What Are Aligners? How Clear Teeth Aligners Work

A dentist takes scans or impressions of your teeth and plans the movement on a computer, from where they are now to where they should end up. A set of trays is then made, each one shaped slightly differently from the last.

Each tray fits snugly and presses on the teeth that need to move. After a week or two the teeth have shifted a little and the next tray is placed. The process continues through the whole series, and checks are scheduled along the way. Retainers are needed after the last tray, as explained in our guide on retainers after braces, because teeth drift back.

Aligners only work while they are in your mouth. The usual advice is 20 to 22 hours a day, taking them out only to eat, drink anything other than water, and brush. Skipping that makes treatment slower or fails the plan.

Brush and floss before putting them back so food is not trapped against the teeth. Clean the trays as your dentist advises and avoid hot water, which can warp them. Keeping them in a case matters, as they are easily lost.

Many plans, like those described on the braces and orthodontics page, use attachments: small tooth-coloured bumps bonded to some teeth. They give the tray something to grip so it can rotate or move a tooth in a way that smooth plastic cannot. They are removed at the end of treatment. Thin elastics are sometimes added for bite corrections.

They work best for mild to moderate crowding, spacing and some bite problems in patients who will wear them reliably. Severe crowding, large bite corrections and heavily rotated teeth are less predictable. Our guide on whether clear aligners work goes into results, and clear aligners vs braces helps decide between the two. The clear aligners service page gives a general overview and the aligner cost page lists the Lucknow market ranges.