How fast are fast braces?

We very much live in an instant, ‘I’d like it yesterday’ kind of world – where everyone wants fast braces and an instant smile makeover.

So how fast are fast braces really? And what does fast braces mean for you?  In truth, you’ll need to see a specialist orthodontist to get an accurate estimate of how long it’ll take to move your teeth. Orthodontics, the movement of teeth, is a biological process and because of this, there isn’t a ‘one-size fits all’ treatment time. A number of things will affect your treatment time.

Credit: Alexi Lubormirski

Your treatment expectation – how perfect do you want your smile, and how wonky are they to begin with?

You can’t know how fast treatment will be unless you first decide what result you’ll be happy with. Additionally, what result is possible. It’s important to consider where do your teeth and jaws need to be for excellent health, function and aesthetics? But of course, the less movement, the faster the treatment!

Type of brace – are you happy to wear traditional braces or do you need a more invisible brace?

There have been some incredible advances in orthodontic technologies in recent years, with truly invisible braces being available for almost all patients and clear aligner systems that have been clincially proven to be as effective as fixed traditional braces. But,  sometimes we make a compromise between speed and aesthetics (Not always though; some of you might have a pleasant surprise at how fast the invisible options will work!)

Your Biologic Response

All fast braces will be bound by how your teeth respond to being moved. Teeth are like icebergs; most of their mass is unseen, underneath your gums in the bone. Your biologic response plays a massive part in how long treatment will take as sometimes bone and soft tissue will completely remodel. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing how fast or slow your teeth will move – until we start to move them.

Suresmile robot customising brace wires.

Quality of Treatment Plan

A well thought out and cohesive treatment plan will make the most efficient use of time. With the aid of 3D digital imaging and state-of-the-art orthodontic technologies such as Suresmile it is possible to plot each tooth movement in turn so as to avoid the risk of unnecessary tooth movement.

Accelerative Treatment Additions

There are now procedures and devices available that increase cellular activity and augment the biologic response to tooth movement in order to reduce treatment time. Currently, these procedures do not speed growth processes, only tooth movement, but they can produce a 30-50% reduction in total treatment time.

Book a Specialist Orthodontic Consultation Now Or Take our Straight Teeth Test to see what treatment is right for you!