Treatment guide · Chapter 3 of 4
The benefits, the honest trade-offs, and answers to the questions people ask most.
Benefits
Clear, thin trays. Most people won’t notice you’re wearing them.
Take them out for meals. No list of banned foods.
Brush and floss normally — no brackets or wires to work around.
Your movement is mapped digitally before treatment, so you know where you’re heading.
Good to know
Aligners work when you work with them. Read this before you request a consultation.
They only move teeth while they’re in. Out too long and the plan slows down.
Remove them to eat or drink anything but water, and brush before putting them back.
Each new set can feel snug at first, and some people lisp slightly for the first days.
Your clinic decides after examining you. Some complex cases need other treatment.
Teeth tend to drift back. Wearing a retainer is part of keeping your result.
Your clinic quotes after your consultation. Aligners are made for you alone, so payment is settled before treatment starts.
Rule number one
Aligners only move teeth while you wear them. Your result depends on three habits more than anything else:
Your clinic will give answers for your case. These are the general ones.
Most people feel pressure or tightness for a day or two with each new set — a sign the aligners are working. It usually fades quickly.
It depends entirely on your teeth: from a few months for small corrections to over a year for more complex cases. Your clinic will give you an estimate after your scan.
Plain water only. Take your aligners out for anything else, then brush or rinse before putting them back, so nothing gets trapped against your teeth.
Your aligners are custom-made from your scan and fit only your teeth — they can’t be reused or given to anyone else. So payment is settled before production. Your clinic sets the terms: either a deposit at your consultation and the full balance before treatment starts, or the full amount before your aligners are made.
Commitment. Wear your aligners 20–22 hours a day, switch sets on schedule and keep your check-ups. The plan only works if the aligners are in your mouth.
Rarely. The trays are clear and thin, and attachments are tooth-coloured. Most people won’t notice unless you tell them.
Call your clinic. Depending on where you are in the plan, they may ask you to move to the next set, go back to the previous one, or order a replacement.
For a few hours, yes. Just make up the time — the 20–22 hours a day is what keeps your plan on track.
No. Only a very thin layer of the outer enamel is polished, within limits your plan sets. Some people notice brief sensitivity; good brushing keeps teeth healthy.
There’s no upper age limit. What matters is healthy gums and bone, which your clinic will check.
Yes. Teeth naturally try to drift back. Your clinic will tell you how often to wear your retainer to keep your result.