Today, you get attachments with Invisalign that may resemble braces though they are tooth-colored. But, some of you might want to get rid of these. So, how long do Invisalign attachments stay on?
Invisalign attachments may last anywhere from 6 to 12 months or even more on your teeth. That means these may stay almost the whole duration of treatment to help push pressure on teeth and move them to the desired position. This widely depends on the type and severity of cases, treatment planning, and ways how you use the aligners.
But, how will you know how long you have to wear your attachment?
Here, I will break it down for you so that you can relate it to your case.
However, I want to mention that don’t confuse attachments with buttons.
Buttons may take much less time than attachments.
I will be also sharing with you the duration of Invisalign attachments and buttons depending on various factors.
Still, if you are in hurry, you can check out this article before you go, “When does Invisalign attachment hurt?“
Factors that determine the duration of Invisalign attachment
Let’s take a look at the factors.
Complexity of case
All cases are different. Severe cases will take more time while minor cases will take much less time.
You may need to wear the Invisalign attachments for more than 12 months if you have more complicated bite problems and more tooth straightening is needed. Those cases are excessive overbite, underbite, cross, and others.
On the other hand, minor issues can be fixed quickly and that’s why you may need to wear the attachments only for 6 months. Examples of the cases can be minor overbite or gaps in teeth.
Invisalign attachments take more time for an excessive overbite to correct them and make teeth straight. Similarly, big gaps will take much more time to close than small gals between teeth.
You may check out our other article where we have discussed how long Invisalign treatment take.
Age of individual
Whether it’s braces or Invisalign, you can get a quicker outcome if you can seek an orthodontist at an early age. Growing children or Young patients can expect fast results, so they may need to wear Invisalign attachments for much less time. However, adults may also benefit from Invisalign treatment because of recent advancements in orthodontics.
Duration of wearing Invisalign trays
As Invisalign aligners are removable, that means you can remove them from your mouth anytime you want, sometimes you may decide to take a break from the aligners. If you are doing so, you will need more time to fix the bite problems or straighten the teeth. So, in that case, you have to wear Invisalign attachments for a longer duration.
Attachments falling off
Some people don’t follow the advice given by the orthodontist during the treatment and their Invisalign attachments keep falling off from time to time. If you can’t prevent it, it will slow down the process of treatment and the attachments will stay on your teeth for much longer.
Poor diet, bad oral hygiene, and poor technique of cleaning teeth are also responsible for falling of Invisalign attachments or buttons.
Condition of overall dental health
Dental health isn’t the same for all and so the duration of Invisalign attachments varies from person to person as well.
Someone’s body may respond to the treatment faster than others and move teeth fast. For those people, attachments may be removed much earlier than others.
The condition of teeth and gums should be good enough to respond to the pressure applied to move the teeth.
However, you don’t need to worry much about it because an orthodontist chooses the right candidate for Invisalign and then starts the treatment.
Treatment planning
Depending upon the case, your orthodontist design a treatment plan. Some orthodontists may use attachments for a longer duration and some may remove them earlier.
Patient compliance
Invisalign treatments depend not on the case and treatment planning but also on the behavior of the patient. Some patients don’t follow the instructions of the dentist properly. This affects the progress of treatment and delays the removal of attachments.
One of the important things of this is wearing Invisalign trays regularly. If you can’t do it, it will also affect the duration of wearing Invisalign attachments.
How to remove Invisalign attachments earlier?
As now you know why Invisalign attachments stay so long on your teeth, you may also want to know how to get rid of the attachments fast and remove them completely.
Wearing aligners regularly
As wearing Invisalign attachments depends on the duration of the aligners, you must wear the aligners regularly. Wearing them properly will make the overall treatment fast and you can get rid of those attachments early.
Preventing attachments from falling off
When you get attachments you have to be careful so that they don’t fall off. Choose your diet wisely and wash your teeth carefully to prevent this from happening.
Choosing right diet
Pick foods that are not so hard and crunchy and cannot hurt your attachments. Stay away from sticky foods as well because they can also weaken those buttons.
Cleaning teeth carefully
While brushing your teeth, you should try your best to prevent attachments from falling off. Learn the proper way of brushing and flossing teeth attachments or buttons.
Not skipping any appointments with the dentist
Some patients skip their appointment with their dentist for negligence or busy schedules. But you must follow your dentist regularly to fasten the treatment and remove those Invisalign attachments as early as possible.
Preventing attachments from straining
Though it may not link directly to the duration of attachments, excessive straining can delay treatment. So try to keep your attachments free from stains and clean them regularly.
Following the instructions by the dentist
Your dentist gives you some advice for the best possible outcome of the treatment. During this time, you have to follow those instructions so that you can remove the attachments or buttons fast.
Invisalign buttons for elastic bands may stay on for approximately 6 months to attach the elastic and correct overbite. In some complex cases, it may take more time.
During this time, you have to wear those rubber bands for 22 hours a day. You also have to change them several times a day to let them work effectively.
Takeaways
Invisalign attachments stay on your teeth during the whole treatment with Invisalign in most cases. On average, it may take 12-18 months to remove the Invisalign attachment. However, depending on the severity of the case and the patient’s compliance, it may take less or more time. In some cases, the orthodontist may not use attachments for Invisalign to align your teeth.
On the other hand, Invisalign buttons may take 6 months or more to hold the elastic bands, correct the overbite and straighten your teeth.
