The movements involved in achieving straight teeth affects the time your treatment takes.  

Tipping a tooth forwards or backwards happens faster than bodily movement when the whole tooth, root and crown are moved. 

Rotation when the tooth is turned through a twisting movement or intrusion, when a tooth is pushed deeper into the bone, are generally slower. 

Chances are that you’ll have a range of different movements that teeth need to undergo during your orthodontic treatment.   

Bonus: Straight teeth? Your biology knows what it’s doing 

Your periodontal ligament buffers between your teeth and your jawbone; it’s why your teeth have a little wiggle room. Osteoclasts help dissolve bone to make room for tooth movement and osteoblasts help to make new bone to help keep your straight teeth in their new positions. For permanent teeth straightening, you need his triangle of biology supporting your straight teeth goals. Let’s salute the power of nature, right? 

For the orthodontic kit that’s helping make this range of movements, try Orthodontic Wax to smooth the bumpiness of those brackets, the aggravation of that arch wire and the scratchiness of that spring. Soften it between your fingers and mould it onto the bits that poke you. Ooh, now that’s much smoother!

Root length & shape:  

Canines are longer rooted, and molars have bulkier roots, so they tend to move slowly as your body must get busy with more jawbone remodelling. Clever body, right? 

Incisors have shorter roots so can move quicker – which is good news if you’re concerned about how your front teeth look when you smile. Those incisors might just line up obediently without too much time passing. *switches phone to selfie mode 

Root orientation:  

You’re wearing braces to help straighten your teeth for a reason. One of those reasons might be that some of your teeth are rotated in your jaw. These roots might need to move back or forwards and diagonally into a better position. This type of 3D repositioning could take longer. It’s a bit like a very slow ballet movement! Luckily, your job is to keep brushing and let your moving teeth do their thing! 

Bonus time: The t’root’h is, you’re in safe hands 

Your orthodontist shows each tooth the way with a mash-up of arch wire, brackets, coils and elastics. It’s great for you as it's their powers of persuasion, masterminded by your orthodontist, are the ones your moving teeth respond to. You get to be good cop soothing your teeth with a Monotip Brush after an adjustment appointment and whispering a little apology to your premolar that the ‘bad cop’ applied the pressure. #gottaloveyourorthodontist

Thinner, spongier bone is great for speedy quick movement: 

The bone your front teeth nestle in is thinner and spongier. It means they could respond faster to treatment. Our front teeth are often the ones that concern us in terms of how our mouth looks to others, so this is great news. Flash ‘em your best shaping up smile! 

Caveat: Set your watch to orthodontics time! 

Even speedy quick in orthodontics might still feel like snail’s pace, but you’re getting there!

Denser bone puts up resistance: 

The corticol bone in your lower jaw, especially near molars, is meant to put up a fight against tooth movement. If moving your lower molars is proving a slow burn, that’s because your jaw is trying to do its job. This part of your jaw works hard to keep your teeth in place as its purpose is to resist tooth movement as you chew over a lifetime. We think it deserve a round of applause.

Bonus time: Your orthodontist is trained to tickle coriticol bone into submission! 

Don’t worry, yes, the back of your lower jaw is made of tough stuff, but your orthodontist knows a gentle force, exerted over a longer time, will do the trick. Just need to resist checking your watch every five minutes! Get your Orthodontic Access Toothbrush around your molars to honour the heave-ho they’re undergoing! It's designed to work around your arch wire and any orthodontic bands your molars are sporting! 

Admittedly, it’s more fun when you’re the one taking the holiday! Dipping your toes in a cool pool in the sun takes the edge of having to delay your next adjustment appointment.  

We all know your orthodontist will need a break at some point, moving all that enamel for the sake of your best bite isn’t a job anyone can do, after all! 

The trick here is to accept that life isn’t all about moving teeth. The rest times are as important as your dynamic movement times.

Bonus time: Your periodontal ligament has time to catch up! 

A pause in orthodontic treatment can allow the periodontal ligament (PDL) to recover and for surrounding bone and tissue to stabilize. This is often a planned part of treatment. You can find yourself in this situation whether the orthodontist is taking a holiday or not. Sometimes your body needs this rest period to allow the supporting structures to adapt to your recent tooth movement.

Take a weekender in style and travel with a Fixed Brace Travel Kit. Your periodontal ligament can enjoy catching up in style while you keep brushing with your miniature VITIS Orthodontic Toothpaste and Mouthwash. Don’t worry, we didn’t shrink the Orthodontic Access Toothbrush, that’s still full size, as is the Orthodontic Wax!