The Timeframe Behind Straighter Teeth: How Long Does Invisalign Take?

The idea of wearing clear aligners may seem exciting, especially if you are primarily looking to avoid traditional metal brackets and wires. You recognize the many benefits of these less visible braces (i.e., flexible, easy to maintain, fewer food restrictions, etc.), but how long should you expect Invisalign to take? Keep reading to discover how each patient’s treatment is different, causing the timeframe for completion to also be unlike anyone else.

How Soon Can a Person Be Finished with Invisalign?

On average, the timeframe for Invisalign completion is 12-18 months. This is drastically shorter than traditional metal braces, which can take anywhere from 2-3 years.

However, just because many individuals have completed Invisalign in about one year does not mean that all cases are the same. Many unique factors ultimately determine how long you can expect to wear your customized trays, such as:

• The severity of your overcrowding, gaps, crookedness, or misalignment
• How many aligners you will need to effectively complete the treatment
• Your age, as the older you are, the longer it can take to move teeth and bone
• Your willingness to comply with your dentist’s instructions
• The time it takes to replace a missing or damaged aligner (should you need one)

What Can You Do to Speed Up Treatment?

Although some of the factors that play into your treatment timeframe are out of your hands, there are a few things you can do to ensure that you remain on track as well as avoid complications and issues along the way.

These include:

• Wearing your aligners for the full 20-22 hours a day.
• Maintaining your aligners and keeping them clean morning, noon, and night.
• Keep your regularly scheduled follow-up visits with your dentist so that they can check your Invisalign and be sure that everything is moving along smoothly. Should they find anything concerning, they can quickly address it to minimize possible delays.
• Practice optimal oral hygiene at home, making sure to brush, floss, and rinse regularly. Developing a cavity or another serious oral health issue can delay your Invisalign treatment if you’re not careful.

Now that you know more about the process of receiving Invisalign and how long you can expect it to take, you can make a more well-informed decision about your smile. Its future depends on you, so don’t let your possible timeline keep you from achieving the straighter teeth you deserve.

About the Practice
A New Smile is a dental practice located in Pacoima, CA, and consists of four dental experts who oversee a team of professionals who are committed to creating and enhancing patients’ smiles. Delivering exceptional care to those needing orthodontic services, we provide Invisalign clear aligners as a safe and effective way to straighten teeth once and for all. Although each patient’s case is different, the results that can be achieved with these clear aligners are, on average, drastically faster than with traditional braces, so if you’re interested in learning whether you’re a candidate for Invisalign, contact us at (818) 408-4320.