How Long Does Invisalign Take to Straighten Your Teeth?

Jun 11, 2020

Invisalign is a subtle and effective way to straighten your teeth without having to experience the discomfort or hassle of traditional metal braces. These clear aligner trays will gradually move your teeth into the correct position and are practically invisible to others.

Like with any orthodontic treatment, you may be wondering how long Invisalign treatment will take to straighten your teeth. In our experience at Severns Dentistry & Orthodontics, Invisalign treatment takes 12 months for the majority of adults.

Reasons Treatment Time Can Vary

While 12 months is the average treatment time, actual treatment time can vary from person to person. Some people will begin to see a difference in their smiles within two to three months of beginning treatment. When it comes to more severe alignment issues, they will take more time to fix. If you need to make smaller changes to your smile, they can be achieved more quickly. Other issues and their treatment timeframes include:

Crowded Teeth – If you have a mild case of crowding it could take around six months to fix. If you have more severe crowding issues, it will take longer, and in some cases, your orthodontist may recommend wearing headgear or removing teeth for more effective treatment.
Gap Teeth – For those with small gaps, you can expect to receive treatment for about eight weeks. One major issue with gaps is that they tend to come back if proper retention methods aren’t used. A retainer will be given to you by your orthodontist that must be used properly to prevent the gap from returning.

Additional Factors that Can Affect Invisalign Treatment Time

It has been found that Invisalign tends to take longer to work for teens than it does for adults. This is due to them not wearing their aligners for the appropriate amount of time. If you’re interested in Invisalign for your teenager, consider Invisalign Teen, which feature aligners that are equipped with indicators that let you know if the aligners have been worn long enough.

For Invisalign to be effective for teens and adults, it is crucial to wear the aligner trays for 22 hours throughout the course of the day, only removing the aligners to eat or drink. It is also important to keep in mind that everyone’s mouth is built differently. Some people’s teeth may move easily and respond well to Invisalign, while others may take more time. There is no way to know for sure how your mouth will change until you start your Invisalign treatment, which is why your treatment time will vary compared to other people.

Invisalign treatment

The post How Long Does Invisalign Take to Straighten Your Teeth? appeared first on Severns Dentistry and Orthodontics.

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Author: Natalie Severns, DMD

Upon graduating from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Dr. Severns specialized in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. She then did an externship in London, England, at the prestigious Guy’s Hospital. At this hospital, she learned top therapies in Dentofacial Orthopedics to provide her patients with the best possible facial esthetics.