You’re a planner. You like to look ahead and have an idea of what to expect. As you look at the next couple of years, you see that now may be a good time to finally address your crooked teeth and get braces. But how long will treatment take? Because each case and every smile are unique, you need to be evaluated by an orthodontist to know your braces treatment time.
Many patients are in braces for two or three years. However, there are some factors that can make treatment longer or shorter. Read on to learn more about these factors and how you can get a perfectly straight smile as efficiently as possible.
How Severe Your Misalignment Is
Small problems, like gaps between teeth, can be fixed relatively quickly. However, if you have rotated teeth or other severe issues, the treatment process can take significantly longer. In other words, the more misaligned your smile is, the longer it will likely take to correct it.
The good news is that no matter your smile’s current condition, traditional braces can address the problem. Unlike Invisalign, which can only be used for mild to moderate cases, braces can treat patients with severely crooked or misaligned smiles.
Whether You Follow Directions
You may think that the main responsibility for treatment is on your orthodontist, but the truth is that you play a major role in the success of braces. It’s imperative that you follow the rules your orthodontist gives you. Otherwise, you could run into complications. For instance, if you eat foods you shouldn’t, you could break off a bracket. Orthodontic emergencies like this can slow down your progress toward a straight smile.
Even something as simple as properly cleaning your teeth with braces can impact your treatment timeline. If you develop a cavity or other problem from poor oral hygiene, that issue needs to be addressed before you can move forward with orthodontic treatment, potentially adding to your timeline.
Whether You Come in for Your Adjustment Appointments
Realigning your teeth consists of many small steps. Every few weeks, your orthodontist will need to make adjustments to your braces, which applies gentle force on your teeth and moves them steadily where they should be. These frequent appointments take just a few minutes, but they are important if you want to stay on track. Skipping them prolongs your treatment time.
In the end, when you and your orthodontist work together, you can achieve your straight smile efficiently with minimal setbacks. The results will be worth your time and patience! In a few years, you can look back and be glad you moved forward and invested in your smile.
About the Practice
Brooks Dental has been serving patients in the Winthrop area for three generations. We are proud to treat patients of all ages using many areas of dentistry, including orthodontics, restorative dentistry, and cosmetic dentistry. With years of advanced training and clinical experience, our dentists share a passion for improving smiles. If you would like to know how long your orthodontic treatment would take, you can schedule a consultation with one of the Drs. Brooks at Brooks Dental through the website or by calling 617-846-1811.