We’re asked the question “When do I get my braces off?”. It’s a question that is even asked well into treatment. The short answer is that orthodontic treatment times vary depending on each individual case. Although the average length of time orthodontic treatments take has decreased as a result of new innovations and materials, most adults and children spend between 12 to 24 months in braces.
When Your Braces Come Off also Depends on You
One of the best ways to keep on track with your treatment time is to comply with the plan that your orthodontist prescribes. Surprisingly, only 50 to 75% of patients stick to their treatment plans. The most important factor when it comes to how long you’ll be in your braces is to meet all your scheduled adjustment appointments. Missing just one appointment can end up adding weeks, if not months, to the overall time you’ll need to wear your braces. It’s also important to maintain good oral hygiene and avoiding hard and chewy foods is also important. These foods can end up breaking archwires and brackets which can add an addition month to the amount of time you’ll be required to wear braces.
Propel Orthodontics.
The Propel system can dramatically reduce the amount of time spent in braces. It’s an innovative procedure that can be performed in an orthodontist’s office. The goal of Propel is to move teeth as quickly and painlessly, as possible. The process works by stimulating bones in the mouth, leading to fast bone remodelling, moving and aligning the teeth faster and more predictably. Propel orthodontics can be used with most of today’s brace systems, including Invisalign.
Does Propel Hurt?
This is another question we are asked a lot which is no surprise. The good news is that little to no pain is typically experienced by our patients. While in some cases, depending on the patient, a local anesthetic is used during treatment, the majority can be comfortably treated using topical gels or sprays.
If you have any questions about the information we shared here or anything else regarding orthodontics for that matter, give us a call. Our caring and knowledgeable staff are here to help.
