• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
ArchWired

ArchWired

a websitefor adults in orthodontic braces

New_badge
MENUMENU
  • Before Getting Braces
        • Dental Braces 101 – START HERE
        • 12 Things To Know Before Getting Braces
        • How Do Dental Braces Work?
        • Getting Teeth Extracted for Braces
        • Reader Stories: My First Day In Dental Braces
        • What are Orthodontic Spacers?
        • What Type of Dental Braces Are Best?
        • The Best Age To Begin Orthodontic Treatment
        • Preventing TMJ & Jaw Problems in Kids
        • A Brief History of Orthodontics
        • Getting Jaw Surgery
        • Osteoporosis Drugs and Orthodontics
        • Braces vs. Clear Aligners
  • Just Got Braces
        • Dental Braces 101 – Part 4: Oral Hygiene
        • Ouch! I Have A Canker Sore!
        • Food Tips for Braces
        • Help! Did I Stain My Dental Braces?
        • What are Orthodontic Spacers?
  • During Braces Treatment
        • Dental Braces 101 – Part 5: Self-Esteem
        • Food Tips for Braces
        • What Is An Orthodontic Adjustment?
        • Can I Change My Own Ligatures?
        • Help! Did I Stain My Dental Braces?
        • All About Orthodontic Elastics
        • All About Orthodontic Power Chains
        • All About Orthodontic Arch Wires
        • Dental Braces and Moving
        • Dental Braces and Romance
        • Dental Braces In The Bedroom
        • Dental Braces and Pregnancy
        • Treating TMJ Disorder
          with Physical Therapy
        • Headgear As An Adult
        • Braces and Snorkeling or Scuba Diving
        • Understanding Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADS)
        • About the TPA
          Orthodontic Appliance
  • Retainers After Braces
        • How To Properly Clean Your Retainers or Aligner Trays
        • Dental Braces 101 – Part 6: Wearing Retainers
        • Retainer Tips from a Tech
        • Tooth Whitening After Dental Braces
        • Braces Removal Stories
  • Invisible Aligners
        • The Basics of Invisible Aligners
        • Braces vs. Clear Aligners
        • My Experience with Invisalign
        • Mail-Order Invisible Aligners: Worth The Risk?
        • Clear Invisible Plastic Aligners May Cause An Allergic Reaction
        • How To Properly Clean Your Retainers or Aligner Trays
        • 16 Best Tips & Hacks for Invisible Aligners
  • FAQs
  • Resources
    • Glossary of Orthodontic Terms
    • Types and Classes of Bites
    • Food Tips For Braces
    • Metal Mouth Message Board
    • Glossary of Orthodontic Appliances
  • And More
        • Written By Dental Professionals
        • Just For Fun
        • Blog Posts
        • Reader Stories
          • First Day In Braces Stories
          • Braces Removal Stories
          • Embarrassing Stories
        • Lynn's Dental Braces Journal
        • ArchWired In The News
You are here: Home / Before Getting Braces / Braces vs. Clear Aligners: Which is Right for You?

Braces vs. Clear Aligners:
Which is Right for You?

July 28, 2019 By Lynn Schneider; Editor, ArchWired.com

Braces-vs-Invisalign

by John Graham, DDS, MD

The ease, convenience and aesthetics of clear aligner systems, like Invisalign and others, make them attractive options for patients—especially adults—who are looking to improve their smile but prefer to avoid the look and perceived trouble of metal braces. The problem is that, despite marketing messages that promise spectacular results, there are a good number of patients for whom clear aligners simply are not a viable option.

Certainly there are pros and cons to both braces and clear aligners. That’s why it’s important that you visit an orthodontist for a professional consultation. Only an orthodontist specializes in the full spectrum of teeth movement. Where a general dentist may be able to offer clear aligners, an orthodontist can offer a trained eye to make sure your smile doesn’t just look good, but that it functions properly too, with teeth that fit together for a healthy—and beautiful—smile.

If you seek consultation(s) from an orthodontist and you are not a candidate for aligners, but a general dentist says you are, beware. You may be disappointed with the results. And, it’s best to keep an open mind about treatment options when visiting an orthodontist. While you may come in with your heart set on clear aligners, be prepared that the orthodontist may take a look at your situation and determine that you’re not a good candidate.

Having been treated in both braces and clear aligners as an adult, I am in a unique position to share my first-hand experience with my patients. Understanding the pros and cons of both clear aligners and fixed appliances before you visit the doctor can help you make the best decision to get the results you’re hoping for.

Benefits of Clear Aligners

Determining whether you are a viable candidate for clear aligners is a matter of the professional opinion, experience and individual evaluation on the part of your orthodontist. Clear aligners are very well-suited for patients with mild misalignment requiring minor adjustments. Adult patients who have previously worn braces and have since experienced mild tooth movement are one example.

For those patients who are well-suited for clear aligners, there are some significant benefits:

  • They are removable, and in fact must be removed for eating and drinking, which allows the patient to enjoy foods and beverages without worry. However, the removability can also be a disadvantage—which we will address in a moment.
  • Hygiene is far better with clear aligners than fixed appliances. By removing the aligners, you can easily access all tooth surfaces to thoroughly brush and floss and you can even use over-the-counter tooth whitening products to keep your smile glistening, even while undergoing treatment.
  • Clear aligners are virtually undetectable if they fit well, enabling you to improve your smile without feeling self-conscious about it. However, a good fit is critical to avoiding discomfort and awkward speech.
  • Aligners make it easier to deal with a missing tooth or teeth throughout treatment. The trays can even be designed with an artificial tooth built right in, which might be replaced with a dental implant once treatment is done.

Aligners Aren’t for Everyone

While the advantages to clear aligners may be very tempting, there are some who simply are not good candidates. Sometimes determining your candidacy might require a frank conversation with the orthodontist about the drawbacks to clear aligners and the benefits of fixed braces:

  • Aligners don’t work for all cases. If dramatic tooth movement is needed, clear aligners are not the best choice. Only fixed appliances can deliver significant movement.
  • In cases where smaller teeth need to be adjusted, clear aligners may not be able to do the trick. There’s simply too little surface area for the trays to properly grip the tooth and move it as required.
  • Moving molars is often a challenge with clear trays, as is any treatment that requires repositioning the jaw (as with a significant overbite or underbite). Because of their very strong roots, molars can take a very long time to move with trays—if they can be at all—which may mean a longer treatment time with clear trays than with braces.
  • Treatment with clear aligners can sometimes take longer than braces. Tooth movement with clear aligners is much more subtle, which simply takes more time. In addition, every clear aligner tray for your treatment is fabricated before the treatment begins. This means that if something comes up unexpectedly along the way, it can be very difficult to correct. In many cases, it requires a complete “reboot” or a mid-course correction, which basically involves starting over with new impressions and new trays from that point. With braces, these adjustments are an easy fix: your orthodontist can simply reposition the brackets, make a bend in a wire, etc. and it’s done in two minutes—as opposed to possibly two weeks with a reboot on the clear trays.
  • Actually wearing the trays can sometimes be a problem with clear aligners, which also impacts treatment time. Since they can be removed, the trays are easy to conveniently “forget.” When they’re not worn regularly, the trays begin to fit poorly and cause discomfort. When this happens, you have to regress back to the previous tray, which delays treatment.
  • The removable aspect of clear aligners also makes them easy to lose. No doubt thousands of aligners have been thrown out on lunch trays and I’ve heard many stories of trashcan diving to retrieve them. When this happens, it can take 7-10 days to get a new tray—another delay in treatment.

Making the Right Choice is a Team Effort

When it comes to choosing the right treatment option, it’s important to talk openly and honestly with your orthodontist about what you’re hoping to achieve. Keep an open mind and try not to be committed to one particular type of treatment before you even make the visit.

Contemporary braces have come a long way in the past decade alone. We are now able to treat severe problems with high-tech tools and techniques that eliminate the need for extractions in the majority of cases, and that are much more comfortable for the patient. In addition, newer styles of clear brackets can give you the aesthetics of discrete treatment similar to clear aligners, but with the more advanced adjustments and shorter treatment time braces can provide.

Approaching your treatment as a team with your doctor is the most important factor in making the best choice given your unique situation. Find an orthodontist you trust and consider his or her experienced and knowledgeable recommendation with an open mind. Most providers offer a free initial consultation to evaluate your case, and I encourage you to see more than one to find the doctor and the technology that best suits your needs.


DrJohnGrahamDDSDr. John Graham is a practicing orthodontist in Salt Lake City, Utah. and a renowned innovator and educator in the field, lecturing worldwide to both doctors and staff on the most advanced orthodontic treatment philosophies available. He is also a physician. He is the co-author of several orthodontic textbook chapters, and has written many professional journal articles. He is a member of the American Dental Association, American Medical Association, American Association of Orthodontists, Arizona Dental Association, Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists and the Progressive Orthodontic Study Club. Dr. Graham is a contributing editor for both the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics and Orthotown, and is a reviewer for the journal ORTHODONTICS: The art and practice of dentofacial enhancement. Dr. Graham is on faculty at both the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, and the University of Rochester, Eastman Institute for Oral Health and he is a past president of the Arizona Orthodontic Association.

In 2018, Henry Schein® Orthodontics™ (HSO) announced Dr. Graham’s appointment to their Clinical Advisory Board.

You can visit Dr. Graham’s website at: https://grahamortho.com/

Related Terms:
  • Glossary: American Dental Association
  • Glossary: Clear Aligners (Invisalign, ClearCorrect, etc)
  • Glossary: Orthodontist
  • Glossary: Consultation and Evaluation
  • Glossary: Dental Implant
  • Glossary: Orthodontic Adjustment
  • Glossary: Orthodontic Impressions
  • Glossary: Tooth Extractions
  • Glossary: Orthodontic Appliances
  • Glossary: Overbite
  • Glossary: Underbite
  • Glossary: Orthodontic Bracket
  • Glossary: Orthodontic Braces
  • Glossary: Dentist
  • Glossary: Molars
  • Glossary: Root
  • Glossary: DDS
  • Glossary: Doctor of Medicine

Filed Under: Before Getting Braces, By Dental Professionals, Invisible Aligners

Primary Sidebar

Before Getting Braces

  • Preventing TMJ and Jaw Problems in Kids
  • My Experience With Speed Braces
  • A Brief History of
    Orthodontic Braces
  • PowerProx Six Month Braces
  • Getting Teeth Extracted for Braces

Invisible Aligners

  • Clear Invisible Plastic Aligners May Cause An Allergic Reaction
  • Mail-Order Invisible Aligners: Worth The Risk?
  • The Basics of Invisible Aligners
  • 16 Best Tips & Hacks for Invisible Aligners
  • Dental Marketing Consultancy CEO Talks About SmileDirectClub’s Bankruptcy

By Dental Professionals

  • All About Self-Ligating Brackets
  • Want To Write For ArchWired?
  • Understanding Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADS)
  • Braces vs. Clear Aligners:
    Which is Right for You?
  • Using the Damon Bracket System
    in Orthodontic Treatment

Categories

  • ArchWired In The News
  • Before Getting Braces
  • Blog Posts
  • Braces Polls Archive
  • By Dental Professionals
  • During Braces
  • Food Tips For Dental Braces
  • General
  • Getting Jaw Surgery
  • Invisible Aligners
  • Just For Fun
  • Just Got Braces
  • Lynn's Dental Braces Journal
  • Reader Stories
    • Dental Braces Removal Stories
    • Humorous Reader Stories
    • My First Day In Dental Braces
    • Other Reader Stories
  • Retainers After Braces
DentaKit Block Ad
Affordable Coverage for Braces from DentalPlans.com

Clean Retainers Without Persulfate!

Persulfate-Free Retainer Cleaners

Keep Your Teeth Clean!

Heal Painful Mouth Sores!

For Oral Hygiene On The Go!

Effortlessly Clean Aligners & Retainers!

Retainer Brite

Get News & Info from ArchWired!

Loading
  • Home
  • About Us
  • ArchWired on Facebook
  • Disclaimer and Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Opt-out preferences

ArchWired.com: Providing free orthodontic information since 2001 - Copyright © 2025
· All rights reserved. Other products mentioned are copyright of their respective companies.

Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
Go to mobile version