Braces or clear aligners — which one actually suits you?

What fixed braces are still best at

Braces stay glued to the tooth, so they work 24 hours a day whether or not you feel motivated. That matters for large corrections — badly rotated canines, deep bites, teeth that need to be moved bodily through bone, or cases where a tooth has to be extracted and the gap closed.

Ceramic brackets are tooth-coloured and far less visible than steel; they cost a little more and are slightly more fragile, but for adults who want discretion without trays, they are an underrated middle path.

• Best for: complex crowding, bite correction, growing children and teenagers
• Typical duration: 14–24 months with visits every 4–6 weeks
• Discipline needed: careful brushing and avoiding hard, sticky food

What clear aligners are best at

Aligners are a series of custom trays that move teeth in small increments. They are removable, which is their biggest strength and their biggest risk. Worn 20–22 hours a day, mild to moderate crowding and spacing correct beautifully with no diet restrictions and far easier cleaning.

Worn 12 hours a day because they keep sitting in a pocket, treatment stalls and the plan has to be re-scanned. We say this plainly at the first visit: aligners reward organised people.

• Best for: mild to moderate crowding, spacing, relapse after old braces
• Typical duration: 6–18 months depending on the number of trays
• Discipline needed: 20+ hours of daily wear, trays removed only to eat

How we decide in the chair

We take photographs, a digital scan and an OPG X-ray, then measure how much space is needed versus available. If the correction needs more than a few millimetres of movement per arch, or the bite itself has to change, we recommend braces. If the shortfall is small and the bite is stable, aligners are on the table.

Cost follows complexity, not marketing. A short aligner case can cost less than full ceramic braces; a full-arch aligner case with attachments and refinements usually costs more than metal braces. We give you both numbers before you commit to either.

Retention: the part nobody talks about

Teeth drift back for the rest of your life. Every case we finish gets a bonded wire behind the front teeth, a removable retainer, or both. Skipping retainers for a year is the single most common reason people end up in orthodontic treatment twice.