Invisalign

Straighter teeth you can take out to eat.

A series of clear aligners, each worn about two weeks, moving your teeth a fraction at a time. Removable for meals and for cleaning, which is the real difference from fixed braces.

Invisalign clear aligners at Garden City Dental Group.

How it works

01

A digital scan, not putty

Your teeth are scanned and the whole movement is planned on screen before a single aligner is made. You see the projected result first.

02

A new aligner every week or two

Each one is very slightly different from the last. Twenty to twenty-two hours a day is what makes it work.

03

Retainers at the end

Teeth drift back if nothing holds them. Retainers are part of the treatment, not an upsell after it.

What it treats well, and what it does not

Crowding, spacing, mild to moderate bite problems and relapse after childhood braces are all common Invisalign cases, and it handles them well.

Severe skeletal discrepancies, badly rotated teeth and cases needing substantial movement of the roots are better served by fixed braces or an orthodontic referral. If yours is one of those, we will tell you at the consultation rather than three aligners in.

Questions

Asked often.

How long does it take?

Simple cases can finish in a few months; most run around twelve to eighteen. The digital plan gives you an estimate before you commit.

Can people tell?

Rarely, at conversational distance. Small tooth-coloured attachments are bonded to some teeth to grip the aligner, and those are the most visible part.

Does it hurt?

There is pressure and tenderness for a day or two after each new aligner. Most people describe it as an ache rather than pain, and it settles.

What if I do not wear them enough?

The treatment stalls and the next aligner will not seat. Twenty-two hours a day is not marketing; it is the mechanism. If that is unrealistic for you, fixed braces may be the better choice.

Is it more expensive than braces?

Broadly comparable for similar cases. We quote in writing after the consultation.

Related treatments

Next step

Come and meet us first.

The first appointment is an examination and a conversation. There is no obligation to book treatment at the end of it.