How long will treatment last?

The great news is that with Dr Panesar’s expertise and the latest brace technology the duration of treatment is constantly improving.  Depending on your treatment aims, your new smile may take as little as six months or less.  The average treatment will roughly last between 12 to 18 months. Treatment times vary from patient to patient and sometimes it can take less time and other times it can take longer. There are various factors to consider when estimating the duration of your treatment:

• Your age  – If you undergo treatment whilst your body is still changing and growing then your results will be quicker than those who are adults. It’s important to remember that healthy teeth can be moved regardless of your age, but it will take more time if you are no longer growing.
• Which teeth are present? – Orthodontic treatment can begin before or after you have all of your adult teeth. If it does occur during ‘mixed dentition’ it can help to influence the future shape, size and fit of your jaw and teeth. But it’s also important to remember that if you don’t yet have all of your adult teeth, treatment may be delayed whilst we wait for them to erupt.
• The severity of your teeth – As you would expect, patients with severe orthodontic problems (such as teeth that have failed to erupt correctly) will need a much longer course of treatment than teeth straightening alone.
• Regular appointments – It’s important that you come and visit us on a regular basis. If we don’t see you, we can’t make adjustments to your brace and make sure it is working as best as it can.
• If you break your brace – A broken brace can have a large impact on your treatment time, depending on which part breaks and how quickly we can repair it for you. Therefore, if part of your brace does break, it’s important that you get in touch with us as soon as possible so that we can fix it for you.
• Sticking to the task (removable appliances, functional appliances, headgear) – The more you wear your removable appliance the quicker you will achieve the results you want. A brace cannot do its job if it isn’t in your mouth!