Did you know that Kate Middleton underwent orthodontic treatment for six months just before her wedding to Prince William? If not, maybe it's because she didn't have the conventional "train-tracks" type of orthodontic treatment we are all familiar with.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge’s treatment was completed using Invisalign probably because it is almost completely invisible when worn, and that's why they are becoming increasingly popular. Invisalign and other clear aligners are a fantastic option for those who want to straighten their teeth without conventional braces and without letting anyone know. So many people you meet throughout the day won't even realise you are wearing braces. If you watched Minority Report starring Tom Cruise, I bet you didn’t spot his Invisalign aligners? Tom Cruise wore his Invisalign aligners during the entire shoot, and at the age of 40, it shows there's no upper age limit for straightening your teeth.

What's involved, and how do they work?

After your initial consultation with the orthodontist, X-rays and a 3D scan of your teeth are taken. The information is used to plan the exact movement required to realign your teeth and give you the smile you want.

Once the plan has been formulated, your first set of aligners will be fabricated, and then you will receive a new set every 2-3 weeks until the end of your treatment.

Unlike traditional braces that use a wire to push or pull teeth, Invisalign uses a series of plastic aligners to move your teeth into a better alignment. Each aligner is slightly different to the previous one, with each one working in a logical order to push your teeth to their ideal position. As your teeth will constantly be moving, the trays need to be changed to nudge them a little further in the right direction.

What else do I need to know?

·      Most Invisalign treatments take about a year on average.

·      The aligners need to be worn throughout the day, except while eating, cleaning and flossing your teeth. Ideally, they should be worn 22 hours a day, every day. If they're left out, they're not working, and so this will significantly increase treatment times. 

·      You can use the Invisalign aligners as trays to also whiten your teeth as they move them to the optimal position. A boon!

·      Your teeth may need to be trimmed slightly, but this often only by a very tiny amount.

·      Sometimes small blobs of white filling material are temporarily bonded to the tooth surface to help optimise the effectiveness of the treatment. They are easily removed at the end of the treatment.

·      Like most forms of orthodontic treatment, life-long retainers form an essential part of the treatment. Make sure they are included in the initial treatment price quoted.

Do I need to see an orthodontist, or can I see a regular dentist who's had training?

I'm going to go out on a limb here. I know many general dentists excel at planning and completing Invisalign and other clear aligner systems, but these systems can't tackle every case: the law of the instrument comes to mind, "if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail". So problems arise when the system used can't fix the problem.

Sometimes conventional orthodontic treatment will produce better results. A specialist orthodontist will more likely know all the aligner systems available and have a thorough knowledge of other non-aligner options available. Consult more than one dentist, and I would urge you to get a specialist's advice too.

Feel free to upload images of your smile here, and Barry, our specialist orthodontist, will advise best he can.