Summary of Pros and Cons

There are two sides to every coin, and every treatment has both advantages and disadvantages. Here are the biggest pros and cons of clear aligners like Invisalign and braces.

How They Work

Braces: The orthodontist will affix metal brackets to each tooth, then feed a wire through them. By tightening this wire, they can apply the pressure necessary to shift your teeth. Braces can also incorporate other appliances and attachments like elastic bands, palatal expanders, and more to help make more significant shifts. Every several weeks, you’ll visit your dentist for a checkup and they’ll typically tighten your braces wire as well.

Clear Aligners: Your dentist will take scans of your teeth, which the aligner manufacturer will use to design a series of plastic trays to make incremental shifts. The dentist will tweak this treatment plan if they see fit, and if you approve, you’ll receive your aligners. You’ll wear each set for around 10-14 days and visit your dentist every 4–10 weeks to make sure everything is going according to plan. Like braces, most clear aligners can also incorporate attachments.

What They Treat

Braces: Metal braces aren’t lacking in power or durability, and that means they can handle just about any dental or jaw misalignment. Certain extreme bite issues may only respond to surgery, but besides that, there’s a good chance braces can straighten your teeth.

Clear Aligners: They rival braces in most areas, correcting many cases of crowding and spacing with ease. With the help of attachments and elastics, they can treat many cases of overbite, underbite, and other bite problems too. However, they can’t handle some severe bite misalignments, and they aren’t quite as effective for teeth that need to be raised, lowered, or significantly rotated.

How They Feel

Braces: Moving teeth can cause some discomfort, no matter how you do it. But braces can be especially uncomfortable for some people because of their design. It might take a while to grow accustomed to the brackets and wires, which can irritate the sensitive tissues inside your mouth at first. Then there’s the pressure of dental shifts, which can cause soreness in the teeth and gums. Most people just need some time to get used to them, but each time the dentist tightens the wire, the discomfort may return.

Clear Aligners: Since they don’t use brackets or wires, clear aligners might not irritate the mouth as much. But they still put pressure on your teeth, which can cause some soreness. It should subside as you get used to wearing them, but it may come back each time you switch to a new aligner tray.

How They Look

Braces: They’re fairly easy to see when you smile, although you can typically choose different colors. There are also clear or tooth-colored braces—plus lingual braces, which go behind your teeth—that are much more discreet. However, these specialty braces often cost a lot more.

Clear Aligners: As the name suggests, they’re clear, so they’re much less noticeable. They might reflect light differently than natural teeth, depending on the design, but most clear aligners are pretty tough to see. Attachments are typically tooth-colored, but they might make your aligners slightly more visible.

Average Costs

Braces: According to the Australian Society of Orthodontists, the average price of braces is $6,000–$9,000 AUD. Of course, it could be less than that, but it all depends on your orthodontist’s rates and your specific misalignment. Milder corrections typically cost less than major ones. Orthodontic offices usually offer financing or payment plans to help make that cost more manageable.

Clear Aligners: Since there are multiple brands of clear aligner, they can range significantly in price. Just like with braces, the price typically depends on the severity of your misalignment. However, braces often require more office visits, since the orthodontist has to adjust them in person, which may make clear aligners cheaper. But once again, it depends on the brand you choose. Invisalign can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $12,000 (similar to braces), while a brand like Linea—which can treat the same conditions—costs $2,698–$4,998.

Maintenance

Braces: As a fixed appliance, braces are always on your teeth, so you’ll have to wear them while eating. This means you should avoid overly crunchy or sticky foods, which can damage the brackets. Plus, you’ll have to take a little extra time to clean them, since they can easily trap food and bacteria. If you happen to break a bracket, you’ll need to visit your orthodontist to get it fixed.

Clear Aligners: Clear aligners require a little more compliance on the patient’s end, since you need to remember to remove and replace them whenever you eat. Whenever you take them out, remember to clean your teeth and the aligners before putting them back. And keep them in their case so they won’t get dirty or damaged. The nice part is that you can eat whatever you’d like, unlike braces. If you break an aligner, your dentist will need to order a replacement, and you’ll just wear the previous tray until it arrives.

What About At-Home Aligners?

This article refers to clear aligners that dentists and orthodontists administer in their offices. However, some clear aligner brands have developed fully remote models that require no in-person oversight from a dentist. These companies often look appealing for their low prices. They’re typically much cheaper than braces, but only slightly cheaper than Linea—and there’s a few important distinctions to make about them.

Today, clear aligner brands like Linea allow you to complete some check-ins from home, and others in person. This separates them from braces, which require in-person appointments for every check-in. Many at-home aligner brands, however, don’t require even an initial office visit, so a dentist can’t take X-rays or directly inspect your teeth to confirm that they’re healthy enough for treatment. Plus, they ask that you take your own dental impressions at home. Without training on how to take impressions, it’s hard to make perfect ones, so intraoral scans from a dentist are much more precise.

Because there’s no hand-on care—and they can’t incorporate attachments or IPR—at-home aligners are restricted to treating cosmetic cases of crowding and spacing in the front six teeth. That makes them much less versatile than braces and other clear aligners like Linea.

Invisalign vs. Braces: Which Is Better?

Many people are good candidates for both options, so it largely comes down to personal preference. Braces could be a solid option for people who have a particularly severe jaw misalignment, or who thinks they would forget to wear their aligners. That said, it’s difficult to deny the appeal of clear aligners like Linea. They can treat many of the same issues as braces, but without some of the discomfort and visibility that comes with brackets and wires. And the cherry on top: They can sometimes cost less too.

To find out if you’re a good candidate for Linea, you can take their online quiz, or contact customer support to find a provider near you. At the consultation, your dentist will let you know if aligners will work for you, and can get you started with treatment.