Invisalign is a low profile, invisible orthodontic appliance that straightens your teeth without 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 predetermined period of time.
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 your teeth are severely misaligned, it will take longer to straighten them. With Invisalign, the severity of your misalignment will determine how long your treatment winds up taking.
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 every other week. If you already know how many aligners are in your series, 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
You play a large role during the duration of your treatment. 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 when prescribed.
During treatment with Invisalign, you must wear your aligners full time, every day, to make sure things stay on track. That means 22 hours a day of aligner wear each and every day for the duration of your treatment.
The more compliant you are, the quicker the treatment will go. Only take out your aligners to eat, brush, and floss. Don't forget to put them back in!
Are you Using AcceleDent?
Acceledent is a supplementary orthodontic device that uses soft pulse technology and cyclic forces to accelerate the movement of teeth by up to 50% during orthodontic treatment.
Ask your dentist about whether this 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.