A sequence of clear removable trays that shift teeth gradually, with small attachments bonded on which are going to be of the same shade of the tooth.
Overview
Clear aligners are a series of transparent trays, each moulded very slightly differently from the last. Worn in sequence, each one nudges the teeth a fraction of a millimetre closer to the planned position.
The whole sequence is designed up front from a digital scan, so you can see the projected outcome before you start. They come out for meals and brushing, which is their real advantage — and the reason they only work if you actually wear them.
Suitability
If one of these suits you better than clear aligners, we will say so at your consultation — including when the right answer is to do nothing for now.
Step by step
Photographs, X-ray and an intraoral scan. We will tell you honestly whether your case is suited to aligners.
The movement sequence is designed and simulated. You review the projected outcome before we manufacture.
Attachments are bonded where needed and we check the fit. You are shown how to seat and remove them.
Change to the next tray every one to two weeks as directed, with a check-in every couple of months.
A short refinement run if anything has not tracked, then retainers.
Benefits
Near-invisible in normal conversation
Removable for meals — lesser food restrictions
Brushing and flossing are unchanged
Fewer chair visits than fixed braces for most cases
No brackets to rub the cheeks, and no emergency loose-wire visits
After treatment
Who will treat you
MDS · MNDC (New Zealand) · MADC (Australia) · PGDAI (CIIOMFI, France) · Fellow ICOI (USA)
Dr. G. Vijay Srinivas is an Oral & Maxillofacial Pathologist and Implant Dentistry practitioner with more than 35 years of clinical experience, and the founder of AP Superspeciality Dental Hospitals.
Full profileWhere
Questions
Typically 10 to 24 months depending on how far the teeth need to move. Minor front-tooth corrections can finish in under eight months. The figure assumes you wear them as directed — at 14 hours a day instead of 22, the timeline stretches or the plan stops working.
Close to it, but not entirely. The trays themselves are clear and hard to notice in conversation. The attachments — small tooth-coloured bumps bonded to some teeth to give the tray grip — are visible up close. Honest answer: far less noticeable than braces, not literally invisible.
Each new tray feels tight and the teeth ache for a day or two, then it settles. Most patients find it milder than a braces adjustment. The edges can occasionally rub the tongue.
It depends on what needs moving. Mild to moderate crowding, spacing and mild bite correction — usually yes. Severely rotated teeth, large gaps, significant jaw discrepancies — usually not, and we will say so rather than start something that will not finish well.
Go back to the previous tray immediately and call us. Do not skip ahead to the next one — that forces movement the teeth have not been prepared for. We will arrange a replacement.
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