Congratulations, and good luck if you are considering dental braces for straightening your teeth. You are definitely on the right path to getting back your beautiful, charming new smile. Undoubtedly, you must be anxious and wondering, how long will the braces take to straighten your teeth?
Let us, through this article, walk you through the details of the time taken by the braces to work to straighten your teeth and the factors that may affect this time.
1. How long do the braces take to straighten teeth?
Dental braces are used to correct various issues related to your teeth and jaw alignment. This may vary from crowding of teeth, gaps in between the teeth, rotated teeth, overclosure of mouth, etc. The time required for the braces to correct your misalignment differs for each individual, and there are several factors affecting the same. On average dental braces take around 6 months to 2 years for treating any kind of malalignment.
Your orthodontist will examine and assess in detail to let you know the approximate time needed for treating your dental malalignment problems.
2. What are the factors affecting the time taken by the dental braces to straighten your teeth?
Orthodontic braces may have a range of treatment times depending upon several factors listed below:
- Type of malignment issue: Braces are used to treat a wide range of misalignment issues like overcrowding, overbite, crossbite, too much gap between the teeth, rotated teeth, etc. Each problem needs a different type and amount of pressure to align them in the proper place, and thus, the amount of time differs accordingly.
- The severity of your malignment problem: The more severe the problem is, the longer it will take to resolve it. Since the dentist can apply pressure on the teeth and surrounding structures up to a specific limit, they need to increase the duration of this pressure to avoid any damage.
- Age: This is an important factor affecting the length of your braces treatment. Children and teens have softer bones, so moving the teeth and other structures is easier and faster. In adults, the same amount of movement will take more time as the bones become hard and rigid.
- The type of orthodontic treatment: Different braces treatment require different timelines.
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o Traditional metal braces: These take some months to years, depending upon your severity.
o Lingual braces: They are more aesthetic as they are put on the inner side of the teeth, but at the same time, they take a longer time to produce the same results.
o Ceramic braces: These are tooth-colored and so good to look at, but the material cannot withstand as much pressure as the metal braces can, and thus takes a longer time.
o Clear aligners: They are the most convenient and the best option for teeth straitening nowadays, but they too take a little longer time plus, in these, a lot depends on how much time you wear them.
- Your efforts and compliance: A lot will depend upon how well you follow your orthodontist’s instructions. If you show proper compliance, you may get the results faster.
o Diet compliance: If you eat sticky, sugary, or hard foods, it may result in the breakage of braces or dental caries, leading to a delay in the treatment.
o Follow-up compliance: Regular visits are important for the orthodontist to assess and modify your braces accordingly. A delay in this may result in a subsequent delay in the treatment.
o Wearing compliance: If you don’t wear your appliances, like aligners or retainers, etc., for the prescribed time, you cannot expect results soon.
- If other orthodontic appliances are used: Head gears, expanders, rubber bands, etc., may speed up the treatment time.
Keeping your teeth and appliances clean by regular brushing, rinsing, and flossing, and religiously following your orthodontist’s instructions play an essential role in making your treatment with dental braces quick and effective.
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