When Will I See Teeth Straightening Results from a Clear Aligner Treatment? - Frankford Dental Care Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Using a clear aligner system is a great way to straighten your teeth, especially if you want to do so discreetly, which is why their popularity has increased in recent years. Even though they are just as effective as traditional braces, there are still a lot of questions about the treatment process and how long it takes to complete, which we will address here.
Before we go into detail about how long clear aligner treatment takes, it is important to understand how they work. When you consult with your dentist and decide to straighten your teeth with clear aligners, the dentist will create a customized treatment plan that shows you how your teeth will gradually shift into the desired position with the aligners.
Once you approve the plan, your dentist will send a digital print of your mouth to a laboratory to get your aligners made. When the aligners are ready, you will be required to wear each set for 20 to 22 hours a day and only remove them when you want to eat and brush your teeth.
How long do you have to wear each aligner?
Each clear aligner in the tray your dentist creates has to be changed every one to two weeks depending on your dentist’s recommendation. Each aligner is designed to gradually shift your teeth into the desired position until you are out of aligners and have achieved your desired result.
The treatment time for each individual varies based on how much your teeth have to move, but the average amount of time patients wear their clear aligners ranges from 12 to 18 months. Even though it can take up to 18 months to complete the treatment, you should start seeing results in a matter of weeks.
Clear aligners are customized to your specific needs and provide a tight fit, which is why dentists only recommend them for adults and teenagers. Since young children still have developing teeth, dentists will recommend using traditional braces to straighten their teeth.
If you have severe spacing or bite problems, your dentist will recommend traditional braces to fix the problem because they are more effective than clear aligners when it comes to treating severe alignment issues.
Most people prefer clear aligners to traditional braces because they are not visible and are more comfortable than traditional braces, which can scrape your cheeks and tongue if a wire comes loose. Clear aligners are also removable, which makes it easier to eat and to clean your teeth, unlike traditional braces, which are fixed in your mouth until the treatment is complete, and are more difficult to clean because food particles get stuck in the brackets.
A clear aligner is a great orthodontic tool to straighten crooked teeth and fix moderate problems with your teeth because it is more comfortable than, and just as effective as, traditional braces. If you have crooked teeth or a moderate bite problem, talk to your dentist to find out if the problem can be fixed with a clear aligner system.