How Long Does It Take For Your Teeth To Get Straight With Braces?
By
Dr Shivam Jha
This blog post will address the question,”how long does it take for your teeth to get straight with braces?” and cover topics like how braces help in making your teeth straighter, about braces and types of braces, concerns of pain and soreness after braces, taking care of your teeth after braces, foods to eat and to avoid after getting new braces, role of age in getting braces, care after getting braces off and the cost of dental braces.
How Long Does It Take For Your Teeth To Get Straight With Braces?
One to three years is the average time upto which wearing braces may be required for your teeth to get straight. However, it totally depends on the severity of misalignment, the space present in your mouth and also on the health of your jaw bones.
How Do Braces Help In Making My Teeth Straighter?
Braces actually make your teeth straighter or more aligned by applying pressure on them in a particular desired direction.
The pressure allows teeth to become loose and reposition themselves according to the direction of force.
Your orthodontist may call you once in a month for follow-up and check if the braces are applying enough pressure for necessary orthodontic movement.
Your Orthodontist may also tighten the wires or rubber bands to increase the amount of pressure applied to a required level for achieving a desired movement.
In some cases, headgears may be recommended to you for increased pressure along with braces.
Braces And Its Different Types
Braces are dental tools that help align your misaligned teeth. The misalignment may be presented as your teeth protruding too much to the outside or sloping inwards too much or crowded at one place.
Misalignment may make your smile look unaesthetic and also result in poor dental hygiene as misaligned teeth are difficult to clean with a higher risk of plaque deposition.
Braces are of different types, made up of different materials and for different individual’s requirement.
- Metal Braces – These are traditional braces made up of metal.
- Ceramic Braces – These are natural tooth coloured braces made up of ceramics or stainless steels.
- Lingual Braces – These are attached on the lingual surface (at the back of the teeth) and cannot be seen clearly.
- Invisible Braces – As the name suggests, these braces are almost invisible and we cannot see them until too much attention is given. They are made up of clear plastic and come in a tray form.
Pain And Soreness After Braces
For a few days or weeks, your mouth and teeth may hurt or feel sore. It is perfectly normal and should disappear.
However, if it remains and the discomfort does not reduce, consult your orthodontist immediately.
Rinsing your mouth with lukewarm salt-water mixture may reduce the discomfort and ease soreness.
You may also consider over the counter painkillers to relieve the pain caused after braces.
Taking Care Of My Teeth With Braces
Gentle Brushing after every meal with a fluoride toothpaste, fluoride mouthwash or any therapeutic mouthwash and air flossing are some of the ways to take care of your teeth with braces.
It is very much essential and important to take care of your teeth while you have braces as food particles stick very naturally on braces leading to quick deposition of plaque leading to staining and increased risk of cavities.
What Are The Foods To Avoid After Braces?
Foods that you must avoid after getting your new braces are :
- Foods that are hard and sticky
- Foods that require too much of biting and chewing
- Crunchy foods
What Are The Foods That I Can Have After Braces?
Foods that you can have after getting your new braces are soft foods like cheese, pancakes, soft cooked rice, mashed potatoes, fruit juices and fruits like bananas.
Does Age Play Any Role In Getting Braces?
Yes, age does play an important role in getting braces. It is recommended to get your orthodontic treatment done between age 9 to 14 years as the child is still growing and so is the jaw bone.
The treatment process becomes quick and results are achieved with lesser complications.
However, braces can be done even in adults but the complications may increase and so will the time of your orthodontic treatment as the jaw bone is no longer growing.
What After Braces Are Taken Off?
Once the orthodontist feels that the desired result has been achieved and your teeth are now aligned as desired, braces will be taken off.
After taking out the braces, a thorough examination of the teeth and oral cavity is done to make sure all the bites are normal and you don’t feel any discomfort.
X-ray may also reveal any wisdom tooth erupting. If that is the case, your orthodontist may recommend extraction of the wisdom tooth before letting it erupt and disturb the new alignment.
Once everything is checked, your orthodontist will give you a new appliance to wear. This new appliance is called retainer and is very important to wear after braces are taken off.
Retainer helps to retain and maintain the new alignment until all the jaw bones, gums and mouth structures are adjusted to the new alignment.
The time duration of wearing such retainers may vary from person to person.
Cost Of Getting Braces
Braces are usually expensive. The price varies depending upon the type of brace ranging anywhere from 5000$ for a metal brace to 13000$ for a lingual brace.
The price also varies depending upon the brand and geographical area you are located in.
Conclusion
This blog post addressed the question,”how long does it take for your teeth to get straight with braces?”. We understood how braces help in making your teeth straighter, about braces and types of braces. The article outlined concerns of pain and soreness after braces, taking care of your teeth after braces, foods to eat and to avoid after getting new braces, role of age in getting braces, care after getting braces off and the cost of dental braces.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs): How Long Does It Take For Your Teeth To Get Straight With Braces?
Do braces weaken tooth roots?
Yes, braces do weaken tooth roots by causing root resorption as per research studies. The degree of root resorption may vary from patient to patient.
How can I make my teeth stronger after braces?
You can make your teeth stronger after braces by wearing a retainer, maintaining good oral hygiene by brushing after every meal and rinsing with a fluoride mouthwash occasionally.
You should also keep visiting your orthodontist for a follow-up and wear a mouthguard if you have teeth grinding problems.
Can braces ruin your teeth?
No, braces are meant to align your misaligned teeth and do not ruin your teeth.
It may affect your teeth negatively only if it is not properly attached and hence get your braces done by an expert orthodontist.
Do teeth always move after braces?
Yes, teeth always move even after braces due to multiple factors such as changes in the jaw bone due to ageing, bad habits like teeth grinding, to fill the gap created by an extracted tooth or missing tooth except the wisdom tooth and also due to simple continuous pressure applied from biting or even talking.
Can braces go wrong?
Yes, braces can go wrong as the orthodontic teeth movement is a complex process involving teeth, jaw bones, muscles of the face and gums.
The most common failure associated with braces treatment is called relapse, which means the new aligned teeth again shifts back to its previous position.
Relapse is a result of poor retainer material or failure to use retainer as per instructions of your orthodontist.
It is also recommended to get your braces done with an expert orthodontist to minimise the risk of braces going wrong.
Other FAQs about Teeth braces that you may be interested in.
What happens if you use whitening toothpaste with braces?
What do braces feel like the first day?
References:
Life with Braces – Ahl and O’Connor Orthodontics
Dental Braces and Retainers – WebMD
Life with Braces – Edwards & Schaefer Orthodontics
Limitations of Orthodontics – Myobrace
Average Cost of Braces: Age, Type, Insurance, Other Factors
Teeth Shifting: Why This Occurs and How to Prevent – Healthline