How Long Does Invisalign Treatment Take?
Once you’ve made the decision to get orthodontic treatment, you may be in quite a hurry to experience the transformation that happens with your new, beautiful, confident smile. Unfortunately, your teeth are pretty set in their ways and they aren’t going to move permanently without a lot of coercion. That’s where different types of braces or Invisalign clear aligner treatment comes into play. Your Burlington and Brampton Invisalign experts at Discover Ortho will evaluate your individual case and give you an estimate of your anticipated length of treatment. Your length of treatment time will not only depend on how far your teeth need to move, but also how often you wear your aligners and how quickly your teeth respond to the aligner pressure.
What Will Make My Invisalign Treatment Longer?
As a general rule, if you’re a teen, you may get by with wearing your Invisalign aligners for less time than your adult counterparts, just because your teeth are easier to move and respond better to your aligners. Besides that, there are a few other things that may make your Invisalign treatment take longer than even your Burlington orthodontist anticipated:
Dr. Iwasiuk and his staff are experts with Invisalign treatment for Brampton patients of all ages. He will prescribe that you wear your aligners a full 22 hours out of every 24-hour day. While you will take your aligners out to eat and to clean them they should remain in at all other times including when you are sleeping, when you are at school, and when you’re participating in after-school activities. Your aligners can’t work if they are not on your teeth. If you choose not to wear them for the prescribed time, Dr. Iwasiuk will notice when you visit for your appointment that your treatment is not progressing like it should. Failing to wear your aligners could actually result in your teeth shifting back to their previous incorrect position and the need for a whole new set of aligners to be developed. These delays will extend the overall time of your Invisalign treatment.
In some cases, our Burlington patients only need slight tooth movement to achieve their forever smile. In other cases, our patients are fighting extreme malocclusion such as an overbite or underbite, in addition to crooked or crowded teeth and the pathway to a beautiful smile has a few more twists and turns. For these patients, your Invisalign treatment may take more time that if you had opted for traditional metal braces.
What Will Make My Invisalign Treatment Shorter?
Obviously, if you are only having a few teeth moved, as discussed above, your treatment time with Invisalign could be shortened dramatically. There are few other things you can do to speed up your time in aligners:
Not to sound like a broken record, but if you wear your aligners 22 of 24 hours every. Single. Day. . . you will be on a faster path to your new smile. You may feel some discomfort in your teeth and jaw each time you change to a new set of aligners, but it will go away relatively quickly. Just know that this discomfort is telling you that your new smile is on its way!
Taking care of your aligners is super important because you don’t want any “down time” of not wearing them if one becomes cracked. Be sure to clean them each time you take them out. Your Discover Orth staff recommends brushing them with a soft-bristled brush to eliminate any plaque or food particles and then be sure to soak them in an aligner solution at least once a week. If you do have a problem with a cracked aligner, be sure to let your Burlington or Brampton office know as quickly as possible so we can get started making you a replacement.
When you join our Discover Orth family, Dr. Iwasiuk will let you know when you should advance to the next set of aligners. Remember to change your aligners out on this date so that your teeth straightening can continue. If you travel out of town, you will want to make sure you pack you aligners so you don’t disrupt your treatment.
Your aligners should fit snugly around your teeth and rest fully on the biting edges of all teeth. If you notice a gap or air between your teeth and your aligners, try clenching or biting down on your teeth to force the aligner into place. Your teeth won’t move if your aligner is not fitted properly into its place.
How Long Will I Wear Each Set Of Aligners?
The normal time to wear each set of aligners is about every two weeks. This still is dependent upon how faithful you are in wearing your aligners 22 of 24 hours each day. Without this amount of time, the aligners won’t have the time they need to move your teeth and be ready for the next set of aligners. The general idea is that you'll wear each set until that point where your teeth fit fully into them comfortably and relatively loosely.
How Do I Keep My New Smile after Treatment Is Over?
Finishing treatment is an exciting time for both our Burlington and Brampton patients as well as our staff! But even though you won’t have to wear aligners any more, you do still need to keep wearing a retainer. Retainers are necessary to keep your teeth in place so that they don’t revert back to their original positions. Oftentimes, you will only need to wear your retainer at night.
Experience Discover Ortho’s Invisalign Expertise
If you’re considering Invisalign treatment, you want to select a doctor who is experienced in creating aligners that will work well and in the least amount of time. Dr. Iwasiuk is not only a certified orthodontist, his experience with Invisalign has earned him the designation as an Invisalign Elite Provider. He also is one of only a few orthodontists in the world who serve with an Invisalign Clinical Research Network, helping to discover additional technologies that will advance the orthodontic industry. Contact us at our Burlington or Brampton office and make your first free consultation with Dr. Iwasiuk. He and his staff look forward to getting started on your new, beautiful smile!