Most of our adult patients would ideally like to have a fast solution to improve their smiles, but don’t want to go down the route of having teeth drilled, or veneers or crowns fitted. They want their natural teeth in the right position. After all, the best thing to have in your mouth is your own teeth with nothing done to them.
Moving the top part of the tooth (crown) is relatively easy and usually involves a tipping movement, which can happen in a few months. However, this ‘tipping’ can also revert back just as quickly! Ideally you want the roots of the teeth to be at the correct angle and in line with each other. This will give the best aesthetic result, as teeth are only perfectly straight when the roots are in the right position. Having the roots in the right place also balances biting forces and increases stability. Root movement can only be achieved with fixed braces!
Even with “6 month smiles” it takes time to get a big enough wire in to move the roots, especially if there are more than a few crowded teeth.
So can we deliver fast teeth straightening outcomes? For simple corrections it is possible to achieve the desired result in as little as 6 months. But for most patients the minimum to do it properly is 9-12 months. The AcceleDent device can reduce treatment time and help to get quicker root movement, so if you want the best result in the shortest time I would invest in that rather than “quick fix” compromise treatments.
Watch out for the next blog where I’ll be talking about retainers and keeping your great new smile forever.
Paula