Orthodontic treatments do not deliver results overnight. The years invested in orthodontic procedures often seem frustratingly long. Thankfully there is an exception in form of invisalign. Unlike conventional procedures in orthodontic dentistry this allows you maintain an easy lifestyle with no diet restriction. How long does it take to straighten the teeth with invisalign? What is the procedure? Let us dig into the details of this procedure to take an informed decision with greater ease.
Few common questions related to the procedure
- What is the average time invisalign takes to deliver results?
It is usually within 12 and 36 months, that is in other words 1 to 3 years. It depends on the level of your misalignment. Moderate cases of teeth misalignment take about a year or a little more to get fixed whereas mild cases end up even earlier. Treatment of acute misalignment of the teeth lasts up to 3 years. To cut a long story short, compared to conventional braces invisalign takes much shorter time to bring predicted results. - How long will a series of 14 invisalign aligner trays will last?
A series of 14 aligner trays will last anywhere between 6 and 7 months. Usually each set of these trays is worn for about 2 weeks. Then you switch on to the next set of aligners from the given series. However you have to follow your invisalign dentist’s guidelines over the matter. If your dentist recommends you to follow a different schedule for your aligners you must comply with that to ensure your desired results on time.
The concept of aligners
The role of conventional braces is shouldered by the clear plastic aligners used in invisalign procedure. However there is a big difference. Unlike traditional metal braces the clear transparent aligners remain virtually invisible inside the mouth. As a result the aligners remain almost invisible to anyone else. This factor makes these clear aligners ideal for both teenagers and adults alike.
Selecting your invisalign provider
Firsthand experience and skill sets of a dentist are crucial delivering impressive and timely results with invisalign. In other words you must choose your invisalign dentist with little care and caution. Your choice impacts the result of the treatment greatly.
The cutting-edge technology behind the procedure requires a dentist who can smoothly handle modern digital equipment and can secure impression-free moulds of your teeth to perfection. These digital impressions of your teeth as well as the overall mouth are helpful designing a unique treatment plan to cater to your needs. Moreover the series of clear aligners that is prepared at the invisalign lab with utmost care and precision to fit your teeth accurately is also created based on those impressions.
Skill sets, firsthand experience and insights of a dentist or an orthodontist are crucial in driving the treatment to the right direction and deliver results on time. In other words, you have to choose your invisalign expert with a lot of care and caution. Your choice makes a great impact in your results at the end. Other than having developed the right insights for the treatment, the expert must be capable of handling cutting-edge technology to generate accurate digital replication of your overall mouth. Based on this replica the removable clear aligners will be custom designed to precisely fit on your teeth. As such there exists no margin of error here. If there is even a minute mistake anywhere, the treatment will never bring you desired results.
What factors make someone a good candidate for this treatment?
During the initial evaluation a dentist will determine whether you are an ideal candidate for this ground-breaking teeth straightening treatment. As a matter of fact the clear aligner trays are little incapable to correcting all types of misalignment issues related to the teeth and the jaws. This is why a customary evaluation is the first and foremost step in this treatment. You are a suitable candidate for this orthodontic procedure if you have –
- Overcrowding or crookedness ranging from mild to moderate
- Little spacing issue between the teeth
- Mild to moderate levels of bite misalignment problem
In addition to the conditions mentioned above, if you wore braces in the past and your teeth have relapsed into their initial position at present, then invisalign is a sound option to correct your problem as we.
How long does the treatment last?
The time required to correct teeth alignment using invisalign varies with that of conventional braces. Usually the treatment using clear plastic aligners takes much shorter time when compared to traditional braces. As far as invisalign is concerned, dentists make use of a digital mould of your teeth and the jaws based on which they design the entire series of your aligner trays at one go. This definitely requires sound professional expertise of your chosen invisalign expert. The more accurately designed the trays are, the more successful as well as faster the treatment will be.
Invisalign ensures your teeth shift only a little at a time as and when you switch over to a new set of aligners. The aim is never to shift your teeth into their final position overnight. This is because, the faster the teeth shift into their final position, the greater are the chances of relapse. That is the teeth may sink back into their initial position once again once the treatment ends and you stop wearing the aligner trays any more.
As the teeth move a little at a time, you experience much less discomfort and inconvenience. Had the shift been faster, much greater inconvenience and discomfort you had to face.
Unlike traditional metal braces, this clear aligners system is thoroughly dependent on digital technology. This ensures the end result is always right at par with your needs and expectations. Using impression-less digital mould has a great advantage. In case your aligner trays are accidentally lost or damaged, the digital mould helps designing brand new sets pretty easily.
Considering all these facts and factors it is no wonder that straighten your teeth with invisalign proves much easier compared to the conventional approaches. On an average the treatment hardly extends beyond a couple of years. As such that depends on the level of misalignment your teeth have. Mild cases of misalignment hardly take a few months to deliver stunning and expected results.