One of the most common questions patients ask when starting orthodontic treatment is: “How long will it take to straighten my teeth with braces?” The truth is, the timeline can vary greatly for every patient! Several factors contribute to how quickly you’ll see results, and your commitment to following your orthodontist’s instructions and guidelines plays a big role in keeping your treatment on track. Here’s what you need to know.
What Factors Affect the Braces Timeline?
A few of the major factors that affect the treatment timeline for braces include:
- Severity of Misalignment – Minor spacing or crowding may take less time to correct, while complex cases, such as bite issues or rotated teeth, typically require longer treatment.
- Age of Patient – While braces work well at any age, younger patients often experience faster results since their jaws are still growing and adapting.
- Type of Braces – Traditional metal braces, ceramic braces, clear aligners, and other systems all have slight differences in efficiency.
- Patient Compliance – Even though braces require less patient compliance compared to clear aligners, there are still some things that fall on the patient, which, if they aren’t carried out, can cause setbacks. This includes attending regular check-ins, wearing elastics as instructed, and keeping up with oral hygiene.
Every smile is unique, so treatment time with braces varies—but it’s worth noting that on average, many patients can complete their treatment in 18 to 24 months.
How Can I Keep My Treatment on Track?
Even though you cannot technically speed up your braces treatment, you can facilitate a smooth process free of delays by taking care of your smile! Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Maintain excellent oral hygiene, since clean teeth and gums mean no cavities or gum disease, which will cause treatment setbacks. Brush and floss regularly, and use braces-friendly dental products to help with this.
- Follow all dietary guidelines; braces do come with a few key restrictions, mainly the need to avoid hard, crunchy, or extra-chewy foods. Eating something you aren’t supposed to might lead to a broken bracket or wire, which delays your treatment.
- Keep up with your routine check-ins at your orthodontist’s office so that your provider can regularly inspect your braces and double-check that things are going as planned. They’ll also need to adjust your braces.
- If you’re given elastics to wear with your braces, do so as instructed—these addons help to fine-tune your results.
Braces might seem like a long and daunting process at first, especially if you’re not sure how long the process is going to take. However, don’t fret—your orthodontist will be able to give you an idea and inspire confidence about working toward a straighter, healthier smile!
About the Practice
Under the leadership of Dr. Sam Alkhoury and Dr. Amir Tiam, our team here at Simply Orthodontics Worcester has served the needs of patients in the area for several years, offering a wide variety of orthodontic services for all ages, including traditional braces. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to get in touch with us to set up an appointment, please reach out online or call today for more information or assistance. Telephone: (508) 419-7571.