One of the most common questions patients ask regarding Invisalign is: how long is the treatment? While treatment time varies from patient to patient, there are some aspects of Invisalign, from the extent of your needs to wear time, that impact length of treatment. Our dental office provides cosmetic dentistry services like Invisalign to patients in Deerfield, IL. Working with patients individually allows us to meet their needs and cosmetic goals, addressing orthodontic issues to create straighter and healthier smiles.
INVISALIGN TREATMENT
On average, Invisalign can take 12 to 18 months. However, because each patient is different, their total treatment time will vary. Invisalign treatment times typically depend on:
TOOTH GAPS
Gaps in the smile, whether they’re between the two front teeth or all of the teeth, will require more time to close. If you have gaps between multiple teeth, we want to apply gentle pressure with the aligners to close them. It will take more time to close tooth gaps depending on the space between teeth and the number of gaps in the smile.
OVERCROWDING
Problems like tooth overcrowding also require more time to fix. Overcrowded teeth can occur when there is not enough room in the mouth or if the bite does not come together properly. We will need more time to fix overcrowding, whether it’s in one part of your mouth or in both tooth arches.
AGE
Teenagers can typically have faster orthodontic treatment times because their teeth move more easily. While not all adults will have longer treatment times with Invisalign, it can sometimes take longer for adult teeth to shift into a straighter position. If you have weak or dense bones or experience bone loss, it will be more difficult to complete orthodontic treatment.
HOW YOU WEAR AND CARE FOR YOUR ALIGNERS
Patients who wear their Invisalign aligners for 20 to 22 hours a day are more often than not going to stay on track with their Invisalign treatment time. Patients who skip days or do not wear their aligners for long enough each day are not going to complete treatment on track.
Patients must also remove their aligners to eat and drink foods and beverages other than water. If they break or damage their aligners, they will require replacements, which adds more time. This is often why Invisalign treatment for teens comes with more replacement aligners. After Invisalign treatment, we will provide patients with retainers to keep their teeth straight and prevent orthodontic relapse.
Do you need Invisalign treatment? Request your next dental appointment with Dr. Brent Engelberg online. You can also call AH Smiles for a consultation today at (847) 230-9703.