Info on Clear Aligners

Clear Aligners Overview

Clear aligners are custom-designed trays made of thin plastic material.
They apply the necessary pressure to straighten your teeth and improve your smile.

Attachments

Small, tooth-colored “bumps” may be bonded to some teeth to improve aligner grip.
Made from the same material as dental fillings and barely visible.

Tooth Filing

Minimal filing between teeth (0.1–0.5mm per contact) to allow movement.
Safe, standard procedure with negligible enamel reduction (0.05–0.25mm per tooth).
Quick and painless process, with no risk of sensitivity or weakening.

Daily Wear Instructions

Wear aligners 20–22 hours daily, including while sleeping.
Remove aligners only for eating, brushing, or drinking anything other than water (especially hot, sugary, or colored drinks).
Take home a supply lasting 2–6 months before your next office visit.

Progress Monitoring

Use your home monitoring kit and smartphone to scan your teeth weekly.
We then inform you when to move on to the next set of trays based on your scans. This is approximately every 7-10 days (based on how fast your teeth are moving).
We will use an app to communicate with you and guide you through the process.

Clear aligners and braces are equally successful tools that your doctor can use to perfect your smile, so the question is a matter of lifestyle.

	Braces	Clear Aligners
Comfort	Rough surface braces and pokey wires	Smooth surfaces only
Esthetics	Can see from a distance	Can only see from up close
Eating	Food gets stuck, braces can come loose	Remove them and eat like you do now
Brushing/flossing	2x time to brush, braces trap plaque, need to brush and floss under the wires	Remove them and brush/floss like you do now
Emergency appointments	Braces can come loose and wire can start stab your cheeks	No emergencies
Number of office visits	Every 4-8 weeks to tighten your wires	Only as needed. Every aligner you switch, you progress your tooth alignment
Doctor’s monitoring	Every 4-8 weeks	Weekly remote monitoring to prompt you for any action/visit needed
Commitment	Brushing well, eating mindfully, wearing elastics	Wearing your aligners 20-22 hours per day, not losing them, wearing elastics
Treatment delays	Whenever braces or wires come loose, things go unnoticed between appointments and teeth start to relapse	You always staying on track since you are monitored weekly; even if you lose an aligner we order you a new one right away or you go to the next (based on your progress)