Clear aligners

The figure comes after an assessment and a scan. What drives it is how far the teeth have to move, how many aligners the course requires and how long treatment runs — a mild correction and a full-arch case are not the same treatment. You are quoted in writing before the course is ordered, and HICAPS claims are processed on the spot.

Most courses run somewhere between six and eighteen months, depending on how much movement is needed. Minor crowding is at the short end; significant changes take longer. Your scan and plan give an estimated number of aligners and a timeframe before you start.

For many cases of crowding and spacing, yes. Braces still have the advantage for complex movements, particularly where teeth need substantial rotation or vertical change. Which is appropriate for your teeth is determined at assessment rather than by preference alone.

Generally 20 to 22 hours a day, taken out only for eating and cleaning. Aligners only move teeth while they are in, so results depend heavily on wear time. This is the single biggest reason a course runs longer than planned.

Most people notice a slight lisp for the first few days that settles as the tongue adjusts. It is usually gone within a week and is rarely noticeable to others after that.

You move into retainers. Teeth drift throughout life whether or not they have been straightened, so retention is a permanent part of the plan rather than an optional extra. Your clinician will explain the retainer regime before the course starts.

Fixed braces move teeth that aligners cannot and work regardless of whether they are worn as directed. Aligners are removable and less visible. A digital scan produces a simulation of the expected movement before you commit to either.

A scan, then a simulation showing where each tooth ends up and roughly when. They come out to eat and they only work while they are in, which is the honest catch. Teeth drift back afterwards without a retainer, indefinitely, and that is true of every method.