Wearing braces or aligners for a certain period is the way of treating misaligned teeth. Most of the time, the duration of wearing braces is fixed according to the need of the treatment but can be prolonged depending upon the patient’s behavior. It is best to listen to the orthodontist’s advice and maintain healthy habits in these cases. By following the advice and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, one can get rid of braces a few months before the expected time.
A Coconut Creek cosmetic dentist can help you understand the expected duration and cost required for Realignment using braces or clear aligners.
What is the duration of wearing the braces?
According to medical stats, a patient has to wear braces for about 1 to 3 years. But according to one’s habits, the duration can increase or decrease. Factors that influence the course of wearing braces include:
- How crooked are teeth?
The most common reason to wear braces is disrupted alignment or spacing, or crowding of teeth. A patient needs to get rid of such conditions to avoid cavities, erosions, bone decomposition, and more. However, the duration of braces always depends upon the case, and at certain times realignment requires the removal of teeth to make space inside the mouth. Such cases may require a longer time.
- The bite.
When the teeth from top to bottom are correctly aligned, it is known as a bite. The bite is often not lined up, and treatment is required for bites like open, deep, under, and cross. In such cases, the doctors advise treating with braces that only realigned the teeth in their position.
- Types of braces.
Different forms of treatment can affect the duration of braces. In the case of metal braces, the dentist will tighten the wires slowly to align the teeth gradually. Moreover, these are recommended for severe correction of teeth misalignment.
Clear aligners are another type of device used for teeth alignment, which includes a plastic tray that is changed every week, and failing to follow this treatment can prolong the duration of wearing aligners.
- Diet.
Type of food and diet plays a preeminent role in the period. Usually, dentists have set certain limitations of what to eat and what not to, so if the patient does not follow them, they have to wear braces for a longer period. Moreover, sticky and hard food could easily break braces, which affects the time and requires urgent medical assistance.