Clear Aligners vs Braces: What’s the Best Option?

As nice as it would be to deliver a fast answer to this question, the reality is that the best option for you will be based on your specific dental needs, budget, and lifestyle. A consultation with one of our highly experienced orthodontists will give you expert advice to help you make an informed decision.

What we can offer you in this article is a general comparison between clear aligners and braces and explain some of the typical reasons why people choose one over the other.

Clear aligners and braces are both used to improve the alignment of teeth for functional reasons as well as aesthetics. 

Clear aligners are removable transparent trays that are custom made to gradually adjust the position of your teeth to the desired position.

Traditional braces are made from a combination of metal brackets and wires that are fitted and periodically adjusted by an orthodontist to straighten or move the position of teeth.

Clear aligners are a relatively modern orthodontic option, only becoming available in the late 1990’s. They have rapidly grown in popularity since then. Let’s have a look at some of the reasons why.

Clear aligners are close to invisible, making them an appealing option if you want something with an inconspicuous look. 

If you think you will feel shy about flashing your metal braces when you smile, or you are self-conscious about wearing braces for other reasons, then the discreetness of clear aligners may appeal to you.

A significant advantage with clear aligners is that they are removable. You can take out your aligners while you eat, brush your teeth, floss, and that all makes dental hygiene easier to maintain.

Clear aligners are made of a very smooth plastic that is very unlikely to cause any irritation to your gums or cheeks. 

Generally speaking the smooth aligners offer a comfort advantage over metal braces since there are no brackets or wires to irritate your mouth.

With clear aligners, you will typically need fewer visits than are required with braces. We have written this guide on what to expect with clear aligners.

At QVA we use state of the art technology to design your smile and create a plan for the aligners to gradually adjust teeth position for your desired outcome. That technology enables us to provide you with a series of aligners and a simple plan to follow to progress through the series of aligners by changing them yourself at home every few weeks.

There are plenty of appealing reasons to that make clear aligners popular but we haven't shared the full story yet. Importantly, clear aligners are not suitable for everyone wanting a straighter smile, at least as a stand-alone treatment option. 

Let's check out some advantages of braces.

Braces can be used for more rapid treatment of a wider range of dental issues such as overcrowding, severe crookedness, and complex bite problems. Braces provide a level of control over large movements of teeth that clear aligners are not able to match. As such, braces are likely to be the treatment option recommended by your orthodontist if your teeth require significant adjustment in position.

Where clear aligners are a superior treatment option is for tweaking the position of teeth, offering a precision of movement that is much harder to achieve with braces. Some cases are best treated with a combination of braces and clear aligners. The braces applied initially for fast tracking the major positional movements, followed by clear aligners for the precision tweaking.

Because braces are fixed to your teeth you don’t have to worry about whether you are keeping them in for the correct amount of time or not. Braces will be working continuously around the clock.

With clear aligners it’s critical you follow the guidelines for how long you keep them in each day. That is typically about 22 hours per day. The instructions for clear aligners are not hard to follow but if you are concerned that you may not have the discipline to wear aligners as instructed, that is something you don’t need to worry about with braces.

A great starting point for your decision to get aligners or braces is an initial consultation with a QVA dentist. Our dentists have extensive experience with orthodontic treatments and can give you recommendations as to the best option for your desired outcome.

Clear aligners and braces both have pros and cons and limitations with what they can achieve. Clear aligners are often ideal if you are wanting a discreet, comfortable, and convenient option, and you only have mild to moderate orthodontic issues. Whereas braces are still very much the go to solution to treat dental concerns that require more significant alignment of teeth.

Sometimes the choice may come down to your budget and personal preferences. Expert advice from our cosmetic dentists is our recommended starting point for your decision. 

Start your journey to your dream smile today. Contact us to book a consultation in Brisbane or Gold Coast.