Dental power chains can provide a quick and easy way to close gaps in your teeth. They are often used to cover large gaps and can also be used for cosmetic dental work.
How long do dental power chains take to close gaps? Is there a trick to closing gaps faster?
This guide will go through the average amount of time it will take power chains to close the gaps in your teeth and how that can vary for different people.
The Average Time
The average time to close gaps with a power chain is from 6 weeks to 6 months but it could be anywhere in the middle or maybe even longer. It all depends on how big the gap is and how long your teeth take to move.
Some people’s teeth and gums are much more flexible than others meaning that some can move really fast and some slow.
What Affects The Movement:
- The size of the gaps you are looking to close plays a huge part because if there is more space needed for the gap to close over, it will take a longer period. If it is only a small gap, it is much more likely to close the space quicker.
- You also need to look at how many gaps you’re trying to close. If there are several gaps which are all different sizes, the length of time between each will most likely differ.
- There are also different types of power chains that are used on different gaps and it all depends which ones are used on you by your orthodontist.
- Other very important factors are also looking at what condition the teeth and gums are in which can tend to get worse as you get older. Therefore, looking at the age of the patient will also be something that will impact the time of closing the gap.
- Like anything, you need to take care of them. If you have power chains and aren’t treating them the way they should be, they will no longer benefit you and the process will just be slower. Therefore, keeping them in good condition is only going to make the process quick for you.
- The teeth that are also going to be moving around need to be in good condition.
- Your orthodontist would have planned all of this information and taken all of this into account, and would be able to give you a good timeframe after a few sessions of how long it is going to take with the power chains.
Different Types Of Power Chains
Your orthodontist will always give you the best power chain for your teeth to make them close over faster but there are different types which act differently.
There are three different types known as closed, short and long. They also have different shapes that will be attached that will all work together to close their gaps.
There will always be variations in which ones are used depending on what the orthodontist is trying to achieve and what the problem is because they require different treatments.
The use of power chains tends to be more responsive with younger patients because their teeth are more likely to move faster. In older patients, the growth of the bone is already completed, which slows down the process of your teeth moving around.
There is also the issue of the alveolar bone which must be healthy to enable your teeth to move. The amount of force used to move the teeth is only putting pressure on the alveolar bone.
Therefore, if it is not healthy, then you could end up damaging this bone and it could cause even more issues inside of your mouth. This could also mean that you’ll have to wear the power chain for even longer!
The power chains include elastics which need to stay in place and be changed to be able to properly move the teeth. This includes your brushing routines, what types of food you eat, biting your nails and even pen biting.
Therefore, there is more to this process than first expected with keeping your power chains maintained and clean!
Conclusion
Overall, there are several reasons why you might need a power chain. For example, tooth gaps can occur when a tooth is extracted or lost. This is temporary until the remaining tooth has time to harden.
However, in some cases, the gaps may persist. In such scenarios, dental power chains can be used to close the gaps.
You need to make sure you are making the process as quickly as possible for yourself because if you don’t maintain your chains, it will only take more time to close the gaps.
Power chains tend to be the last part of the braces process and you want it to go as quickly as possible to have fresh teeth.
Therefore, if you follow this guide and keep your power chains clean and avoid certain activities such as pen biting, you will be having them off in no time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does It Take For A Power Chain To Close A Big Gap?
In circumstances of mild gap closing and corrections, you may need only a month. In other more severe cases, it can take six months, maybe more. Again, your ortho will instantly know the needs of your mouth.
Why Is My Gap Not Closing With Power Chains?
The most common reason why braces have a hard time closing some gaps is because of the size, shape, or position of the teeth. A tooth may be too small to properly fill a space between two normally sized teeth.
In this circumstance, it’s recommended that the tooth is resized and reshaped in order to fill the gap.
He has combined both of these skills to create his first company, Isopharm Limited, which became one of the top learning platforms within the dental industry.
With over 120,000 active users, he has been able to educate others in order to provide better dental care around the world.
With his expertise and work in the field, Andrew has been able to help many dental care professionals succeed in treating their patients.
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