Invisalign vs braces
Almost every comparison frames this as clear versus metal. The two things that actually decide it are how complex your case is, and whether you will genuinely wear something 22 hours a day.
Last reviewed 18 September 2026
| Clear aligners | Metal braces | Ceramic braces | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | $4,000 – $7,000 | $3,000 – $7,000 | $4,000 – $8,000 |
| Typical duration | 6 – 18 months | 18 – 24 months | 18 – 24 months |
| Removable | Yes | No | No |
| Depends on you | Entirely | No | No |
| Visible | Attachments are | Yes | Less |
| Food restrictions | None — taken out | Yes | Yes |
| Complex cases | Improving, still limited | Most predictable | Predictable |
| Appointments | Fewer | Every 4 – 8 weeks | Every 4 – 8 weeks |
The attachments nobody mentions first
Smooth plastic has nothing to grip on a smooth tooth. So most aligner treatment involves bonding small tooth-coloured bumps — attachments — onto some teeth, giving the aligner a surface to push against. They stay on for the entire treatment and come off at the end.
They're far less visible than brackets. But "invisible" is not accurate, and people are often surprised at the fitting appointment rather than before committing. Worth asking how many you're likely to need, and on which teeth.
22 hours a day is the whole thing. Aligners only move teeth while they're in your mouth. Out for meals, coffee breaks, a night out and brushing, and you're already near the limit. Braces work whether or not you feel like it — which for some people is the deciding advantage, not a drawback.
Be honest about compliance
This is the single best predictor of whether aligners will work for you, and it has nothing to do with discipline as a character trait — it's about your day.
Aligners suit you if you:
- Eat at predictable times rather than grazing
- Can drink water instead of coffee or soda through the day
- Don't mind removing them before eating in front of other people
- Will reliably put them back in straight after
If you graze, drink coffee steadily, or eat out often, you'll be under 22 hours most days. Treatment then stalls or the result falls short, and you've paid the same money for a worse outcome. That's a scheduling fact, not a failing.
Where braces are still better
Aligners have closed a lot of the gap, but fixed appliances remain more predictable for:
- Large rotations, especially of round teeth like premolars, where plastic has little purchase
- Vertical movement — pulling a tooth down into the bite or pushing one up
- Closing large extraction spaces
- Significant bite correction, where jaw relationship rather than tooth position is the issue
- Teenagers still growing, where treatment has to work around growth and compliance is less certain
A good orthodontist will tell you plainly if your case is in this territory. If two practices disagree about whether aligners can handle your case, that disagreement is itself information.
Retainers are not optional, either way
Teeth move back. This applies to both treatments equally, and it's the most common way a successful outcome gets undone. You will wear a retainer — nightly for a long time, often indefinitely. Ask what type is included, what replacements cost, and for how long you'll need it, before you sign. Budget for it as part of the treatment, because it is.
Before you decide
- Get opinions from two practices, at least one an orthodontic specialist
- Ask specifically: is my case straightforward, moderate or complex for aligners?
- Ask how many attachments you'd need and where
- Ask what the plan is if teeth don't track as predicted — refinements included or extra?
- Confirm retainers: type, cost, replacement cost, and duration
- Be honest with yourself about the 22 hours
Read next
Sources
Consulted while writing this page. Listing a source is not an endorsement by that organisation or clinician, and none of them reviewed this page.
- ADA MouthHealthy Braces
- American Association of Orthodontists Orthodontic treatment information
- Cleveland Clinic Cosmetic Dentistry