How Long Does it Take for Braces to Move Teeth?

A common question asked to Orthodontics in Surrey is how long does it take for braces to move teeth?

There are many answers to this question, and often the answer is different for every patient.

Before an Orthodontist in Surrey can estimate how long a treatment plan may take, they first will need to assess what will be required for a patient. Every mouth is different, and every person in Surrey who requires braces may have different needs.

These needs can vary. Some patients may require appliances to correct an overbite or underbite, others may need appliances to create more space in the upper mouth. This can all add time to the treatment.

Moving teeth requires that the bone that the tooth is attached to be slowly broken down. This is known as resorption and can take a fair amount of time. The bone then needs to be regrown (deposition) once the tooth is in its new location to strengthen and hold it in place. As you can see, this process can take a fair amount of time and can vary between individual patients.

A common answer to the previous question is 18 to 24 months from start to finish. This tends to be the average treatment time for most patients needing braces in Vancouver. However, as also previously stated, the type of braces treatment required can skew this estimate one way or the other. Often, orthodontics will try to best balance how quickly they can move the teeth, without going too fast and causing other damage or problems.

The best answer you can get to this question will be directly from your orthodontist. If you haven’t yet, make an appointment to have an orthodontic assessment done by a professional at Pacific West Dental. Here a professional will be able to determine your best treatment plan and give you an estimate on how long it may take to get that perfect, healthy smile.

Dr Wang

Dr. Wang, DDS, MSc, FRCD(C)

ORTHODONTIST

Orthodontic specialist, founder of PacificWest Dental Group. Helping people get the perfect smile since 1994!

Dr Kevin

Dr. Kevin Lee, DMD, MSc, FRCD(C)

ORTHODONTIST

Specialist in Orthodontics, UBC alumni. Love helping patients get a beautiful smile. Part-time clinical instructor at UBC. 

Are You a New Patient?

Existing Patients – please use contact form