This is the page for the question we hear most at a first visit: braces or clear aligners? Both move teeth by applying gentle, steady pressure, and both end with a retainer. Where they differ is what is fixed to your teeth, what is asked of you day to day, and which kinds of bite each one handles well. This page sets the two side by side; the Invisalign page covers the aligner system we use, and Invisalign for teens the questions parents ask.
In one paragraph: braces are bonded on and work whether you think about them or not, which is why they handle almost any case, including complex bites. Aligners are removable trays that are hard to see and let you eat and brush as normal — and they only work while they are in, which is why they suit mild-to-moderate cases and people who will wear them 20 to 22 hours a day without fail. Your bite decides what is possible; your habits decide what is wise.
How aligners move teeth
Each tray is made from a digital scan and is a fraction different from the one before it. Wear one for a week or two, move to the next, and the teeth follow, a little at a time. There are no wires to adjust; the sequence of trays is the adjustment, planned in advance. Depending on the case, treatment runs from around six months to two years.
Side by side
| Braces | Clear aligners | |
|---|---|---|
| On the teeth | Brackets and a wire — metal, clear ceramic or gold Iconix | A clear tray, hard to see at conversational distance |
| Comes out? | No | Yes, for meals and cleaning |
| What moves the teeth | The wire, adjusted at each visit | The next tray in the sequence |
| What it asks of you | Nothing daily | 20–22 hours a day, every day |
| Range of cases | Simple to complex, including bite correction | Mild to moderate crowding, spacing, bite issues and relapse |
| Eating | No hard, sticky or chewy foods | Anything, with the trays out |
| Cleaning | Around brackets and under the wire | Trays out, brush and floss as usual |
| Visits | Adjustments roughly every six to eight weeks | Progress checks; repairs are rare |
| Typical length | Most cases 18–24 months | Six months to two years |
| Afterwards | A retainer | A retainer |
When we lean towards braces
- The bite needs real correction, not just straightening — a large overjet, a deep bite, rotations, space to close after an extraction.
- You would rather not have to remember anything. Braces work on their own.
- The look is part of the appeal: a new colour each visit for younger patients, or the quieter gold Iconix finish for adults.
More on the three bracket types on types of braces.
When we lean towards aligners
- The case is mild to moderate and you want treatment that most people will not notice.
- Eating and brushing without working around hardware matters to you.
- You know yourself: the trays will go back in after every meal, without a reminder.
More on how the system works on the Invisalign page.
Deciding
The honest answer is that we cannot tell you from here, and neither can a quiz. At a consultation we look at your bite, tell you which of the two is possible for it — sometimes both, sometimes only one — and then talk about which suits your life. You get a straight answer that day. For a longer walk through the trade-offs, read Braces, clear braces, or clear aligners: how to choose.