Quick Answer: What Are Invisible Braces?

The most suitable option depends on your tooth alignment, bite, treatment complexity, oral condition and other clinical factors. An orthodontic assessment is needed before deciding between clear aligners and braces.

Clear Aligners vs Braces: What Is the Difference?

Clear aligners and braces are different orthodontic appliances used to move teeth. Clear aligners use a series of removable transparent trays, while conventional and self-ligating braces use brackets and wires that remain attached to the teeth during treatment.

People searching for “invisible braces” are often referring to clear aligners because they are generally less noticeable than conventional metal braces. However, clear aligners are not technically fixed braces, and each approach needs to be considered according to the patient's orthodontic needs.

What Are Clear Aligners?

Clear aligners are transparent, removable orthodontic appliances that move teeth progressively according to an individual treatment plan. Our clear aligner treatment may also incorporate iTero digital scanning and relevant digital planning where appropriate.

Key things to know:

• Removable: Aligners are removed for eating and oral hygiene according to the instructions provided.
• Less noticeable: Their transparent design generally makes them less noticeable than conventional metal braces.
• Wear matters: Aligners need to be worn according to the prescribed schedule, so patient compliance is important.
• Individually planned: Suitability depends on your tooth alignment, bite, oral condition, treatment complexity and other clinical factors.

Clear aligners can be appealing when having a removable and less noticeable appliance is important, but clinical suitability still needs to guide the treatment decision.

What Are Conventional Braces?

Conventional braces use fixed brackets and an archwire to support planned orthodontic tooth movement. Unlike clear aligners, our conventional braces remain attached to the teeth during treatment.

What this means for patients:

• Fixed appliance: Brackets and wires remain attached throughout treatment.
• Regular monitoring: Adjustments are made according to the orthodontic treatment plan.
• Oral hygiene: Careful cleaning around brackets and wires is important.
• Individual suitability: Whether conventional braces are appropriate depends on your orthodontic assessment.

Conventional braces are an established fixed orthodontic approach, but the decision to use them should be based on your individual treatment needs.

What Are Self-Ligating Braces?

Self-ligating braces are fixed orthodontic appliances that use brackets with an integrated mechanism to hold the archwire. Our self-ligating braces use a different bracket design from conventional braces, which commonly use small elastic ties to hold the archwire in place.

Key things to know:

• Fixed appliance: The brackets and wires remain attached to the teeth during treatment.
• Bracket mechanism: The brackets have an integrated mechanism for holding the archwire.
• Visibility: How noticeable the appliance is can depend on the bracket system and materials used.
• Individual suitability: Whether self-ligating braces are appropriate depends on your orthodontic needs and clinical assessment.

Clear Aligners vs Conventional vs Self-Ligating Braces

The main practical differences involve appliance type, visibility, removability and the role of patient compliance. The table below provides a simple comparison, but it cannot determine which treatment is clinically appropriate for you.

The key difference is practical rather than a simple question of which appliance is “better.” Clinical findings and treatment needs should guide the final choice.

Which Orthodontic Option May Be Suitable for You?

There is no single orthodontic appliance that is automatically suitable for every patient. Our team considers clinical findings, practical preferences and treatment goals together when discussing your options.

Why Does Orthodontic Assessment Matter?

Orthodontic treatment involves planned tooth movement and bite relationships, not simply making the teeth look straighter. An assessment helps our team understand the clinical factors that need to be considered before recommending an orthodontic approach.

Our assessment may consider:

The appearance of an orthodontic appliance is only one consideration. Our team uses the overall clinical findings to discuss whether clear aligners, fixed braces or another approach may be appropriate.

Digital Scanning for Clear Aligner Planning

What Happens During an Orthodontic Assessment?

An orthodontic assessment helps us understand your concerns, examine your teeth and bite, and determine which treatment options may be appropriate to discuss.