Is the misalignment pronounced?
Fixed brace
With severe crowding or a crossbite, a fixed brace or orthodontic treatment is often the more reliable choice. We say so openly and refer you in good time.
Services · Splints & Specialized Treatments
Aligners
Straightening teeth: barely visible, removable, step by step.
Aligners are thin, clear trays that move your teeth into a new position in small steps, without reshaping any tooth. Each tray is worn for two weeks but is removable, for eating and brushing.
of 14 services
AlignersClear AlignersTooth Correction
Wanting straight teeth, without a visible brace
Crooked teeth, a small gap, a tooth that's slightly rotated: the most common reason for aligners is an aesthetic wish, and that needs no justification. Anyone picturing this without a conspicuous metal brace almost always lands on the same question: can it be done discreetly?
Aligners move the teeth into a new position in small steps. The shape and visible surface of the tooth stay as they are; only where teeth are very crowded is a hair-thin strip of enamel removed between two neighbouring teeth so they can fit side by side. They change position, not shape, unlike a veneer, which changes shape and colour, but costs some tooth structure to do it.
How it would work for you
- Consultation & suitability
Findings, an X-ray overview, jaw joints, and an open conversation about duration and wear discipline. Free of charge.
- Digital scan
A scan of your teeth and photos go to our partner lab, instead of a traditional impression.
- Planning and your approval
You see a 3D preview of the planned path. Only once you agree is the tray series made.
- The wearing phase
Each tray is worn for two weeks. Check-ups roughly every six weeks, where we review your progress.
- Retainer
To finish, securing the result. That's part of the plan from the start, not an afterthought.
What carries the success
The trays only work if they're in your mouth for around 22 hours a day. That leaves only about two hours in total for all meals and brushing afterwards. And the result only holds with a retainer: without it, the teeth drift back towards their old position.
If the teeth don't follow the plan exactly everywhere, we rescan and a supplementary series of trays is made. That isn't a mistake, it's planned for in many aligner treatments.
The initial consultation with suitability check is free of charge. Planning by the partner lab is already work: its fee is offset against the treatment costs once treatment begins. If you decide against it after the preview, it remains due. We tell you that before planning.
Where teeth are tightly crowded, correction makes them easier to keep clean.And what changes in the mirror also changes how you carry yourself through the day.
What it costs
Your written cost plan brings all the items of your treatment together into one total, not a base price with add-ons later. How high it is depends on the individual case, so we deliberately give no figure here. Your cost plan is ready before treatment begins, and securing the result is already included in it.
For adults, aligner treatment is almost always a private, out-of-pocket service, regardless of the type of insurance you have. With private or supplementary insurance, reimbursement depends on your plan. Not every plan covers tooth correction in adults, so it's worth checking your own policy beforehand.
Your cost plan sets out the whole treatment, retainer included. Whether a possible refinement is part of it depends on the scope: for larger treatments it is; for small corrections it may come in as a separate item. We discuss that before treatment begins, and it's in your cost plan. And we're just as upfront about what may come later: the retainer secures the result permanently, and should it ever break after years of use, replacing it is a separate, later item.
When something else is a better fit
For a pronounced misalignment, or when wear discipline isn't assured, a fixed brace is often the more reliable path. It works independently of cooperation. For such cases, we refer you to an orthodontist in good time.
And sometimes aligners are the first step, not the only one: if a crooked tooth should also change shape or colour, we straighten it first and treat it afterwards. A crooked tooth would need more aggressive preparation for a veneer than a straight one would.
Is it just a small correction on one tooth?
Composite build-up
For a small shape or gap correction on a single tooth, a small composite build-up is often enough, with no tooth movement at all. How that works is covered under Fillings & Inlays.
Should shape and colour change too?
Veneer or crown
If the position is already right but shape or colour should still change, a veneer or crown is the next step. What a veneer offers is under Veneers.
Get the foundation right first, then build on it: a straight row of teeth supports every further restoration better than a crooked one.
Whether aligner treatment is the right path for you or something else, we'll work that out together.
Zahngesundheit verstehen, Entscheidung leben.
If you'd like to know more
Can you see the trays?
Barely, they're clear and sit thin against the teeth. They're not fully invisible up close, but in everyday life they draw little attention. Where a tray needs more grip, small tooth-coloured composite attachments are added. Those can be visible, and we tell you beforehand if that's the case.
Does it hurt?
After every tray change, there's a feeling of pressure or tension for a day or two: that's the working pressure of the new tray, not damage. We don't promise it will be painless, but the treatment is usually easy to tolerate.
How long does this take?
Depending on scope, anywhere from a few months to around one to two years: this follows from the number of trays and the two weeks each is worn. An exact duration can only be given after planning, and aligners aren't reliably faster than a fixed brace.
Do I really have to wear the trays for about 22 hours a day?
Yes, that's the condition under which they work. They only come out for eating, drinking (except water) and brushing. Taking the tray out more often extends the treatment or puts the result at risk, only some patients manage the full wear time, so we address this openly.
Do I get a retainer for life?
Usually yes, or at least for a very long time. Without retention, teeth drift back after treatment. Exactly how long retention is needed isn't scientifically fixed to a set number. The cautious answer: permanently. We usually recommend a fixed retainer for this.
Are my teeth prepared for this treatment?
Not in the way that would be needed for a veneer or a crown. The tooth keeps its shape. There's one exception: if the teeth are so crowded that there's no room for movement, a hair-thin strip of enamel is removed between two neighbouring teeth (interproximal reduction), so they can move alongside each other. This enamel doesn't grow back; whether it's needed in your case is something we tell you beforehand.
Is Invisalign something different?
"Invisalign" is the best-known brand name for an aligner system, not a separate procedure. We work with a partner lab's system; the principle is the same across all reputable systems.