Invisalign Full

This is for moderate to complicated cases where treatment will take more than 7 months. The fees here include any refinements after treatment completion (i.e. no extra costs).

Invisalign lite

This innovative system is used for minor corrections where treatment can be completed in 7 months, with a maximum of 14 aligners. Invisalign charge for mid-course correction and final refinements for Invisalign lite, so if a more complex case is presented it is often more cost effective to go for Invisalign full.

Invisalign I7

For very minor cases where treatment can be completed in 3.5 months using 7 aligners. Invisalign charge for mid-course and final refinements for Invisalign i7, so if a more complex case is presented it is often more cost effective to go for Invisalign lite or Invisalign full. Also, i7 will only treat the front 8 teeth from the first premolar to the first premolar.

Cheaper Alternatives to Invisalign

Cheaper non-branded invisible braces are available from orthodontic laboratories. The main advantage here is the cost, and are ideal for very mild cases, but these are not recommended for complicated cases in which case it is best to go for Invisalign full, remembering Invisalign has over 1 million cases successfully treated.

Additional Costs

Scale and polish appointments, it is important to keep the teeth meticulously clean and during Invisalign additional hygiene appointments may be needed.

Replacement aligners, if aligners are broken or lost, Invisalign charge for replacements.

Mid-course correction, if aligners have not been worn, then some teeth may stop moving and remaining aligners may not fit, in this case, new aligners must be fabricated using new impressions.

Anything else…

Invisalign, and for that matter any aligner, brace, retainer, takes time to get used to. Initially, it feels uncomfortable, with hyper- or hyposalivation common and a small lisp can be present, this usually disappears after a few days.

Sometimes the Invisalign is such a tight fit, it exerts pressure (causing soreness) on the gums, a nail file used on the aligner in this “pinching” area is great to help and resolves this instantly!

With some more complicated cases Invisalign may recommend attachments, although these can be declined by the patient, these are small white lumps (color matched to the teeth) on teeth which are used to aid tooth movement by allowing the Invisalign to “grip” the tooth. These white lumps are slightly visible on upper anterior teeth, although most patients get on with them absolutely fine.

It will also take some time getting used to putting in and taking out aligners, this gets quicker as you get used to it.

The biggest risks are decay and gum disease developing. When wearing any oral device, dentures, braces, aligners, retainers, it is more difficult to clean the mouth. This can cause decay, gum disease, so it is imperative to maintain excellent oral hygiene. It is often recommended to attend more regularly for hygiene appointments, use a fluoride mouthwash and spend extra time cleaning the teeth during Invisalign treatment. After treatment is completed we normally place removable (similar to clear aligners, but not pressurised) or fixed retainers (thin wire bonded to back of teeth) to hold them in their new position. Over time these can wear down or de-bond and they may need replacing, extra fees will be due when and if they need replacing.