Before you install braces, you must have been tormented by many questions: does it hurt to change your bite, how much you have to pay, how much your appearance will change. However, now that all doubts have evaporated, a new thought arises: how long should you wear braces?

It is the time of wearing the orthodontic system that often plays a key role in the moments when you need to decide whether to correct uneven teeth or leave everything as it is. How can you find out how long to wear braces? What determines duration? Is it possible to install braces not for several years, but for 6 months or a year? We invite you to find answers to these questions in our article.

What determines the timing of the correction?

How long you need to wear braces depends on a number of factors. Let's study them in more detail.

1. The severity of the anomaly. Some people consider it necessary to correct even deviations imperceptible to the eye. Almost perfect teeth are corrected quickly, usually a year of wearing is enough, not counting the retention period. To understand how long you need to wear braces in more complex cases, you need to undergo a diagnosis by an orthodontist - without it, all assumptions are likely to be far from reality.
2. Presence or absence of crowded teeth. When the teeth are very crowded, some of them need to be removed so that the installed braces can expand the row. With such anomalies, the process is rather slow, and the period, as a rule, increases.
3. Oral health. If you are the owner of strong gums and have never experienced depulpation or implantation, then wearing braces will not be so long.
4. Age. No matter how old you are, you can rest assured that you can straighten your teeth at any time. Braces for adults are no different from models for children. However, at 12-14 years old, it is much faster to correct the bite and correct crooked teeth. Therefore, if you are already 20-30 or more years old, get ready for the fact that the wearing period will be much longer.
5. A type of orthodontic system. The speed of correction usually does not depend too much on what kind of braces it was decided to wear. However, the mechanism of some models allows you to achieve the first results in less time. For example, Damon braces are good in this regard. It is worth remembering that the device does not affect how much braces are worn in general.

Now you know that it is impossible to say unequivocally how much braces are put on. It all depends on the degree of dentoalveolar pathology, as well as on age and even the chosen system. However, there are ways to predict the period of correction - for this, there are statistics. Let's take a look at how long orthodontic appliances are worn on average, and how various factors affect the duration.

Average duration of wearing braces

The minimum period for wearing braces is a fairly specific figure, and it is 1 year. This is enough if the bite does not need to be corrected or the teeth are slightly crooked. Also, one year is often enough if we are talking about children under 14-15 years old: they have not yet fully formed the dentition.

To find out exactly how long you need to walk with braces, you will need to undergo a diagnosis at the clinic. After it, the doctor calls the period, which may differ from the real one by literally 1-2 months. If we talk about the average duration, then you can determine it based on the following facts.

1. If there is a slight defect, such as a slightly protruding incisor, braces should be placed for a maximum of one year.
2. If there are significant anomalies affecting the bite, the system is placed for approximately 1.5-2 years. This time is often enough to completely get rid of the problem.
3. With serious anomalies that interfere with the full functioning of the jaws, the wearing period takes 2-3 years. Often, a bracket system is first placed, after which the patient puts on transparent caps or plates to effectively consolidate the results.

Thus, you yourself can approximately determine the required duration of wearing the braces. Perhaps this will allow a more realistic assessment of the correction and make a final decision. We advise you not to doubt the need for installation, even if you have to wear the selected braces for a long time - healthy and beautiful teeth are worth it.

When are the first results visible?

Despite the fact that the treatment on braces is a long process, the first results become visible in just 30 days. In three months, the bite is largely aligned, and the teeth usually fall into place. You do not have to wait a whole year to see the effect of wearing - and this is a serious motivation.

1. Sometimes it may seem that time passes, but the bite does not change. This is normal, because each organism is individual. Sometimes it takes a little longer for crooked teeth to correct.
2. This is not a reason to stop wearing the system, you just need to wait a bit. If you're over 14, your jaw movement slows down, so there's nothing to worry about.

After all defects are completely eliminated, an important stage of correction begins - fixing the results. How long the retention period will last in your case, your orthodontist will decide.

Is it possible to speed up the process?

Very often, modern braces are advertised as “the most effective” or “allowing you not to go to the dentist”, or even “halving the correction time”. All this is pure myths and tricks of unscrupulous marketers who want to lure more people to the clinic.

1. In fact, there are no proven ways to speed up the correction. You have already learned what factors determine how much you have to wear the system. These nuances are constant, they cannot be bypassed even by the most expensive and advertised device.
2. On the other hand, there are many things that can make the correction take longer. For example, the wearing period will increase if you do not follow the rules for caring for braces. Lack of proper hygiene and neatness will easily lead to detachment of individual parts, and this is a sure way to delay the correction.
3. After you say goodbye to braces, the period of wearing retainers will begin, keeping your teeth in the correct position. Sometimes people neglect this stage, do not put them on, as a result of which the bite is curved again. After such an attitude towards correction, it is not at all surprising that the results leave much to be desired.
4. Remember that any orthodontic constructions are placed only if there is a sincere desire to change yourself. Only then will you be able to go through all the stages without problems and achieve an effect that will remain with you for life.

Now you should not be left with questions about how long you need to wear braces. We hope that our article will help you decide on perhaps the most global changes in your appearance. In conclusion, we invite you to watch a video in which you will hear a detailed opinion of a dentist on the issue of wearing a bracket system.

Most people with various anomalies in the location of the teeth on the jaw think about the possibility of orthodontic treatment. Most often, after finding out its approximate cost, the question arises of how long it will take to wear braces to achieve the desired result.

It is difficult to answer it. Not a single orthodontist will be able to announce the exact date of removal of the structure. Only after detailed research and careful preparation of a treatment plan, he will be able to give an approximate wearing time.

What does the term depend on?

To navigate the timing of orthodontic treatment, you need to find out what exactly can affect their extension or reduction. It is very important that the doctor was able to choose the right system of braces from the many possible options.

Here we will consider each factor separately, analyzing it in detail.

Individual characteristics

Photo: a complex case of bad bite requiring long-term treatment

In this group of factors are those that are completely individual for each individual case. However, in order to understand them, it is necessary to briefly talk about how strong teeth can move.

Both jaws end with alveolar processes that have alveoli (holes), in which the hidden parts of the tooth are located. In these holes, the tooth itself is held by the periodontal tissues around it.

The fibers of these tissues penetrate in both directions at the same time - into the root cementum and the alveolus, linking them into a single system. It is because of this layer that the teeth have relative mobility.

In addition, under constant influence, the bone tissue of the jaw can also change. It begins to dissolve in the area where the tooth is moved, under the influence of constant pressure created by the braces.

But on the reverse side, the bone tissue thickens and grows. All this is due to compression or stretching of the periodontium, after which osteoclasts and osteoblasts begin to form in large numbers at the site of the change.

These cells contribute respectively to the resorption or formation of bone tissue.

Let's watch a video that shows in 30 seconds how a teenager's bite changes with the help of braces for 1.5 years:

Clinical case

First of all, the terms depend on the severity and complexity of the dentoalveolar anomaly. The more complex the problem, the longer it will take to fix it..

For example, two or three teeth that are slightly out of alignment can be moved to the desired position in a few months.

However, there are cases when the degree of severity of the anomaly is attributed to the maximum - malocclusion, twisting of individual teeth, lack of space on the jaw, and so on. Then the treatment can be carried out in several stages and last more than three to four years.

Patient's age

The state of the bone tissue itself depends on age. If in childhood and adolescence it still grows, changes and forms, then after 30-35 years it is a dense and fully formed structure.

Accordingly, the younger the patient, the easier, easier and faster the treatment will be.

Individual characteristics

A situation may arise when two patients of the same age with identical bite problems will have very different periods of wearing braces.

The fact is that the ability of each person (his tissues) to change and respond to treatment is very different. That's why the dentist will be able to clarify the terms of wearing the bracket system only after the first results appear.

Responsibility of the patient

After the installation of braces and in the process of wearing them, the attending physician necessarily gives the patient recommendations on the care of the structure and the proper handling of it. Non-compliance with the rules of care and doctor's recommendations also affects the timing. And in the direction of their increase.

For example, we can cite a situation where one of the braces was damaged (hard food, nuts, etc.). If you do not immediately restore its functionality, but postpone it for several days or weeks, then at this time the result of treatment can be indicated with a minus sign.

Since the impact is stopped or greatly weakened, the tooth begins to move back to its original position. As a result, the achieved result is leveled.

Types of braces, their features and duration of orthodontic treatment

First of all, the treatment time will depend on the particular type of system chosen. There are two main types - self-ligating and ligature.

They differ in the way they hold one of the main components of the entire system - the current arc.

• are considered classic ligature braces, the design of which includes three main elements. In addition to the arc, the brackets themselves are needed, which are attached to the surface of the tooth and serve to guide and hold the arc, and special fasteners - ligatures.

  It is with their help that the archwire is properly held in the bracket slot. Ligatures can be elastic bands, rings or wire elements.

• However, modern technology has allowed the development of a new type of bracket systems called self-ligating. They do not have ligatures due to their uselessness, because each bracket is initially equipped with a fixation element.

  The arc in this case can be held with the help of either special clips or a sliding vestibular factor.

This difference is one of the reasons for the change in the duration of treatment with braces. In classic ligature constructions, the fact that the arc is fixed quite tightly makes it possible to achieve reliability. Because of this, friction and resistance to its movement arise.

In self-ligating systems, there is no conventional blockage, so the process of moving teeth becomes easier. This reduces the average period of wearing an orthodontic appliance to one year, when with the classic system you have to walk about a year and a half.

In some cases that are not complex, the time to fix the problem is only about six months.

Types of fastening structures

Photo: lingual braces on the left, vestibular braces on the right

Familiar to everyone, braces attached to the outside of the teeth, that is, on their front wall, belong to the first type - vestibular systems.

The second type is called lingual. These structures are attached to the inner - lingual - side of the dental surfaces. They do not affect the teeth in the same way.

In the case of installing a lingual system, each bracket, its shape and parameters are selected for each tooth separately. This allows you to make the movement of the teeth very accurate, but slower. The average wear time here is increased to two years..

Unlike the usual vestibular braces, where the location of the archwire makes its impact more active, and period usually does not exceed a year and a half.

Main production material

The properties of the material from which the braces are made are also reflected in the timing of the treatment.

The total minimum time for the treatment of anomalies in the location of the teeth for all types of structures is about one year. However, the average may change.

Metal

The most durable, reliable and efficient systems are made of metal. Most often it is a titanium alloy or medical steel, however, durable gold alloys can also be used, which have bacteriostatic properties and do not cause allergic reactions.

Such designs are not subject to most external factors, so their wearing time is less compared to others. Wearing period from one year to one and a half.

Plastic

Braces made of plastic are much less durable than other varieties. Plastic is easier to break and damage.

In addition, the material, due to its structure, can absorb a variety of substances and dyes, which lowers its quality. Treatment time: 1-2.5 years.

Ceramics and sapphire

As the main material for braces, special dental ceramics or artificially created sapphires can be used. Despite the high characteristics, the terms of treatment with braces from these materials increase. up to 2.5–3 years.

The period of bite correction in children and adolescents

In childhood, as well as in early adolescence (12-14 years), patients have not yet fully formed the dentoalveolar system. At this time, the process of moving the teeth is much faster, as to some extent it is a natural physiological.

The fact is that very young children do not install braces. This is due to the fact that the growth of the jaws involves changes not only in their structure, but also in the teeth fixed in them.

In addition, at a young age, metabolic processes in the body are faster. As a result, recovery is faster.

From all this, the average period of orthodontic treatment for teenagers and children is about 12-15 months.

The period of bite correction in adult patients

The maximum age for the installation of braces is limited solely by the general condition of the patient, as well as the health of the tissues of the oral cavity and the teeth themselves.

Therefore, many adults, contrary to popular belief, also wear braces.

As mentioned earlier, in adults, the dentoalveolar system is fully formed, therefore, to a lesser extent than in childhood, it is subject to changes even with strong impact.

This explains the increase in terms of orthodontic treatment. On average, they are defined as 2-3 years.

However, it is not uncommon for a patient to put up with braces on their teeth for four or even five years.

However, the treatment does not end there. After removing the braces, the so-called retention period begins, designed to consolidate the result.

Various designs (retainers, caps) prevent the teeth from moving back to the wrong position.

If for children and adolescents this period is approximately equal to the duration of the main treatment, then for adults it can be much longer. In some cases, life-long wearing of retention devices may be prescribed..

We summarize our article with the help of the following video, in which the dentist will briefly tell us what else the period of wearing braces may depend on:

From the article you will learn:

The use of a bracket system is one of the most effective methods used to correct congenital or acquired defects in the teeth and jaw. In most cases, a client of a dental office does not understand well the mechanism of future treatment, since only the final result is important to him - a beautiful and well-groomed smile.

In this article, we will consider what processes will take place during the implementation of treatment with such structures - that is, what everyone who wants to correct the bite or curvature of the teeth will have to face.

How long does it take to wear braces?

The wearing period is set, and the patient, in order to achieve the best result in the treatment, must follow his instructions both in terms of wearing time and in the frequency of care. The approximate time frame is usually one and a half to two years. The specialist, based on the results of periodic examinations, may decide to reduce the duration of treatment or, conversely, continue to use braces.

What affects the duration of wearing braces

In orthodontics, it is customary to take into account such important factors on which the wearing time depends:

1. Age. Since in the adult period of a person's life the growth of bones and the dentoalveolar system stops, the development of the bite also stops. Therefore, older people will need to wear the system longer than, for example, a six-year-old child.
2. The complexity of the defect with which the patient applied.
3. Variety of braces.
4. The correct installation of the bracket system.
5. The level of competence of the orthodontist.

Feelings in the first weeks of wearing

The first two weeks of wearing braces, the human oral cavity adapts to the presence of braces in it, to the beginning of the process. The procedure is very difficult and it is characterized by the occurrence of various negative sensations in the oral cavity. This can be, for example, continuous severe pain in the area of ​​​​the teeth, redness or inflammation of the gums, rubbing of the cheeks from the inside and, possibly, of the lips. Almost all braces wearers think that the result will come instantly, a few weeks after leaving the doctor's office.

Read also: Correction of malocclusion of teeth in adults. Causes, types, treatment

But this system does not have magical abilities, it only helps to cure a certain dentoalveolar pathology, and the main healing process proceeds through the natural growth and development of teeth. From this we can conclude: do not expect a quick correction of the bite. Treatment can take months or even years.

Result after two months of using braces

As a rule, patients note the first two months of treatment as very effective and indicative. This can create the illusion that if the result of a change in the position of the dental rows is “on the face”, then you can get rid of the braces (remove them) and stop treatment. It is not recommended to act in this way, since the dentition is unstable - it will definitely return to its original position and all the results achieved will go down the drain.

The essence of the treatment is as follows. One of the components of the bracket system are arcs, the main component of which is an alloy of nickel and titanium. At the first stage of therapy, the arch automatically acquires the configuration of the pathological location of the teeth, but at the same time it tries to regain its original shape, attracting the teeth to itself and forcing them to stretch in the same direction and take their normal position.

Changes over the next six months

Three to six months after the start of treatment, the rows of teeth do not stop straightening, so it is impossible to get rid of the bracket system. This process will still last approximately eight months, sometimes up to a year (rarely, but sometimes up to two).

The patient should visit a specialist for approximately once in two months to fix the arc or drastically correct its location. Depending on the position, either thicker or thinner archwires are placed - this is how their pressure created on the teeth is regulated.

A person after 6 months of treatment will notice less and less difference in the result compared to the initial stage, when the use of the bracket system was just started. Sometimes the patient himself does not notice that the tooth line is leveling, the inclination of the dental units becomes correct, and it may seem to him that the treatment has stopped and does not give a positive outcome.

The older the patient, the more often the treatment of pathology is limited only by the ability to displace some teeth. The reason for this can be either the absence of adjacent teeth that help move the problematic ones into the correct position, or the excessive resistance of adjacent dental units.

Read also: Mesial occlusion (progenia). Causes of appearance and methods of treatment

At this stage, the specialist clearly sees the quality of the defect correction and can make an accurate forecast regarding the further course of treatment. The stage sometimes involves reattaching individual braces. This is done in order to improve the effectiveness of treatment and speed up the time to obtain the desired effect.

The process of wearing braces at 8-12 months

As a rule, by the 8th month of wearing braces, the dentition is already quite even. The second stage comes, which consists in the beginning of bite correction. Of course, normalization begins and proceeds throughout the treatment, but this is the more important stage.

In order to correct the bite, orthodontists during this period put very rigid arches, thus improving the result of treatment. Due to the fact that the power of force pressure on the teeth is significantly increased, patients very often notice severe pain in the oral cavity. At this stage, it is recommended to use an elastic - which is placed between the jaws. This device greatly helps to change the bite from defective to correct. The effect is visible immediately after three months after the installation of such an elastic band.

Result after a year of treatment

12 months after the start of treatment, the correction of the bite does not stop. The stage begins even more complex and painstaking than before. Do not forget that the duration of treatment is directly proportional to the level of defectiveness of the dental system: someone is lucky to wear for about six months, someone needs to wear for about a year or even more. At this stage, the small gaps between the patient's teeth begin to decrease - the rows gradually take on an ideal shape.

final stage

This stage involves fixing the location of the teeth, establishing a qualitative relationship between them so that they remain in a stable position. Here it is important to think about purchasing retainers, they will be needed at the final stage of treatment. The final effect depends on how correctly the patient will use this device.

Invisible braces. Result before and after treatment

Now you need to go to a specialist more often: one visit / month to achieve the goal set at the beginning of treatment. Sometimes clients ask to be allowed to take off their braces as soon as possible, because they accumulate fatigue associated with the peculiarities of wearing. Haste in this case is a bad helper. So that the efforts made for a long time are not in vain, the patient should be patient and force himself to hold out until the moment when the orthodontist, based on the findings of the next examination of the oral cavity, decides to complete the use of the bracket system.

Treatment can last longer than the prescribed time. It is necessary to take into account the fact that braces are removed by specialists only when a person conscientiously followed all the instructions, methods of maintaining cleanliness and quality of work, came to all the checks that were discussed in advance - in most cases it is not possible to clearly foresee all this in advance.

Read also: What is an overbite trainer?

Does removing braces mean the end of treatment?

After removing the braces, the treatment of malocclusion in no case ends, but flows into the final stage, which is called retention. During it, the achieved result is consolidated.

The period is characterized by the fact that the orthodontist together with the patient makes every effort to fix the result. This is helped by a specific orthodontic design, which is called a retainer. The use of a retainer is really necessary because the roots of the teeth have a special muscle memory that, after removing the braces, causes them to return to their original location.

Retainer - what is it and how does it work?

This apparatus is similar in shape to an arc, which the doctor fixes on the inside of the dental row. The use of a retainer lasts quite a long time: about four years for adult patients and two years- for kids. In addition, it can be noted that the period for which the retainer is placed depends on the stage and complexity of the pathology diagnosed in the patient.

Do not forget that adults at the end of treatment with a retainer, at night, may need or

), Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Surgical Dentistry of the KSMA, Assistant Head. department for educational work. Awarded with the medal "Excellence in Dentistry" in 2016.

How long do braces wear on teeth? This is one of the main questions that patients of the dental clinic ask after an established diagnosis - malocclusion. But no one can accurately indicate the timing of wearing the structure, since this is determined by many factors, namely: the degree of pronounced anomaly, the chosen model of bracket systems, the age of the patient, compliance with all the rules for operating the orthodontic structure and the accuracy of selection and installation of the system. Let's try to analyze all these factors that affect the timing of wearing braces, in order to at least approximately know how long braces are worn.

In Orthodontics, all bite pathologies are divided into 3 classes (according to Engel), depending on the position in which the dentitions close. The first class is physiological, when the dentitions have the correct ratio, but minor defects in the arrangement of individual teeth can be observed.

1. The presence of an average is a slight gap that is located between the incisors. During the period of early mixed dentition, this pathology is considered normal, but by the age of five, the gap should be buried. If this does not happen, the pathology is corrected by wearing a bracket system or using mouthguards.
2. Crowding of anterior incisors. A pathology is formed when the size of the teeth does not correspond to the size of the arch - the lateral permanent molars and premolars erupted correctly, but the front incisors did not have enough space. In this case, the orthodontist may offer to solve the problem by removing one incisor, and then use the bracket system to align the remaining ones.
3. The location of all the teeth is correct, but there are gaps between them - three. For a milk bite, this is considered the norm. Milk teeth deliberately diverge, making room for permanent molars, premolars, incisors and canines, which are larger in size, and therefore they will need more space. But if the bite is already formed, and the three remain, food debris will clog between the gaps, provoking the development of caries and inflammation of the gums.
4. Teething in the wrong place where it is supposed to - dystopia or transposition. The reasons for the development of such a pathology can be very diverse: initially incorrect location of the tooth germs, past mother's diseases in the first trimester of pregnancy, trauma to the child during childbirth - often due to the use of special forceps that are used during obstetrics. To correct the pathology, an incorrectly located tooth is removed, and all adjacent ones are directed to the correct position using a bracket system.

To correct all these anomalies, the period of wearing braces is about a year. But here other factors also matter, the age of the patient and the right design (we will consider later).

Significantly increases the period of wearing braces for more serious bite pathologies - 2nd and 3rd class according to Engel. These forms of development of pathology are more serious. During their formation, not only a certain tooth has an incorrect location, but disturbances occur in the development of the entire jaw.

Second and third class of pathologies

1. - underdevelopment of the lower jaw, where the upper jaw begins to prevail over it.
2. - underdevelopment of the upper jaw. In this case, the lower jaw moves forward a lot, which is why the patient's face has a depressed shape sign.
3. - the dentitions do not close together in the anterior or lateral part of the dentitions.
4. - the upper dentition significantly overlaps the lower ones. It differs from the mesial type in that the jaws are equally developed.
5. - when the dentition is closed, the incisors intersect.

These 5 forms of malocclusion require a longer correction. Here, not only will it be necessary to correct the position of a certain tooth, but also to form the jaw arch itself. Wearing a bracket system can last up to three years, after which it will take another 4-6 years to fix the result.

Terms of wearing associated with the chosen design model

Many patients choose bracket systems that will be less noticeable on the teeth, and not everyone takes into account the fact that the term for correcting the pathology also depends heavily on the design model. To better understand what is at stake, let's try to compare the characteristics of all existing models.

How long do adults and children wear braces

A permanent bite is formed up to the age of 25, when the eruption of the extreme molars (wisdom teeth) occurs. During these years, the jaw arches and the teeth themselves develop and take their position. This period is considered the most suitable for correcting malocclusion. The timing of wearing bracket systems directly depends on the age of the patient, but let's take a closer look at exactly how.

Terms of wearing braces in children and adolescents

You can install a bracket system for a child only from the age of 11. An installed structure before this age can do harm. The formation processes slow down from the age of 11–13 and completely stop at the age of 25. During this period, the teeth are already sufficiently developed to withstand the massive orthodontic construction and its load. But besides the age category of the patient, there is another important point - the obligatory eruption of the second molars. As a rule, treatment does not begin without them. If these teeth erupt during the period of wearing braces, then the entire result achieved will be reduced to zero.

If the bracket system is used before the age of eleven, this can provoke disturbances in the development of the entire root system, and in some cases, tooth loss. But in order to prepare the teeth for proper formation, before using heavy structures, special mouth guards are prescribed. In the future, this will help to significantly reduce the period of wearing the braces themselves.

Terms of wearing braces for adults

There are no age restrictions in the installation of braces for adults. Only existing general diseases, such as mental disorders, HIV, existing pathologies in the immune system, tuberculosis, diseases of the endocrine system and blood, as well as the absence of a significant number of teeth, can serve as an obstacle.

The terms of wearing bracket systems in adults increase by 6-8 months. This is due to the natural processes that occur in the body of an adult after 30 years.

• all metabolic processes slow down;
• the growth of the skeleton stops, and hence the dentoalveolar system;
• slower tissue regeneration.

The consequence of this is the ability to correct the pathology of the bite only by changing the size of the dentition and then displacing the incorrectly standing teeth. Most often, in order to achieve a positive result, an adult has to remove one or more teeth. Thus, space is freed up for the rest, where they are moved with the help of an orthodontic construction.

Another factor in increasing the period of wearing braces in adults is the wrong design. Many patients choose sapphire or ceramic systems to hide the entire treatment process. They are less visible to others, but significantly increase the duration of treatment.

In children, the terms of wearing structures are reduced by 5-7 months. The retention period is also reduced by 2 times - the time when removable mouth guards are used after braces to fix the result and prevent the teeth from returning to their original position.

Terms of wearing depending on the correct installation and care of the system

The design of the bracket system consists of brackets (plates with a special groove), an arc that goes into these plates and ligatures that fix the arc in the grooves of the bracket. Each individual bracket is made for a specific tooth. When creating it, it is taken into account how much the tooth needs to be moved to the side or rotated along the axis. If the orthodontist, for some reason, mixes up the braces and fixes them in the wrong place, all treatment will go down the drain and aggravate the situation. Then the timing of bite correction can increase significantly.

The orthodontic arch also plays an important role in the constructions. Her task is to create a certain pressure on the plates so that they can move the tooth. The arch has its own memory of the final result of the treatment and always strives to take this position, thus creating pressure. But each arc can be made of a different material: titanium and nickel, steel or titanium-molybdenum alloy. Each of these materials has its own elasticity. The greater the rigidity, the greater the pressure on the teeth, which means that the speed of correction also increases.

The term for correcting the pathology of the bite may increase due to the breakdown of the structure. Patients who neglect the rules of hygiene and the doctor's recommendations for caring for the system can damage its integrity. While the next design is being produced, the result will be reduced to zero and everything will have to start over.

The period of wearing braces goes into the retention period

The retention period is a mandatory stage in the treatment of correction of the bite pathology during which the result is recorded. This happens with the help of a retainer - an orthodontic appliance that has the shape of an arc. It is installed on the inside of the jaw and belongs to removable structures. Each patient should understand that neglecting the retention period, the teeth will return to their original position.

To fix a positive result, the period of wearing retainers is equal to two periods of wearing the bracket system. Sometimes the patient has to use this design all his life in order to exclude the recurrence of the pathology. These figures refer only to the adult category of patients. For children, it's easier. Thanks to the still strong root system, fixing a positive result is faster. For a child, the retention period will be 2-3 years.

The minimum term for wearing braces is 6 months, and the maximum is 3 years. The difference between these terms depends on the age of the patient, how pronounced the pathology of the bite is and how the treatment is being carried out. Often the doctor himself can not specify the exact timing. It happens when at the beginning of treatment one term was set, but then the whole process of correction has to be adjusted and the terms increase. Sometimes the teeth, after successful treatment, take their original position, you have to start all over again. All this is individual, so the question of how long to walk with braces remains without an exact answer.

Sources used:

• Borkowski R.N. The biologically based case for truly light-force mechanics, Clinical Impressions, Vol 13 (1), 2004
• V. N. Trezubov, A. S. Shcherbakov, R. A. Fadeev. Orthodontics. - Nizhny Novgorod: Medical book, 2001.

Braces are brackets made of ceramic or metal, fixed on the front or inner side of the teeth with a special solution, and fastened with a metal wire. About how much they need to be worn by adults and children to correct the bite and align the teeth, we will tell in the article.

Installing braces solves a complex problem. Aligning teeth improves bite, which is reflected in the grinding of food and affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. In parallel, even teeth relieve complexes, make people self-confident.

Length of time to wear braces

The direct purpose of braces is to correct flaws and straighten the dentition. Bracket systems are installed by orthodontists.

The term for wearing brackets is prescribed individually, after the diagnosis and determination of the level of pathology. The average duration of treatment is 2-3 years, in mild cases - 6 months, in difficult cases - up to a maximum of 5 years.

Straightening of the dentition does not end with the removal of the plate. The next stage of therapy is fixing the result with a removable retainer. The duration of the use of retainers also depends on the complexity of the case and averages 2-3 years.

Carefully! Refusal to install retainers will lead to the return of the curvature in a severe form.

Teeth while wearing braces

Circumstances affecting the duration of treatment

The main reason that affects how long the course of therapy lasts is the complexity of the bite pathology, which is determined by the location of the closed teeth of the upper and lower rows.

Also important:

Conclusion: it is possible to establish the duration of the process of straightening the dentition after a detailed examination and establishing the complexity of the pathology.

Time to wear braces

What worries patients who come to see an orthodontist? Most often, not the methods of therapy, and not even the cost of the course. The main issue is the duration of treatment.

For children and teenagers

The installation of corrective dental systems for children and adolescents is allowed after 11 years

The period of bite formation is 25 years, when the extreme molars - “wisdom teeth” erupt. The jaw arches are formed and developed during the adult stage.

This time is most convenient in order to align the curvature of the dentition. Hence the conclusion: the age of the patient affects the duration of treatment.

The installation of corrective dental systems for children and adolescents is allowed after 11 years, when development processes slow down and the teeth are strong enough to bear the loads from the straightening plates.

Attention! The use of braces up to 11 years of age can cause irreparable damage to a child's health - disrupt the formation of the root system and lead to tooth loss.

A prerequisite for the installation of plates is the presence of second molars. Dentists take this factor into account and do not start treatment before the appearance of molars, since molars eruption can change the configuration of the dentition and nullify all the work done.

For adults

There are no age restrictions for adult patients.

What can cancel the installation of braces:

The service life of the plates by adults is on average longer by 6-8 months.

It's related:

• with inhibition of the growth process;
• with slow recovery of internal tissues.

Based on this, the curvature is corrected by adjusting the size of the row and eliminating flaws, for which extra teeth are removed. The remaining teeth are moved to a free place with the help of plates.

Varieties of braces

Often patients choose braces, focusing on their invisibility to others, not paying attention to other qualities.

To understand the problem, consider the characteristics of individual structures:

Minimum term

The operation of bracket systems is based on the physiological processes of the human body. The correction plate presses on the dentition, forcing the teeth to take the desired position.

The main task of an orthodontist is to calculate the force of pressure in order to achieve a therapeutic effect without causing discomfort to the patient.

It's important to understand: Aligning teeth is a slow process that is difficult to accelerate. To reduce the wearing time, one has to make “sacrifices”, for example, to agree to the installation of metal staples instead of ceramics.

According to dentists, the minimum period of using the plates to achieve the desired result is usually 1 year. This time is enough to get rid of curvature at the age of 12-16 years.

As for the older age, at least 1 year you can correct minor violations in the location of the dentition (for example, remove the gaps between the teeth or put a protruding canine in place).

Maximum term

The maximum wearing period allows you to remove complex deformity that interferes with the natural process of movement

A long period of wearing braces is associated with the correction of serious pathologies that are difficult to treat.

To achieve tangible results, severe, neglected cases are treated for 3-5 years.

The maximum wearing period allows you to remove complex deformities that interfere with the natural process of movement. But, such cases are not common in orthodontics.

Another factor affecting the duration of wearing straightening plates is the breakdown of bracket systems associated with:

• with excessive pressure of the dentition on the structure;
• improper use of system care accessories;
• frequent use of hard foods, etc.

Carefully! If structural damage is found, do not try to solve the problem yourself, but immediately contact your doctor.

Deviations

Bite anomalies are classified depending on the position of the closed teeth of the upper and lower rows.

1 group

The first group of curvatures is physiological, characterized by:

The term for wearing corrective plates for these defects is 1 year, but additional factors, such as the patient's age and design features, may affect the duration of the process.

2 and 3 groups

Types 2 and 3 curvature require long-term treatment

The duration of wearing braces increases with the diagnosis - curvature of the 2nd and 3rd level.

Growth anomalies are characterized by:

• the location of the teeth;
• developmental pathology of the jaw.

Violations are classified according to the following criteria:

• distal bite and mesial type - underdevelopment of the lower and upper jaws;
• open bite - a mismatch of the teeth of the upper and lower rows in the front and side;
• deep bite - the top row hangs over the bottom;
• cross bite - crossing of the incisors when connecting the rows.

These types of curvature require long-term treatment, since it is necessary not only to correct the position of individual teeth, but also to correct the jaw arch.

In such situations, braces are worn for up to 3 years, after which, for 4-6 years, they undergo additional treatment aimed at fixing the result.

retention period

The retention period is a procedure for correcting the curvature of the dentition, fixing the previous result. The position of the teeth is fixed with a retainer - an orthodontic arch (plate), which is installed from the inside.

The period of operation of the rectifying structure:

• for adults - two terms of wearing braces;
• for children - 2-3 years.

Important! Neglect of the retention period will lead to the return of the curvature.

retainers

The duration of wearing trainers

Trainers - orthodontic devices made of polyurethane or silicone to correct the curvature of the dentition and remove speech defects.

Trainers, unlike braces, belong to the category of removable structures. They are worn at night and during the day for 1-4 hours. Installing trainers allows you to get rid of the root causes of the anomaly.

Orthodontic retainers

How long to wear mouthguards?

A cap in orthodontics is a “simulator” that fixes teeth in the right places. The appearance of the design is a cover made of dense plastic that is put on all the teeth.

Caps are selected individually, based on the physiological characteristics of the patient. They wear caps - the full period of wearing braces or 1.5 times longer.

Popular questions and answers

When does the first result appear?

The first, visible results of the correction appear 4-5 months after the installation of the bracket system.

Is it possible to speed up the time of wearing braces?

Ask this question to your doctor, after examining and determining the degree of curvature of the dentition, he will be able to name the period and explain the reason for the prolonged wearing of the braces.

How long to wear traction (elastics) on braces?

Rubber bands are used to create contact between the teeth of the upper and lower row.

Elastics are worn 12 hours a day - at night and several hours during the day. Change gum twice a day, so they lose elasticity and tear.

How long to wear the last arc on braces?

"Last arc" (retainer) - orthodontic appliance installed after removal of braces. The main task of the retainer is to fix the result. The period of wearing the "last arc" is equal to two periods of wearing corrective plates. This applies to adults. Regarding children, the average period of wearing a retainer is 2-3 years, and the minimum is 6 months.