Invisalign is an inconspicuous orthodontic appliance that straightens your teeth, eliminating the need for traditional metal braces. Read on to find out how long the Invisalign process will take.
Invisalign is a series of clear plastic aligners that straighten your teeth in small increments over a period of time predetermined by your dentist.
The average course of Invisalign 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
If have a severe misalignment, it will take longer to straighten your teeth. With Invisalign, the severity of your misalignment will determine how long your treatment takes.
The Number of Aligners in your Series
Your Invisalign treatment is made up of a series of aligners. Each set of aligners in the series is switched out to the next one every other week. If you already know how many aligners you'll have, then you can just do the math:
Let’s say 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 choices during treatment play a significant role in its duration. At the outset, 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 as prescribed.
It is important that you wear your aligners full time, every day, to make sure treatment stays on track. "Full time" means 22 hours a day of aligner wear each and every day.
In the end, the more compliant you are, the quicker the treatment will go. So be sure to only take out your aligners to eat, or to brush and floss, and don't forget to put them back in!
Are you Using AcceleDent?
Acceledent is a device used to supplement orthodontic treatment. It uses soft pulse technology and cyclic forces to accelerate the movement of teeth by up to 50%.
Ask your dentist about whether Acceledent device is right for you.
How long 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.