Number of Aligners in your Series
Invisalign is a series of aligners, and each set of aligners in the series is switched out to the next one on a bi-weekly basis. If you already know how many aligners are in your series, 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 last you 8 months.
Your Compliance to Treatment
Your actions and choices play a large role in the duration of your treatment as well. 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.
During treatment with Invisalign, you must wear your aligners full time, every single day, to ensure things stay on track. Full time means 22 hours a day of aligner wear each and every day for the duration of your treatment.
The more compliant you are with this, the quicker the treatment will go. Only take out your aligners to 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 patient begin to see noticeable results around the 4 - 6 week mark. You may find it helpful to to take a picture of your smile each week, so that you can see how your teeth change over time.