Whether you’re just beginning to consider treatment, your orthodontist or dentist has made a recommendation, or you’re already setting out on your orthodontic journey, it’s natural to wonder how long it will take. This is a question with no simple answer, however, as there are a lot of different factors which can affect treatment time.

Typically, orthodontic treatment can take anywhere between several months and several years, but by considering the following factors, you can begin to understand where on this spectrum your own treatment is likely to fall and why.

The Issues You’re Addressing

As you would expect, more complex orthodontic issues will take longer to address. Orthodontics is currently advanced enough to deal with all manner of bad bites and misaligned teeth, but your teeth and jaws can only adapt so fast.

This means that if you have a severe over- or underbite or very crooked teeth, for example, you can expect your treatment to take longer. On the other hand, if you’re just fixing a minor misalignment, you may be able to see the results you want in a matter of months.

Your Age

Starting your orthodontic treatment at a younger age can often allow you to achieve greater results in a shorter amount of time. This is because as we reach adulthood, our teeth and jaws become more set and, as a result of this, will take longer to move into their desired positions and orientations. This is one of the major reasons that so many orthodontists in Winnipeg will advise parents to consider early treatment for their child.

This doesn’t mean that adults can’t still achieve great results, however, it just means that it will often take a little longer for them.

Compliance With Treatment and Dietary Restrictions

Unlike the previous factors, this is something that is entirely within your control and which can also make a huge difference to how long your treatment takes and the results you’re ultimately able to obtain.

How exactly this will work depends on what form your treatment takes, but both traditional braces and clear aligners such as Invisalign require a level of commitment to function well, beyond just ensuring that you attend your scheduled appointments.

With clear aligners, you will need to ensure that you’re wearing them for at least the required 20 to 22 hours per day or they won’t work effectively. With traditional braces, not sticking to the required dietary restrictions could damage them, leading to additional appointments and seriously delaying your progress.

The Type of Orthodontic Treatment

The length of your treatment will depend in part on what type of orthodontic apparatus you’re using. It’s not possible to make any blanket recommendations about which will be the fastest, however, as different forms of treatment have different use cases. Rather than focusing on how they will impact the length of your treatment, it’s better for you to focus on how well they will work for you personally and to think about how you value other factors like convenience and discreteness.

How to Get the Most Accurate Estimate of Your Treatment Time

There’s only one way to get a truly accurate idea of how long orthodontic treatment will take for you personally, and that’s by having a consultation with an orthodontist. Once they’ve examined your mouth, they’ll be able to explain exactly what options are available to you and how long you can expect treatment to take, assuming you stay committed.

At Rykiss Orthodontics in Winnipeg, we have addressed all manner of orthodontic issues and our experienced team will be happy to use this knowledge to provide you with a personalized recommendation, including giving you a solid estimate of how long it will take to see the results you want. If this sounds like just what you’re looking for, contact us and make an appointment today.

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