If you’re considering braces, you’re probably wondering, “How long will I need to wear them?” While most people wear braces for about 18-24 months, your personal timeline could be shorter or longer depending on your unique smile. This guide will walk you through everything that affects your braces treatment time, from the type of dental issues you have to the braces you choose.
Whether you’re dealing with crooked teeth, gaps, or bite problems, understanding what to expect can help you prepare for your smile transformation journey.
Average Braces Treatment Time Explained
Most people wear braces for about 18-24 months. Treatment can be as short as 6-12 months for minor issues or extend to 36 months for complex cases. The complete orthodontic process includes initial consultation (1-2 weeks), active treatment with braces (18-24 months), and retention with retainers (ongoing).
Your braces journey typically involves:
- Getting started: 1-2 weeks for consultation and creating your treatment plan
- Active treatment: 18-24 months of actually wearing braces
- Keeping your results: Several months of full-time retainer wear, followed by years of nighttime wear
When most people ask “how long do braces take,” they’re usually thinking about that middle phase—the time you’ll actually have braces on your teeth. During this period, you’ll visit your orthodontist every 4-8 weeks for adjustments. These regular tune-ups allow your orthodontist to tighten your braces and check your progress, gradually guiding your teeth into their proper positions.
What Factors Determine How Long You’ll Need Braces?
The main factors that determine how long you’ll need braces are: the severity of your teeth misalignment, complexity of bite correction needed, your age, and how well you follow your orthodontist’s instructions. Most patients wear braces for 18-24 months, but treatment can range from 6 months for minor cases to 36 months for complex issues.
Here’s what affects your personal timeline:
Severity of Teeth Misalignment
The more crooked or crowded your teeth are, the longer braces treatment takes. Mild crowding or small gaps typically require 6-12 months, moderate alignment issues need 12-18 months, and severe crowding or spacing problems can take 24-36 months to correct.
If you only need a few front teeth straightened, you might qualify for “limited treatment” and be done in just 6-10 months. But if your teeth need to move a long way, it takes more time to shift them safely without damaging your roots or bone.
Bite Correction Complexity
Bite problems extend treatment time beyond simple teeth straightening. Overbite correction adds approximately 2-6 months, underbite correction often adds 6-12 months, and crossbite correction typically adds 3-9 months to overall treatment time.
Bite issues are tricky because they involve changing how your upper and lower jaws relate to each other, not just straightening teeth. If your case is severe, you might need additional devices like expanders or headgear, which can extend your total treatment time.
Age-Related Factors
Age significantly impacts how quickly teeth move:
- Children (8-14 years): Typically experience faster movement due to developing bone
- Teenagers (15-18 years): Generally responsive to treatment, average duration
- Adults (18+ years): May require 20-25% longer treatment due to denser bone and completed growth
Children’s teeth often move more quickly because their jawbones are still growing and less dense. Adult bones are fully formed and denser, requiring more time to remodel as teeth shift positions. Studies show that on average, adult treatment takes about 22 months compared to 18 months for adolescents with similar conditions.
Patient Compliance Impact
Following orthodontist instructions directly affects treatment duration:
- Missed appointments: Each skipped adjustment can add weeks to treatment
- Broken brackets or wires: Each incident typically adds 1-2 weeks
- Poor elastic wear compliance: Can extend treatment by 3-6 months
- Inadequate oral hygiene: Can delay treatment by 2-4 months due to gum issues
Research indicates that poor compliance with orthodontic instructions is responsible for extending treatment times by an average of 3.7 months. Particularly with elastics (rubber bands), which are critical for bite correction, inconsistent wear can significantly delay progress.
Different Types of Braces and Their Treatment Times
The type of orthodontic appliance you choose impacts both comfort and treatment duration.
Traditional Metal Braces Timeline
- Average duration: 18-24 months
- Adjustment frequency: Every 4-6 weeks
- Movement rate: Approximately 1mm of movement per month
Metal braces remain the most efficient option for complex cases, particularly when significant tooth rotation or vertical movement is required. The robust brackets and wires allow orthodontists to apply precise forces, often resulting in faster treatment for severe cases compared to alternative options.
Ceramic Braces Treatment Duration
- Average duration: 18-36 months
- Adjustment frequency: Every 4-6 weeks
- Movement rate: Slightly slower than metal (approximately 0.8mm per month)
Although ceramic braces function similarly to metal braces, there is generally no significant difference in treatment duration between metal and ceramic braces for comparable cases. According to research, both types can be equally effective. However, ceramic brackets may be more prone to breakage in some cases, which could potentially cause delays if they need replacement.
Lingual Braces Time Commitment
- Average duration: 24-36 months
- Adjustment frequency: Every 6-8 weeks
- Movement efficiency: About 20-30% slower than traditional braces
Lingual braces (attached to the back of teeth) typically require longer treatment times due to mechanical disadvantages in applying force from the tongue side of teeth. Their position also makes adjustments more technically challenging and time-consuming. Patients should expect at least a few additional months of treatment compared to traditional braces.
Clear Aligners vs. Traditional Braces Duration
- Average aligner treatment: 12-18 months for moderate cases
- Aligner changes: Every 1-2 weeks
- Compliance requirements: 22+ hours of daily wear
| Condition | Clear Aligners | Traditional Braces |
|---|---|---|
| Mild crowding | 6-12 months | 12-18 months |
| Moderate crowding | 12-18 months | 18-24 months |
| Severe crowding | 18-24 months or not suitable | 24-36 months |
| Bite correction | May have limitations for complex cases | 18-30 months |
| Rotated teeth | May have limitations for severe rotation | 12-24 months |
Clear aligners like Invisalign® work most efficiently for mild to moderate alignment issues but may take longer or be less effective for complex cases involving significant rotations or bite correction. Treatment time heavily depends on patient compliance—removing aligners too often dramatically extends treatment.
How Long Do Braces Take for Children vs. Adults?
Age plays a crucial role in determining treatment duration due to biological differences in bone density and growth patterns.
Typical Treatment Timeline for Children
- Optimal starting age: 9-14 years (during active growth)
- Average duration: 16-22 months
- Growth advantage: Can utilize growth spurts to enhance movement
Treatment during a child’s growth spurt (typically ages 10-14 for girls and 12-16 for boys) can significantly reduce treatment time by leveraging natural growth to assist with certain corrections. For example, using functional appliances during growth can address jaw relationship issues in 9-12 months that might require surgery in adults.
Early intervention through “two-phase treatment” beginning around age 7-9 can also simplify later orthodontic work, potentially reducing the second phase of treatment to 12-18 months instead of 24+ months for more severe untreated cases.
Adult Braces: It’s Never Too Late
Adult braces treatment typically takes longer than for teens with similar issues, averaging 22-30 months total. Young adults (18-30) have treatment times closest to teens, middle-aged adults (30-50) may need several more months, and older adults (50+) can still achieve excellent results but might require the longest treatment times.
If you’re getting braces as an adult, your treatment might take a bit longer than a teenager with the same orthodontic needs. That’s because adult bones are fully formed and denser, so they take more time to reshape as teeth move. But don’t let that discourage you! Adults make up about 20% of orthodontic patients now, and the results are just as amazing.
Adult treatment also tends to be more complex because of years of wear and tear, missing teeth, or previous dental work that complicates the process. But with the right orthodontist, you can still achieve that straight, healthy smile you’ve always wanted.
Two-Phase Treatment Timeline for Complex Cases
- Phase 1 (early intervention): 12-18 months around age 7-10
- Rest period: 12-24 months (monitoring growth and development)
- Phase 2 (comprehensive treatment): 12-24 months during adolescence
- Total active treatment time: 24-42 months spread over 4-6 years
Two-phase treatment addresses severe developmental or skeletal issues by intervening during critical growth periods. While this approach extends the calendar years involved in orthodontic treatment, it often reduces the complexity and duration of the second phase. This approach is particularly beneficial for severe crossbites, significant crowding, or jaw growth imbalances.
Can You Speed Up Your Time in Braces?
While some biological factors affecting braces treatment time are beyond your control, you can potentially reduce your time in braces through perfect compliance with orthodontist instructions, maintaining excellent oral hygiene, avoiding foods that damage braces, and in some cases, exploring acceleration technologies like micro-osteoperforation or vibration devices (though scientific evidence for their effectiveness is mixed).
New Technologies: Do They Really Work?
Acceleration technologies for orthodontic treatment show mixed results in scientific studies. Micro-osteoperforation creates tiny holes in the bone to potentially speed movement; low-level laser therapy uses light energy to stimulate cell activity; vibration devices apply gentle vibrations to teeth; and surgical techniques reshape gum and bone. Recent research shows modest to limited benefits over traditional treatment for most patients.
The science on these methods is mixed. Some studies show modest benefits, while others show little advantage over traditional treatment. They also add cost and sometimes discomfort. Talk to your orthodontist about whether any of these options might be right for your specific situation.
Be Your Orthodontist’s Favorite Patient
The most reliable way to minimize braces treatment time is through perfect compliance with orthodontic instructions. Never missing appointments, getting broken braces fixed immediately, wearing elastics exactly as directed (20-22 hours daily), maintaining excellent oral hygiene with a soft-bristled toothbrush and floss threaders, and continuing regular dental check-ups can significantly reduce your time in braces.
Patients who follow all instructions tend to finish treatment much faster than those who don’t. Those rubber bands might be annoying, but wearing them 20-22 hours every day (only removing them to eat and brush) can dramatically cut your treatment time.
Foods and Habits That Will Slow You Down
Several behaviors can significantly extend braces treatment time: hard foods like nuts and candy can break brackets (adding 1-2 weeks per incident), sticky foods can pull off brackets (adding 1-3 weeks), chewing ice or pens damages components (adding 2-6 weeks), playing sports without a mouthguard risks major damage (adding 2-8 weeks), nail biting works against tooth movement (adding 1-3 months), and poor oral hygiene causes gum inflammation that slows tooth movement (adding 2-4 months).
| What to Avoid | How It Could Delay You | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Hard foods like nuts and hard candy | 1-2 weeks for each broken bracket | Every repair means an extra visit |
| Sticky foods like caramels and taffy | 1-3 weeks | Can pull off brackets and bend wires |
| Chewing ice or pens | 2-6 weeks | Damages multiple parts of your braces |
| Playing sports without a mouthguard | 2-8 weeks | One hit can cause major damage |
| Nail biting | 1-3 months | Works against the force your braces apply |
| Skipping brushing and flossing | 2-4 months | Swollen gums slow tooth movement |
Breaking brackets repeatedly throughout your treatment can add months to your timeline. One patient who had 8 broken brackets during treatment spent an extra 2.5 months in braces compared to a similar case with no breakages!
What Happens After Braces Come Off?
After braces are removed, patients enter a retention phase that’s critical for maintaining results. This phase includes wearing retainers, allowing teeth to settle into final positions, and possibly receiving minor adjustments. The retention phase is lifelong, with most orthodontists recommending permanent nighttime retainer wear to prevent teeth from shifting back to their original positions.
Retainer Requirements and Timeline
- Initial retention phase: Full-time wear (22+ hours daily) for 3-6 months
- Secondary retention phase: Nighttime wear for at least 12-24 months
- Long-term retention: Most orthodontists now recommend indefinite nighttime wear, with over 90% of orthodontists recommending permanent retention
The retention phase prevents relapse, which occurs when teeth shift back toward their original positions. Studies show that without proper retainer wear, a significant percentage of patients experience relapse within the years following treatment, which is why most orthodontists now recommend long-term or permanent retention. Most orthodontists now consider retention a lifetime commitment, at least on a part-time basis, to maintain results.
Common Post-Treatment Adjustments
Even after braces are removed, minor adjustments may be needed:
- Initial settling period: 3-6 months as teeth naturally settle into final positions
- Minor corrections: 10-20% of patients need small adjustments within the first year
- Wisdom teeth monitoring: May require attention 2-5 years after treatment
These adjustments don’t necessarily mean returning to full braces but might involve short-term clear aligners or limited braces on specific teeth. Building these potential touch-ups into your expectations helps establish a realistic view of the complete orthodontic process.
Understanding the full timeline for braces treatment helps you set realistic expectations and prepare for the commitment involved. While the average 18-24 month treatment period applies to many patients, your individual factors will ultimately determine how long you’ll wear braces. By maintaining excellent compliance and following your orthodontist’s instructions carefully, you can help ensure your treatment progresses as efficiently as possible, giving you the beautiful, healthy smile you’re working toward in the shortest time possible.
