Invisalign and Aligners
If you are looking for a discreet way to straighten your teeth and don’t want to get more traditional braces then having an aligner may be an option worth considering.
Invisalign and Aligners
Aligners are clear plastic trays that you wear for around 22 hours per day to straighten your teeth. Each aligner is slightly different from the previous one and moves your teeth towards the desired position.
The process starts with a detailed scan or impression of your teeth and a skilled dental technician then uses software to create a series of steps towards the final result. Invisalign refer to this as a ‘clincheck’ which provides you and your dentist or orthodontist with an opportunity to review and comment on the final intended position of your teeth.
Once approved, each of these steps results in a separate aligner, the total number required corresponding with the complexity of your treatment. Following completion of wearing these aligners, further ‘refinement’ aligners may be made to achieve the final result.

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Invisalign is the best known brand of aligners and has proven to be very popular with now over 5 million patients. Many dental and orthodontic practices across the UK provide Invisalign and it remains a popular option for adults who want their teeth straightened without going down the traditional ‘braces’ route. There are other brands of aligners, all of which straighten your teeth in a similar way by using a sequence of trays. It will take a little time to get used to aligners and your speech may be affected at first. This soon passes and many patients are pleased with their decision to get aligners. Some patients will have attachments which are small tooth coloured ridges to help the aligner grip a tooth and to achieve a certain movement. These will be more noticable particularly if they are on the front teeth. Aligners cannot treat everyone so your orthodontist may recommend other options.
Features
Almost invisible
The aligners are almost invisible so no one will know you are wearing them
Removable
You can remove your aligners so can continue eating whatever you want, just don’t forget to put them back in afterwards
Effective
Aligners are now able to treat a wide range of orthodontic problems
Comfortable
After initially adapting to wearing them, most people describe them as comfortable to wear
Availability
Many dental practices and orthodontists offer aligners so they will be easily available
Buttons
You may have small tooth coloured attachments glued on your teeth to enable the aligner to move certain teeth
Lisping
It can take a few days to get used to your aligners so don’t give up
Range of options
There are different treatment plans depending on your budget and needs
Determination
It will take discipline to wear your aligners for 22 hours a day so some determination is required
Blog posts
Can you help with some orthodontic research?
I am Dr. Aoibheann Wall, an NHS trainee Orthodontist working at a dental hospital in London. As part of my training, I am doing some research into adults who get braces and would be grateful if you could complete my survey.
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BOS response on direct to patient orthodontics
A response from the British Orthodontic Society to Kevin O’Briens post on direct to patient orthodontics.
Direct to patient orthodontics
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Invisalign 7 million patients
Invisalign have announced they have treated their 7 millionth patient.
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A guest Invisalign blog post from Natalie Weaving
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ClearCorrect Aligners
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Top ten ‘getting started’ braces tips
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Curious about aligner treatment?
Smilelign is a British aligner company based in Sheffield with a large network of dental practices across the UK. They offer the opportunity to try a passive aligner before deciding on whether this type of treatment is suitable for you.
Dental Monitoring
A tweet from an orthodontic practice caught my attention this morning. It referred to a new way to remotely monitor orthodontic aligner treatment by taking a photo of your teeth with a smartphone which is then analysed by software which detects tooth movement. The...
3M Clarity Aligners
3M have very recently announced they have entered the aligner market by introducing their own brand of 'Clarity' aligners. Very few details of the aligners are available at the moment but if you are interested in seeing a video on their aligners, click here Image ©...