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How Long Does Invisalign Take?
Cherrywood Dental • Jun 23, 2018
Finally deciding to move forward with an Invisalign treatment means you’re one step closer to the straight smile you’ve always dreamed of. For many patients, one of the first questions we get asked is “how long is this going to take?” and rightfully so. The choice to use Invisalign to straighten your teeth is more than likely a result of a few factors including being an adult and not wanting to have adult braces that interfere with your job or your personal life.
So just how long is this going to take?
Average Invisalign Treatment Length
Moving teeth is a serious business, and treatment times will always vary from case to case. Your treatment time will depend on your unique situation and the current state of your teeth. On average, Invisalign treatment for adults will take about 12 months, all depending on the severity of the patients dental needs as well as how diligent they are with the aligners and doctor’s instructions.
Factors That Play A Role In Treatment Time
Invisalign aligners don’t have to be worn 24/7, but your aligners do have to be worn for a significant amount of time in order for them to keep schedule with your treatment plan. These factors all play a role in how to speed up your treatment time:
Don’t Skip Appointments
Invisalign will require you to visit your provider every 4-6 weeks to track your progress and ensure that your teeth are moving along as scheduled and planned by your doctor. Missing an appointment might take some time to reschedule and will delay your treatment plan. In some cases, this means that patients end up wearing their Invisalign longer than initially planned for.
Wearing Your Aligners
Invisalign aligners only work when they’re properly placed on your teeth for at least 22 hours a day. While that may not seem like a big deal before wearing the aligners, taking them out every time you eat or drink and remembering to replace them immediately after can be a bit of an adjustment. Setting a reminder on your phone every time you take them out will help you to get in the habit in no time.
Keeping On Schedule
Every time you receive a new set of aligners, your teeth are going to be sore for a few days while the new aligners do their job to move and shift your teeth. It might be tempting to skip soreness by avoiding your new aligners, but this will make your treatment take longer in the end.
Perfecting Your Oral Hygiene Routine
The only way to emerge from Invisalign cavity-free is to take your brushing and flossing routine up a notch and make sure you’re taking the time to properly care for your teeth. Not brushing before replacing your aligners after eating will only trap the cavity-causing bacteria on your teeth.
Removing Your Aligners To Eat Or Drink
Remember to remove your aligners every time you eat or drink anything other than water to prevent staining of the aligners. The point of Invisalign is to be able to straighten your teeth in a less obvious way, and dingy, stained aligners are anything but undetectable.
When Will I First Notice Straighter Teeth?
Once you’ve began treatment, you’re going to be pretty anxious to begin to see noticeable results, and one of the major advantages of clear aligners is that you are able to see your teeth straightening along the way. Most patients begin to notice their teeth looking different around tray numbers 2 to 5, which is typically 4 to 10 weeks into treatment.
Taking a picture of your teeth every time you switch to a new aligner will give you a great reminder of where you started and where your teeth have moved to throughout the process.
How Can I Finish My Invisalign Treatment Faster?
Staying diligent throughout your entire treatment process is the best way to finish treatments faster. With Invisalign, how well (or how poorly) the aligners work is in your hands! Your regular appointments with Cherrywood Dental Associates are a great time to discuss how your treatment is progressing and if there is anything the doctor can recommend to accelerate treatment time. We have many patients whose hard work and determination cut down treatment time to as little as 7 months. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that statistic!