What is the Average Length of the Treatment to Straighten my Teeth?
At some point during a person’s initial consultation, one of the top questions is: How long will treatment take?It’s hard to give a specific range without seeing the person. But, I’ll discuss what impacts treatment time and how you can speed it up.The severity of the issues is the number one factor affecting treatment time. Is it just a tooth problem or a skeletal/growth imbalance? Do we have to spend a lot of time fixing an imbalance of the upper and lower jaws or are we just fixing some minor crowding of the teeth? If it’s just some minor crowding of the teeth needing tweaks, then treatment can be as short as a few months. If there are some growth issues and modifications needed, treatment may take up to three years in extreme cases.Typically, patients can expect about a year-and-a-half treatment period at most orthodontic offices.
We shoot for between a year and a year-and-a-half to complete the treatment for a full set of braces on someone who’s never had treatment.Now, due to the technological advances of today, we can speed up treatment quite a bit. We can use shape memory wires, which were developed by NASA. At a certain temperature, these wires revert back to their normal shape. We can then bend and twist them, so they stay in place no matter how crooked the teeth are. Then, the temperature of the person’s mouth will slowly activate the wires and gently move the teeth back into place.Another new product is AcceleDent, which is a device you wear about 20 minutes a day that generates micro impulses which increase blood flow to the jaws and teeth. This increases the rate of bone turnover. Orthopedists have used this technology for years, which has proven to speed up treatment times anywhere by 40 to 60 percent. Basically, this small box with a mouth guard attached to generates impulses that move teeth at an accelerated rate.
If you are more aggressive about your treatment time and looking to complete it quicker than normal, you could opt for a periodontal surgical procedure. During the procedure, orthodontists make little perforations in the bones or surrounding cheek. It sounds a lot more invasive than it is, but actually cuts treatment time anywhere from 50 to 70 percent. Not many people are willing to go this aggressive route.However, a few years ago, I saw a middle-aged woman who was trying to make it big as a singer in the country music business. She wanted to straighten her teeth and had been to several orthodontists who said it could take three years for treatment (a longer treatment time, due to her age). So, she came to visit us in our clinic and we gave her the option of the periodontal procedure in conjunction with orthodontics with a total treatment time of just over a year. She loved the shorter treatment time and proceeded with that option. If that sounds like something you may want to do, options are definitely available. Like in her case, it’s just a matter of how motivated you are to shorten your treatment time. If you are interested in periodontal surgical procedure, then contact us for the appointment.
Beecroft Orthodontics, 10472 Georgetown Dr Fredericksburg , Virginia Phone: 540-898-2200
Average Duration of Teeth's Straightening Treatment