How long will the treatment take?

The duration of orthodontic treatment varies from person to person, since no one has exactly the same malocclusion (problem with the teeth and/or jaw positioning). Four main factors influence the duration of treatment: the type of malocclusion; its severity; the growth of the jaws and face; and, lastly, the patient’s cooperation during the treatment. That said, braces or other corrective devices are normally worn for a period of 18-30 months. The duration may be even less in simpler cases.

With children, treatment is sometimes carried out in two stages. The initial stage, when the child is young (around the age of 7-9 years), takes advantage of the growth of the jaws and face to correct some specific problems and prevent the condition from worsening. The second stage, which generally begins after the eruption of all the permanent teeth (around the age of 12-14 years), completes the correction of the malocclusion.