To Straighten or Not to Straighten
The choice has been made! You've committed to get braces for yourself or your child. You've either chosen to do it for cosmetic purposes or you've been referred to an orthodontist by a dentist.
Making the choice to get your teeth straightened is not an easy one. It's a big financial and time commitment, but the boost in self-confidence is worth it. You'll feel it when you see that beautiful smile in the mirror or in your child's face!
Why Invisalign?
The next step is choosing Invisalign. Invisalign is a great choice for business professionals, not wanting to detract from their first impression and the absolute best choice for teens. Being a teenager is hard enough without having to worry about what you can or cannot eat or getting food stuck in your metal braces. With Invisalign Teen Stafford, no one will even notice you're having your teeth straightened. But how long is this commitment?
How Long Should Someone Wear a Retainer After Their Braces Are Removed?
How Long Does Invisalign Take?
The answer is not simple. Treatment time for Invisalign can take between nine and eighteen months, with some extreme cases taking longer and simpler cases taking as little as a few months. Just like traditional braces, the treatment time for Invisalign depends on the patient. At Beecroft Orthodontics in Stafford, the experienced orthodontics team will monitor your Invisalign treatment every step of the way to make sure everything is going smoothly and the results are exactly as expected.
The top notch team at Beecroft Orthodontics will be able to tell you approximately how long your treatment will take from the very beginning.
Invisalign aligners are ordered at the beginning of treatment and changed every two weeks. As a patient, you will be visiting the office every four to eight weeks in order for the orthodontics team to track your progress. If there are any changes to the timeline, our medical team at Beecroft will let you know immediately.
Will My Treatment Take Longer If I'm a Teen?
Chances are you found our office through a referral, or maybe you just typed in “pediatric dentists near me” or “Invisalign Teen Stafford” and ours was one of the first orthodontics offices that popped up from your favorite search engine.
No matter how you found us, you lucked out. Beecroft Orthodontics has some of the most comprehensive and up to date knowledge when it comes to treating teens with Invisalign.
Teenagers sometimes do require longer treatments. That is because treatments are designed to work with teens who are still growing and developing bones and jaws. This process cannot be rushed, but often offers more stunning and long lasting results.
The team at Beecroft should be able to answer all of the questions you have about your particular case.
Can I Speed Up My Treatment?
There are definitely things a patient can do to ensure Invisalign is working as it should. Aligners need to be worn between twenty and twenty-two hours every day. The aligner should only be removed for cleaning and eating. Wearing the aligner for less than the allotted amount of time can significantly slow down progress.
If the aligner is not worn enough during the two weeks, the patient might not be able to move on to the next aligner. Every time this happens, a patient is only extending the amount of time for his or her treatment.
Patients need to take the time to follow the weekly instructions. More than most treatments, Invisalign is a partnership between the Doctor and the patient!
It’s also possible to use something called Invisalign AcceleDent to try to speed up this process. This is a machine that causes the aligner tray to vibrate, which helps quicken bone realignment. Some patients claim this cut their Invisalign treatment time in half. Only your orthodontist can tell you if this is an option for you.
How do I Know if Invisalign is Working?
Patients often feel much less discomfort with Invisalign than with traditional braces. This discomfort usually occurs when the patient first changes aligners. After the first few days of tightness, the discomfort dissipates, leaving the patient wondering if the treatment is really working.
Invisalign is a multi-step process that moves the teeth and then holds them steady in order to move on to the next aligner. Invisalign is definitely working if the aligner started out tight and now seems to fit better, even if you don't see a difference. The process works by moving teeth just a few millimeters at a time.
Will I Have to Wear a Retainer Forever?
Without a retainer, straightened teeth tend to shift around over time. A retainer helps prevent that from happening. You won't have to wear a retainer all of the time, or even as often as you wore your aligners. The orthodontist will order you a retainer at the end of your treatment to ensure that it will hold your teeth in the optimum position.
Make Sure All your Questions are Answered
Beecroft Orthodontics prides itself on being transparent and supportive. We want to make sure all of our patients are comfortable with all aspects of treatment. You should not hesitate to come in for a consultation with as many questions as you can think of.
It helps to write your questions about the amount of time treatment will take down, so that you don't get sidetracked with other information. It's also a good practice to take notes on what the orthodontist tells you so that you can consider it later and come back with follow-up questions.
Here are a few frequently asked questions about the length of Invisalign treatment:
How long does Invisalign take?
Are there any specific problems you foresee that might lengthen the amount of time my treatment takes?
Is AcceleDent an option for me at this time?
Are there any additional things I should know about my treatment?
The Beecroft Orthodontics team is absolutely committed to providing the best orthodontic care for your situation. Make a decision that is sure to make you smile; come in for your consultation today!
Beecroft Orthodontics, 10472 Georgetown Dr. Fredericksburg, Virginia
Phone: 540-898-2200
How Long Does Invisalign Take?