After visiting the orthodontist for the first time, you may be wondering which treatment option to choose. At Gorman & Bunch Orthodontics, you have two main options: traditional braces and Invisalign. Braces include metal brackets and an archwire, while Invisalign straightens your teeth using a series of clear, customized and removable aligners.

Knowing how long Invisalign will take to transform your teeth into a beautiful smile may help guide your orthodontic decision. Below, we’ve outlined how long Invisalign takes to straighten your teeth and the step-by-step treatment process.

The Step-by-Step Invisalign Treatment Process

Before we divulge the time it takes for our Invisalign treatments to work, let’s first unpack the process we take with our Invisalign patients at each of our Central Indiana offices.

Creating a Treatment Plan

After coming in for an initial free consultation at our office, our staff first takes 3D scans of your smile in order to create a customized treatment plan just for you. With this scan, we then create a digital framework that displays how our entire treatment process will shift your teeth from your first set of aligners to your last.

Making Your Aligners

Using those 3D scans, we create a customized set of aligners out of medical-grade thermoplastic material. These clear and removable aligners replace the metal wires and brackets used with traditional braces and look virtually undetectable while in your mouth.

A Series of Aligners

You may be asking yourself now, “how does Invisalign work?” About every 12 weeks, you visit our office, and we give you a new set of aligners — designed to move your teeth in small increments into their desired place. During that visit, we take the time to ensure the aligners fit properly, answer any questions you may have, and offer some tips for caring for your aligners.

Each tray of aligners places small amounts of pressure on your teeth and shifts them about 1/10 mm every seven days. It may not sound like much. But if you take a selfie each week, you’ll definitely be able to see the changes over time until your treatment ends.

How to Clean Invisalign Aligners

Proper hygiene will help speed up the process of Invisalign treatment. You should remove your aligners and put them in your Invisalign case only when you eat, drink, brush or floss your teeth. You can also use Invisalign cleaner or any denture cleaner to soak your aligners whenever you take them out. Additionally, you can use Invisalign cleaning crystals in the form of dissolvable packets to prevent bad odors and stains from affecting your aligners.

Length of Treatment

And now the answer to what you really wanted to know: How long does Invisalign take? The length of Invisalign treatment varies from patient to patient and depends upon several different factors, including the severity of your case and how often you wear your aligners. We strongly recommend that you only take your aligners out to eat, brush and floss, which means you should be wearing your aligners for about 22 hours per day and changing to a new set each week.

If you stick to this plan, we estimate that most Invisalign cases take an average of 12-24 months. By sticking to your Invisalign treatment plan, you will see gradual progress each week.

At Gorman & Bunch Orthodontics, we are the #1 Invisalign doctors in the state of Indiana. To figure out if you’re the right candidate for Invisalign and to learn more about Invisalign cost, check out our Guide for How Invisalign Works for Your Family.

You can also reach out to us anytime. We’d love to walk you through the process, discuss Invisalign results and share Invisalign reviews and success stories with you from our wonderful patients.