Patients ask us all the time how long Invisalign treatment actually takes, and the honest answer is that it depends on more variables than most people assume. Several different factors influence the total amount of time you can expect to wear your aligners. Here is what shapes that timeline.
Typical Length of Invisalign Treatment
According to Invisalign’s own published figures, treatment generally runs between 12 and 18 months. In our practice, we typically see patients finish closer to the 12 month end of that range rather than the 18 month end. Even so, this figure is only an average, and a variety of circumstances can push an individual treatment plan shorter or longer than that window.
Predictability is one of the main benefits Invisalign offers compared to traditional braces. Because your treatment plan is mapped out in advance, with each successive set of aligners designed to move you a step closer to your final result, we can typically offer a reasonably accurate timeline during your initial consultation.
The Complexity of Your Case
How severe your crowding, spacing, and bite concerns are tends to matter more than any other single factor in determining how long aligner therapy will take.
For instance, an adult who wore braces during their teenage years and later experienced orthodontic relapse, meaning the teeth gradually shifted after retainers were no longer worn, may need only a few months of aligner treatment to correct the resulting misalignment and crowding. On the other hand, someone dealing with a considerable underbite or overbite in addition to crowded teeth may need Invisalign treatment that extends beyond 18 months.
We take all of these variables into account when estimating your treatment length at the consultation appointment. That said, certain other factors are more difficult to plan for in advance.
How Consistently You Wear Your Aligners
Invisalign recommends keeping your aligners in for 20 to 22 hours each day, though our general guidance is to leave them in essentially all the time, removing them only for eating, drinking anything besides water, brushing your teeth, or flossing. Traditional braces stay fixed to your teeth and work around the clock, but clear aligners only do their job while they are actually in your mouth. The more hours per day you keep them in, the more likely your treatment stays on the schedule we originally projected.
Removing your aligners often, or leaving them out for extended stretches, can push your treatment timeline back. During progress check visits, this may mean we ask you to stay in your current set of aligners past the usual two week mark, or in some cases return to an earlier set, so we can confirm your teeth are moving the way they should.
Wearing your aligners for fewer than the recommended 20 hours a day generally means treatment takes longer than what was estimated at your initial consultation. Since Invisalign aligners are clear, comfortable, and easy to forget you are even wearing, there is little reason not to keep them in as much as possible.
Ready to Learn More About Invisalign
If you are curious about whether Invisalign could be a good fit for you, reach out to us today at 704-875-1621 to set up a consultation appointment.