Most people wear braces for 18 to 24 months, though treatment can range from as few as 6 months for minor corrections to 3 years or more for complex cases. A large systematic review of studies found the average treatment time with fixed braces was about 20 months, while cases evaluated under American Board of Orthodontics standards averaged closer to 25 months. Your specific timeline depends on the severity of your bite issues, the type of braces you choose, and how well you stick to your orthodontist’s instructions.
What Determines Your Treatment Length
The single biggest factor is how much your teeth need to move. Mild crowding or small gaps between teeth can sometimes be corrected in under a year. A severe overbite, underbite, or significant crowding typically requires two to three years of active treatment. The difference is straightforward: teeth can only move about one millimeter per month through bone, so the farther they need to travel and the more complex the movements, the longer everything takes.
Your bite correction matters just as much as tooth alignment. Straightening crooked front teeth is relatively fast, but fixing how your upper and lower jaws meet (your bite) often accounts for a large chunk of treatment time. Many people are surprised to find their teeth look straight well before their braces come off. The remaining months are spent fine-tuning the bite so your teeth function properly and the results last.
Treatment Time by Braces Type
Different types of braces move teeth through different mechanics, and some are faster than others.
- Metal braces: 18 to 36 months. These are the most common and give orthodontists the most control, especially for complex cases.
- Ceramic braces: 18 to 36 months. They function like metal braces but use tooth-colored brackets. The ceramic material is more fragile, so broken brackets can add time if they happen frequently.
- Lingual braces: 18 to 36+ months. These attach to the back of your teeth, making them nearly invisible. They’re harder to adjust, which can extend treatment slightly beyond what metal braces would require for the same case.
- Clear aligners: Around 18 months on average, compared to 24 months for traditional braces. This difference was statistically significant in comparative research, though aligners work best for mild to moderate cases. Severe bite problems often still need fixed braces.
The type you choose matters less than the complexity of your case. A simple alignment problem will be fast with any system. A complicated bite correction will take longer regardless of which brackets are on your teeth.
Does Age Affect How Long You Wear Braces
Less than you’d think. A meta-analysis of 11 studies covering nearly 4,400 patients found no significant difference in overall treatment duration between adults and adolescents. The common belief that adult teeth move more slowly isn’t strongly supported by the evidence for most types of tooth movement.
There is one notable exception. Adults who need a displaced canine (a tooth stuck up in the palate) brought down into alignment can expect that specific process to take roughly four months longer than it would in a teenager. This is likely because the bone surrounding that tooth is denser in adults. But for the typical case involving crowding, spacing, or bite correction, adults and teens finish on similar timelines.
Accelerated Treatment Options
Several techniques can shorten treatment by stimulating faster bone remodeling around your teeth. The most studied approaches involve minor surgical procedures done alongside braces. One technique called piezocision, where small cuts are made in the gum tissue and bone, reduced treatment time by 43 to 54 percent in clinical studies. Another approach using tiny perforations in the bone increased the rate of tooth movement by about 2.3 times compared to braces alone.
These methods aren’t for everyone. They involve minor surgical procedures, additional cost, and some temporary discomfort. But for adults who want to minimize time in braces, they can potentially cut a two-year treatment down to roughly 12 to 16 months. Your orthodontist can tell you whether your case is a good candidate.
What Can Add Months to Your Timeline
The estimated timeline your orthodontist gives you at the start assumes everything goes smoothly. Several things can push that date back.
Missed appointments are the most common delay. Braces need regular adjustments, typically every four to eight weeks, to keep teeth moving on schedule. Skipping one appointment occasionally won’t derail things, but repeated rescheduling almost always results in measurable delays. Each missed visit is a period where your teeth aren’t progressing as planned.
Broken brackets and bent wires are another frequent issue. Every time a bracket pops off, that tooth stops moving until it’s repaired. Avoiding hard, sticky, and crunchy foods isn’t just a suggestion. It directly protects your timeline. Poor oral hygiene can also slow things down. If your gums become inflamed, your orthodontist may need to pause adjustments until the tissue heals.
Rubber bands (elastics) are easy to skip but hard to make up for. If your treatment plan includes elastics to correct your bite, wearing them inconsistently is one of the fastest ways to add months. They only work when they’re in your mouth.
The Retainer Phase After Braces
Active treatment is only part of the commitment. Once your braces come off, you enter a retention phase that prevents your teeth from shifting back toward their original positions. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends lifetime retention as the standard of care, meaning retainers aren’t temporary.
For the first three to six months, most orthodontists ask you to wear your retainer 22 or more hours per day, removing it only to eat and brush. Between months six and twelve, wear time typically drops to 12 to 14 hours (evenings and overnight), though some patients transition to nighttime-only wear as early as month four. After the first year, the routine settles into nightly wear while you sleep, roughly 8 to 10 hours. This nightly habit continues indefinitely.
Teeth have a natural tendency to drift throughout life, especially in the first year after braces. Skipping retainer wear, even years later, can allow subtle shifting that gradually undoes your results. The retainer phase requires far less effort than braces, but it’s what makes the investment permanent.