Braces or clear aligners: which is right for you?

The short version

Aligners can correct most mild to moderate problems. If your case is severe, traditional braces may be the better choice. In practice your teeth often make the choice for you. Preference matters, but only between options that will actually work for your bite.

Braces: what to expect

Braces use brackets bonded to your teeth and wires that apply mild, constant pressure, sometimes with elastic bands to correct the bite. They handle a wide range of problems, including very bad bites, severe crowding, jaw misalignment and impacted teeth.

• Types: traditional metal, tooth-coloured ceramic, self-ligating and lingual (behind the teeth).
• Duration: most people wear braces for 12 to 24 months. Some finish in under a year and complex cases can take up to three.
• Adjustments: you visit every four to twelve weeks, depending on where you are in treatment.
• Daily life: avoid hard, crunchy and sticky foods, brush with a soft brush and fluoride toothpaste, and clean between the teeth with special floss or brushes.

Aligners: what to expect

• Clear trays that you remove to eat, drink, brush and floss.
• Worn for 22 to 23 hours a day, so they only work if you stick to it.
• Best for mild to moderate crowding, gaps and bite problems.
• Treatment can take longer than fixed braces for some cases.

Side by side

• Appearance: aligners are nearly invisible. Braces are visible, though ceramic and lingual types are more discreet.
• Eating: no restrictions with aligners, since you take them out. Braces mean avoiding hard and sticky foods.
• Cleaning: with aligners you brush and floss as normal. With braces it takes more time and special tools.
• Commitment: aligners depend on you wearing them. Braces are fixed in place and work whether you remember or not.
• Complex cases: braces offer more control and are usually the better route.

Whichever you choose, you'll need a retainer

Teeth have a habit of drifting back, so a retainer is worn after treatment, usually for the long term. Without one, teeth tend to relapse.

What about age?

For children, the usual time for braces is between about 12 and 14, when the teeth and jaw are still growing and more responsive to treatment, although some cases need early intervention. Adults can have either, as long as their gums and teeth are healthy.