Clear aligners in Jordan Springs and Penrith
Clear aligners straighten teeth using a series of removable trays, each one moving things slightly further than the last. They're nearly invisible and come out for meals, which is why most adults prefer them to braces. They also only work while they're in your mouth — around twenty-two hours a day — so they suit people who'll actually wear them rather than people who like the idea of them.
This is usually considered when
Understanding the core signs of advanced dental distress is crucial. Early intervention can safeguard your natural smile, alleviate ongoing discomfort, and prevent structural issues from escalating further.
- Your front teeth have crowded or overlapped over the years
- There are gaps you'd like closed
- Teeth have drifted back after childhood braces
- You want straighter teeth but not visible braces at work
- Crowding makes certain teeth hard to clean properly
What's involved, step by step
Assessment and scan
An examination and X-ray to see how much sound tooth is left and whether the nerve is healthy. Sometimes a tooth needs a build-up or root canal treatment first. You get the plan and the full cost in writing before anything starts.
Your digital plan
The scan is used to plan each stage of movement, and you see a simulation of the predicted result before committing. It's a prediction based on planned movement, not a promise — teeth don't always track exactly as modelled, which is normal and planned for.
Wearing the aligners
You change to a new set every one to two weeks and we review you periodically. Small tooth-coloured attachments are usually bonded to some teeth so the aligners can grip and move them — these stay on for the whole treatment and come off at the end.
Recovery and aftercare
There's no recovery period, but there is an adjustment. Each new set feels tight for a day or two — that pressure is the treatment working. You may lisp slightly for the first week and then stop noticing. The real demand is routine: in for twenty-two hours, out for meals, cleaned, back in. People who manage that get the result on schedule, and people who don't, don't.
The first week with a new set
Tightness and tenderness for a day or two after each change, easing as the teeth move. Changing to a new set at night means you sleep through the tightest part. Over-the-counter pain relief is enough if you need it.
Eating, drinking and cleaning
Aligners come out for everything except water. Eating with them in damages them; drinking anything sugary or hot with them in traps it against your teeth and causes decay. Brush before putting them back in, and clean the aligners themselves daily — not with hot water, which warps them.
Retainers afterwards
Teeth move back. This isn't a failure of the treatment, it's what teeth do, and it's why retainers are part of the plan rather than an optional extra. Expect to wear one at night indefinitely. Stopping means the crowding returns, and the cost of redoing it is the cost of doing it.
Risks and things to consider
Aligners only work if they're worn, and treatment that stops short leaves teeth part-moved. Some teeth don't track as the plan predicted and need refinement — a further set of aligners partway through — which is common enough that you should assume it may happen and ask whether it's included before you start.Moving teeth can cause shortening of the roots, which is usually minor and detected on X-rays. Gum can recede as teeth move, particularly where gum was already thin. Decay risk rises if aligners are worn while drinking anything but water, or if brushing slips, because the tray holds whatever's on your teeth against them. Some people get jaw joint discomfort during treatment. Mild sensitivity and a temporary lisp are common early on.Attachments are bonded to the teeth and are visible up close, which surprises people expecting nothing to show. Interproximal reduction — removing a fraction of a millimetre between teeth to make room — is often needed and is permanent.Aligners are not right for every case. Significant bite discrepancies, severe rotations and cases needing extractions are generally better treated with fixed braces or by an orthodontist, and we'll say so rather than attempt something aligners can't do well.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner. Individual results vary.
Other options worth considering
Fixed braces
Less convenient, but capable of movements aligners can't achieve.
Referral to an orthodontist
For complex bites, or where a specialist opinion is the right starting point.
Veneers or bonding
Changes how teeth look without moving them — faster, but irreversible.
What affects the cost
The main factor is how far your teeth have to move. A mild case needing a handful of aligners costs considerably less than a full arch correction over eighteen months. Whether one arch or both are being treated makes a large difference. Ask specifically what's included: the scan, the review appointments, any refinement aligners partway through, and the retainers afterwards. Retainers are an ongoing cost because they wear out and get replaced. We'll set all of that out in writing before you start, so you're comparing the whole treatment rather than the starting figure.
HICAPS claiming on the spot
Your health fund rebate is processed at the counter, so you only pay the gap.
Payment plans available
Afterpay, Humm, National Dental Plan and DentiCare.
Written quote before treatment
An itemised plan and full cost before we begin.
Common questions
How long does it take?
Simple cases can be done in around six months. Most take twelve to eighteen. The scan and plan tell us which yours is before you commit.
Will anyone notice them?
The aligners themselves are hard to see. The attachments bonded to your teeth are visible close up — that's the part people aren't expecting, so we'd rather you hear it now.
Do I really have to wear them 22 hours a day?
Yes. Teeth move because of sustained pressure, and taking them out for a few extra hours a day stretches treatment out or stops it working. It's the single biggest factor in whether this succeeds.
Can I drink coffee with them in?
No. Hot drinks warp them and anything but water sits trapped against your teeth. Take them out, drink, brush, put them back in.
Will my teeth stay straight afterwards?
Only with a retainer. Teeth drift back throughout life whether they were straightened or not. Night-time retainer wear is permanent, and we'll be clear about that before you start rather than after.
Can you fix my bite as well?
Sometimes. Mild bite issues can improve. Significant ones are better handled with fixed braces or by an orthodontist, and we'll tell you which category you're in at the assessment.
What if my teeth don't move as planned?
It happens, and it's managed with a further set of aligners. Ask whether refinements are included in your quote — it's the most common reason a final bill differs from the first figure.
Can I whiten my teeth at the same time?
Usually at the end rather than during, once attachments are off. Some people use their final aligners or retainers as whitening trays, which we can talk through.
Who You'll See
Aligner treatment here is planned and carried out by Dr Michael Kozman, a general dentist. He is not a registered specialist orthodontist. Where a case would be better handled by one — complex bites, skeletal discrepancies, or cases needing extractions — we'll say so at the assessment and arrange the referral.
Meet the whole team
Dr Michael Kozman
Principal Dentist · Bachelor of Dental Surgery. Fellowship with the California Implant Institute, with additional training in implant rehabilitation and digital smile design. Eight years in cosmetic and restorative dentistry.
Related Treatments
Teeth whitening
Usually done once the aligners come off.
Teeth whiteningPorcelain veneers
Changing how teeth look rather than where they sit.
Porcelain veneersCheck-ups and cleans
Keeping teeth healthy while they're moving.
General DentistryFind out if aligners suit your teeth
Book an assessment. We'll scan your teeth, show you what the movement would look like, and tell you plainly whether aligners are the right tool for your case or whether you'd do better elsewhere.