- Types of Braces at TEETH @ Tiong Bahru
Clear Aligners in Singapore
Clear aligners are custom-made, removable plastic trays that move teeth in a staged sequence. They are worn for most of the day and removed for meals, most drinks, brushing and flossing.
TEETH @ Tiong Bahru offers Invisalign® and OneSmile clear aligners for teeth. Both are clear aligner systems, but the brand alone does not determine suitability or outcome. Your smile goals may relate to appearance, function or both. Your fee and treatment time depend on the movements required and the details of your treatment plan.
Clear braces can refer to removable aligners or fixed ceramic braces.
- The appliance
What Are Clear Aligners?
Clear aligners are orthodontic appliances made as a sequence of transparent trays. Each tray fits closely over the teeth and is shaped to move them a small amount.
Unlike traditional braces, aligners can be removed. This allows you to eat without the appliance and brush and floss normally. Their success depends on wearing them for the prescribed time and following the sequence correctly.
Clear aligners are often called invisible aligners. They are discreet, but they are not completely invisible. Tooth-coloured attachments or elastics may be noticeable up close. The most discreet option for invisible braces in Singapore is lingual braces.
Clear aligner therapy is part of orthodontic treatment. Dental clinics may offer several clear aligner systems. Another popular option is clear braces in Singapore, though they differ from aligners. Each brand may use different materials and workflows. Invisalign aligners are one option among invisible aligners and have patented technology.
- About
Clear Aligners at a Glance
| Aspect | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Appliance | A series of clear, removable trays made to fit your teeth |
| Daily wear | Usually 20 to 22 hours, or as prescribed |
| Tray changes | Commonly every 1 to 2 weeks, according to your plan |
| Treatment time | Often about 6 months to 2 years, but some cases take less or more time |
| Reviews | Scheduled according to progress and the system used |
| Common uses | Crowding, spacing, rotated teeth and selected bite problems |
| Possible additions | Tooth-coloured attachments, elastics or minor reshaping between teeth |
| After treatment | Retainers help limit unwanted tooth movement |
01
How Do Clear Aligners Work?
The dentist or orthodontist uses an examination, photographs, X-rays and a digital scan or dental impressions to assess your teeth, gums, bite and jaws. They will use these records to break the intended alignment into a series of tooth movements and make the aligners to achieve the desired outcome.
Each tray applies gentle pressure to selected teeth. Bone around the tooth remodels as it moves. Importantly, you progress to the next aligner only as instructed. Changing trays too early or wearing them for too few hours may cause the teeth to fall behind schedule.
Some people need attachments on their teeth. These are small areas of tooth-coloured resin bonded to the enamel so the aligner can grip and direct movement. Elastics may help change the bite. Some plans also include interproximal reduction, which removes a small, measured amount of enamel between selected teeth to create space.
02
What Can Clear Aligners Treat?
Clear aligners can help correct crooked or crowded teeth, including mild to moderate crowding, and gapped teeth. Clear aligners may also treat selected bite issues, such as overbites, crossbites, underbites, and open bites. This may help some patients achieve straighter teeth and improved alignment, which can change smile aesthetics.
Patients with mild cases, and some with moderate cases, may be suitable depending on their bite issues and case complexity. Suitability also depends on the movements needed and the ability to wear the trays consistently. See the conditions braces and aligners may treat for an overview of common dental and bite problems.
Clear aligners cannot correct every problem. More complex cases involving severely crowded teeth, difficult root or vertical movement, extractions, impacted teeth or a marked jaw discrepancy may require additional techniques, traditional braces, specialist assessment or jaw surgery.
03
Who May Be Suitable for Clear Aligners?
A dentist or orthodontist can determine whether clear aligner therapy may suit you. You may be suitable if:
- Your teeth and gums are healthy enough for orthodontic treatment.
- The planned aligner system can achieve the required movements predictably.
You wear the trays for the prescribed number of hours each day. - You remove, clean and store the trays as instructed.
- You attend the required reviews and use attachments or elastics if prescribed.
Active tooth decay or gum disease usually needs treatment before orthodontic treatment begins. Existing crowns, bridges, implants, missing teeth or previous gum problems do not automatically rule out aligners, but they can change the plan. Speak with your dental specialist about these specific issues.
Children and teenagers need an assessment that considers tooth eruption, jaw growth and the responsibility for daily wear. Child-specific choices are covered in braces for kids.
- The process
What Happens during Clear Aligner Treatment?
Metal braces treatment begins with an initial consultation, assessment and a personalised treatment plan.
Consultation, assessment and records. The dentist examines your teeth, gums, bite and jaw relationship. Photographs, X-rays and a digital scan or impressions may be required.
Treatment planning. The records will map the intended sequence of movement and the proposed alignment. The dentist or orthodontist will explain the achievable smile goals, limitations, alternatives, estimated time, and the fees.
Preparation. The dentist first manages tooth decay and active gum disease. Attachments, elastics, interproximal reduction or other procedures may be planned when needed.
Fitting. The dentist checks the first aligners and shows you how to insert, remove, clean and store them.
Active treatment. You wear each set for the prescribed hours and change it on schedule. The dentist reviews the fit, tooth movement, oral health, and use of any elastics.
Refinement, if needed. If the teeth don’t track as planned or need further movement, the dentist may take new records and order additional aligners.
Retention. After active treatment, retainers help hold the teeth in their new positions.
How Long Does Clear Aligner Treatment Take?
Treatment typically takes about 6 months to 2 years. A small relapse or limited movement may take less time. Complex movements or several refinement stages may take longer.
The estimate can change because of various factors, including biological response, case complexity, missed reviews, lost or damaged trays, oral-health problems or inconsistent wear. Treatment time is an estimate, not a guaranteed completion date.
How Long Should You Wear Each Clear Aligner?
Many plans require 20 to 22 hours of wear each day. You typically change clear aligners every 1 to 2 weeks, although your schedule may differ depending on your dental specialist’s assessment.
Remove the clear aligners before eating and before drinking anything other than plain water. Put them back in after cleaning your teeth, or after rinsing your mouth when you can’t brush right away. Contact the clinic if a clear aligner tray no longer fits, cracks or is lost. Do not skip to another tray unless the dentist advises you to.
Do Clear Aligners Hurt?
A new clear aligner tray may cause pressure, tenderness or discomfort for the first few days. Some patients also notice irritations from the edges or attachments while the mouth adjusts. These discomforts typically improve, although you may have a temporary change in speech or an increase in saliva.
Contact the clinic if your pain is severe or persistent, a tooth feels unusually loose, you have swelling or trauma, or the aligner cuts your mouth or no longer fits.
Benefits and Limitations
Clear aligners are less noticeable than many traditional braces and can be removed for meals and oral hygiene. They have no brackets or archwires that can loosen or irritate the mouth. However, you can still lose or crack a tray, and attachments or elastic hooks can irritate the mouth.
Removability is the main limitation. Aligners cannot apply the planned force when they are out of the mouth. Frequent removal or missed wear can delay treatment and increase the need for refinements. Anyone who chooses clear aligners needs to be responsible and disciplined. Otherwise, treatment may not go as planned.
Benefits and limitations vary across Invisalign and other clear aligner systems. No brand guarantees effective results.
Some movements are less predictable with clear aligners alone. A dentist or orthodontist may recommend traditional braces, fixed appliances, extra auxiliaries or a combined approach.
Risks and Possible Complications of Clear Aligners
Clear aligners share many risks with other orthodontic treatments. These may include:
- Tooth decay, enamel marks or gum inflammation if plaque and sugars remain under the trays.
- Gum recession or loss of gum and bone support in susceptible teeth.
- Shortening of tooth roots.
- Tooth movement that differs from the digital plan.
- Temporary bite changes during treatment.
Irritation from tray edges, attachments or elastics. - Loss, cracking, staining or distortion of an aligner.
- Tooth movement after treatment if retainers are not worn as advised.
- An examination and regular monitoring help identify risks, but they cannot remove every risk.
Eating, Drinking and Cleaning
- Remove clear aligners before eating and before drinking anything other than plain water.
- Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, and floss daily.
- Clean the clear aligner trays with cool or lukewarm water and a soft brush.
- Use the cleaning product recommended for your clear aligner system.
- Avoid hot water when drinking with the clear aligners on, as it can distort the plastic.
- Rinse after meals if you cannot brush immediately, then clean your teeth as soon as it is practical.
- Store clear aligners in their case when they are not in your mouth.
- Take your current clear aligners to review appointments if asked.
Why Clinical Assessment and Monitoring Matter
Orthodontics requires clinical assessments because orthodontic treatment moves teeth through bone and is a precise and measured procedure. A visual check or home impression alone cannot assess every factor that affects safe movement, including gum support, tooth roots, decay, impacted teeth and the relationship between the teeth and jaws.
Remote monitoring may support some treatment plans, but it does not replace the initial clinical assessment or an in-person visit when an examination, X-ray, attachment, procedure or urgent review is needed.
- Current fees
Clear Aligner Cost at TEETH @ Tiong Bahru
Patients should ask for a written estimate stating whether GST, consultation, X-rays, scans, review visits, refinements, replacement trays and retainers are included, and whether the chosen brand, such as Invisalign, affects fees. Separate dental treatment, such as fillings, gum care or tooth extraction, may have an additional fee.
Routine orthodontic treatment is generally not claimable under MediSave for clear aligners in Singapore. Check any private insurance benefit directly with your insurer and confirm the current fee with the clinic before treatment.
What Happens after Clear Aligners?
Your teeth can shift after orthodontic treatment, changing your alignment and smile. Retainers help limit relapse after the active tooth movement is complete. Retainers are therefore needed when the active aligner series is complete.
After orthodontic treatment, your retainer may be removable, fixed behind the teeth, or a combination of both. Long-term wear is often advised because teeth can move throughout life.
Clear Aligner Assessment
An assessment determines whether custom-made clear aligners suit you and whether Invisalign, OneSmile, or another orthodontic approach is right for you. The dentist will examine your oral health and bite, review the required movements, and explain the expected time, limitations, material risks, fees, and review schedule. Patients can discuss smile goals and confidence, but no brand suits every case. Contact us today to schedule an appointment, learn more about clear aligners, and see if they are right for you.
- fAQs
Common Frequently Asked Questions
Can clear aligners treat severe crowding or bite problems?
Sometimes, but suitability depends on the movements and the underlying jaw relationship. Some cases need attachments, elastics, fixed braces, other appliances or specialist care.
Can you eat while wearing clear aligners?
Remove them before eating and before drinking anything other than plain water. When possible, clean your teeth before putting them back in.
What should you do if you lose an aligner?
Contact the clinic promptly. Keep your previous clear aligner tray, and don’t move to another tray unless advised.
Do you need attachments with clear aligners?
Not everyone does. Attachments are used when the clear aligner needs extra grip or control for a planned movement.
Do you need attachments with clear aligners?
Not everyone does. Attachments are used when the clear aligner needs extra grip or control for a planned movement.