The average time a patient is required to wear braces is about a year and a half to two years. This can seem like an eternity to kids and adults alike who must deal with regular orthodontist visits, uncomfortable adjustments, and cleanings as the braces treatment gradually aligns the teeth. It’s no wonder that you’ll want to know how to shorten your time with braces.
The typical traditional braces treatment lasts no less than 12 to 18 months because of the time it takes for the braces to slowly push the teeth into alignment and gradually correct any misalignments in the jaw. It is a sustained, precise process requiring constant adjustments. Even modern alternative treatments like Invisalign require a year or so of constant wear to achieve results. With the knowledge that you will have to withstand the braces treatment for at least a year, the question remains of how much time can you shave off your sentence?
Keep Your Braces Clean
Anyone who has experienced braces knows that doing everything you can to shorten the experience and get the braces removed is a big incentive. This incentive works in a couple of ways, the biggest of which is taking good care of your teeth and braces during treatment.
Practicing good oral hygiene while wearing braces is essential to keeping your teeth healthy and reducing the risk of complications in the braces treatment, thereby potentially extending the amount of time you have to wear them. Thoroughly cleaning the braces and avoiding foods that get stuck in the brackets will help keep your teeth clean, the braces in good condition, and generally keep the process moving forward.
To keep your braces clean, avoid sugary or pigmented drinks, thoroughly clean your braces after eating to avoid food getting stuck in the brackets, and put extra care into your oral hygiene.
Make Regular Appointments
Since the rate of alignment of your teeth is impossible to control, the exact time your orthodontist requires you to wear braces before transitioning to a removable retainer is hard to predict or shorten through oral hygiene alone.
Another incentive in which you can potentially reduce some time with the braces is by keeping appointments with the orthodontist for adjustments, cleanings, and consultations. Skipping or postponing these visits will only prolong your braces treatment, and may even set your treatment behind.
Shorten Your Time With Braces
While being vigilant about meeting your orthodontist appointments, brushing and flossing each day, and avoiding certain foods helps, you may only be able to accelerate the removal of the braces by a couple months.
Overall, taking care of your teeth and ensuring that you keep your orthodontist appointments to review progress in alignments, make adjustments to the braces, and keep your teeth clean. With any luck, your teeth will be healthy and align quickly and you may be able to knock a few months off the braces treatment length and transition to the beloved retainer sooner than you think.
Want to shorten your time with braces? One of the best ways is to make regular appointments with your orthodontist. To schedule a check-up or consultation, call McDonough Orthodontics at 801-266-2662.