Gone are the days of “braces for 5 years”. Most patients at MacKenzie Orthodontics finish treatment in under 18 months. The average length of treatment for teens or adults with Invisalign is just over a year.
What determines how long your orthodontic treatment will be?
- Complexity: that is how complicated the alignment and the bite are. For example, crowding with NO bite problems (such as overbite or underbite) is easier to correct than crowding AND bite issues.
- Age of the patient: certain malocclusions are best corrected when the upper or lower jaws are growing. This is why an orthodontic consultation is recommended at age 7. Once the patient is finished growing, surgery may be required for jaw-related orthodontic issues. Generally teeth move faster in younger patients.
- Compliance: how well the patient brushes, flosses, wears their Invisalign, elastics and comes to their appointments. Following all our instructions makes treatment go by faster.
- Type of appliance: in our office patients with Invisalign finish treatment faster than patients with braces.
- Tooth movement acceleration: devices such as Propel deliver a high frequency vibration and stimulate bone remodelling around the roots of the teeth. They can shorten treatment time by up to 50%.
- The orthodontic treatment plan: how efficiently teeth are programmed to move. This really depends on the experience and skill of the orthodontist. Dr. MacKenzie has treated over 2000 patients with Invisalign and teaches other dentists and orthodontists how to plan for the most efficient treatment.
At MacKenzie Orthodontics, we’d like to give you the most effective and efficient treatment. Don’t forget to wear your retainers after you are finished your treatment so that you can maintain that beautiful smile!