BU-R2 clear aligners · all figures on this page are illustrative
A straighter smile, planned to the week.
See every stage, the time it takes and what it costs before you commit — alongside you, from first scan to final retainer. Durations and prices below are illustrative examples, not quotes.
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Candidacy & Savings Estimator
Are you a candidate? Find out in 60 seconds
Answer a few quick questions for an illustrative read on whether clear aligners may suit your smile and what you could save. Your clinician confirms everything after a scan.
Why people choose aligners
Straightening that fits around your life, not the other way round.
Most adults who ask about straightening share the same three worries: how it looks at work, how long it lasts, and what it costs each month. Clear aligners answer the first directly. The trays are transparent, so conversations, photos and presentations carry on as normal.
The second and third are about clarity. That is why this page lays out the full timeline, a side-by-side comparison with braces, and a monthly view of payments, all marked illustrative so you can plan without pressure. Your own numbers come only after a scan and a clinician's review.
- Removable for meals, brushing and flossing
- A digital preview of the plan before you approve it
- No wires or brackets to catch on your lips
Your journey
Five stages. One clear path.
Every case moves through the same five stages. The durations shown are illustrative averages for a moderate case. Your own plan is set at your scan, and your clinician will share the exact number of aligners and expected finish date.
Scan
A 3D digital scan replaces messy impressions, maps your bite and captures every tooth in colour.
Plan
You preview the digital movement plan and approve it before any aligner is made.
Wear
A new set every one to two weeks, worn around 22 hours a day, with check-ins along the way.
Refine
Small corrections with a few extra aligners finish the detail the main set left.
Retain
Retainers lock the result in place so your new alignment lasts for years.
Compare
Three ways to straighten. Pick what fits your life.
Clear aligners are not the only route. Ceramic and metal braces remain excellent for certain bite problems, and the right choice depends on your teeth, your schedule and your budget. Use these illustrative tables as a starting point for the conversation with your clinician.
| Factor | Clear aligners (illustrative) |
|---|---|
| Visibility | Nearly invisible |
| Typical duration | 12–18 months |
| Illustrative price range | $3,500 – $6,000 |
| Removable for meals | Yes |
| Check-ins | Every 6–8 weeks |
| Comfort | Smooth, no brackets or wires |
| Factor | Ceramic braces (illustrative) |
|---|---|
| Visibility | Tooth-coloured, low visibility |
| Typical duration | 15–24 months |
| Illustrative price range | $4,000 – $7,000 |
| Removable for meals | No |
| Check-ins | Every 4–6 weeks |
| Comfort | Brackets can feel bulky at first |
| Factor | Metal braces (illustrative) |
|---|---|
| Visibility | Clearly visible |
| Typical duration | 18–24 months |
| Illustrative price range | $3,000 – $5,500 |
| Removable for meals | No |
| Check-ins | Every 4–6 weeks |
| Comfort | Wires and brackets need adjusting |
All durations and prices in these tables are illustrative examples for comparison only.
Monthly payments
Choose the pace that feels comfortable.
Toggle 12, 18 or 24 months to see how the monthly amount changes across three illustrative plans. Totals stay the same while instalments shrink as the term grows. Figures are rounded and exclude any interest, fees or insurance contribution, which your clinic would confirm in a written quote.
Essential
Illustrative total $3,600
- Mild cases, up to 14 aligners
- Scan and plan preview
Complete
Illustrative total $4,800
- Moderate cases, refinements included
- First retainer set
Premium
Illustrative total $6,000
- Complex cases, extended monitoring
- Retainers and whitening
Essential
Illustrative total $3,600
- Mild cases, up to 14 aligners
- Scan and plan preview
Complete
Illustrative total $4,800
- Moderate cases, refinements included
- First retainer set
Premium
Illustrative total $6,000
- Complex cases, extended monitoring
- Retainers and whitening
Essential
Illustrative total $3,600
- Mild cases, up to 14 aligners
- Scan and plan preview
Complete
Illustrative total $4,800
- Moderate cases, refinements included
- First retainer set
Premium
Illustrative total $6,000
- Complex cases, extended monitoring
- Retainers and whitening
Treatment length
The more complex the case, the longer the road.
Simple spacing or minor crowding can finish in about half a year. Rotations, deep bites and extractions take longer because teeth can only move a fraction of a millimetre per set. The chart is an illustrative average, not a promise for your case.
Takeaway: in this illustrative example, each step up in complexity adds roughly six months.
Daily life
What a normal week looks like while you wear them.
Morning
Brush, put your aligners back in after breakfast and carry on. Around 22 hours of daily wear is the illustrative target, so the habit matters more than any single day.
At work
Most colleagues will not notice. Take them out for lunch, keep the case in your bag and rinse before putting them back. A small travel kit helps.
Every fortnight
Switch to the next numbered set, on the schedule your clinician sets (illustrative: every one to two weeks). Short check-ins confirm that teeth are tracking the plan.
Is it right for you?
Aligners suit many smiles, but not all of them.
Clear aligners work best for crowding, gaps, and mild to moderate bite issues, where predictable tooth movement can be planned digitally. They rely on you wearing them consistently, so they suit people who can keep a daily routine for several months.
Some cases, such as large vertical corrections, impacted teeth or significant jaw discrepancies, may be better served by braces or a combined plan. A short estimator can flag where you might land, and your scan confirms it. Nothing on this page replaces a clinical examination, and every figure here is illustrative.
- Mild crowding or small gaps between teeth
- Relapse after braces years ago
- Comfortable wearing trays about 22 hours a day (illustrative)
- Willing to attend check-ins every 6–8 weeks (illustrative)
- Severe bite or jaw problems usually need a different plan
After the last aligner
Finishing is the beginning of keeping it.
Teeth have a memory. In the first months after treatment, the ligaments around them are still settling, and without support they drift back toward their old position. That is why the final stage, Retain, is as important as the scan.
Expect a fitted retainer on the day your last aligner comes out, usually worn every night at first (illustrative), then a few nights a week as your clinician advises. Bring it to every check-up so it can be inspected for wear. Replacing a worn retainer costs far less than repeating treatment, and a calm, steady routine protects the result you have invested in.
Many people also pair the finish with a professional clean and optional whitening, so the new alignment is matched by a brighter shade. Both are optional and priced separately, and any figure shown for them on this page is illustrative.
Before & after, in numbers
What changes, measured. No faces, just figures.
Every figure in this strip is illustrative and not a clinical result.
Voices
What patients might say.
Fictional placeholder quotes for layout only — not real patients or real outcomes.
FAQ
Seven questions, answered plainly.
illustrative time to complete the estimator
Find out if clear aligners fit your smile.
Our Candidacy & Savings Estimator gives you an illustrative read on suitability and savings, so your first conversation with the clinic starts with real questions.
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