South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
Treatment comparison · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Clear aligners or fixed braces: how to choose your route to straighter teeth
Fixed braces have been straightening teeth for a century and remain the reference point against which everything else is measured. Clear aligners arrived more recently and now handle a large share of adult treatment. The mechanics are different, the day-to-day experience is very different, and each has cases where it is clearly the more sensible choice.
Decision guide
Which is right for you?
Choose Clear aligners if…
- Your teeth need moderate tidying rather than major repositioning.
- Being able to take the appliance out for meals, meetings and photographs matters to you.
- You are confident you will wear the trays for close to 22 hours every day.
- You would prefer brief reviews every six to eight weeks over monthly adjustments.
Choose Fixed braces if…
- Your case involves a deep bite, significant rotations or teeth that need to be moved bodily through bone.
- You would rather not be responsible for remembering to wear anything.
- You are relaxed about the appearance of brackets, or would consider ceramic versions.
- You want the clinician to have maximum mechanical control from start to finish.
At a glance
Side by side
| Feature | Clear aligners | Fixed braces |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | Clear trays that are difficult to see in normal conversation | Metal brackets and wire on the front of the teeth; ceramic versions less obvious |
| Removability | Removed for eating, drinking and brushing | Fixed in place until the orthodontist takes them off |
| Comfort | Smooth edges; tightness for a day or two per tray | Brackets and wire ends can irritate the lips and cheeks at first |
| Typical duration | About 3 to 20 months, set by the plan tier | Commonly 12 to 24 months |
| Complex movements | Reliable for mild to moderate problems; limits with severe cases | Suited to every level of difficulty including bite correction |
| Hygiene | Normal brushing and flossing; trays cleaned separately | Extra time needed around brackets; interdental brushes essential |
| Diet | No restrictions once trays are out | Hard, sticky and chewy foods off the menu |
| Fee at Wimpole Street | From £2,000 | Not provided; priced by a referred orthodontist |
| Best suited to | Adults and older teenagers wanting discretion and flexibility | Moderate to complex cases, and patients who prefer a hands-off appliance |
In the chair
What the treatment involves
Clear aligners
Your teeth are scanned rather than moulded, and the software builds a step-by-step simulation of the intended movement. Once you and the dentist agree the end position, a sequence of custom trays is produced. Each tray is worn for one to two weeks before you move to the next, and small tooth-coloured attachments may be bonded to certain teeth to give the plastic something to grip. Progress is checked at short appointments every few weeks. A refinement set is sometimes ordered near the end to perfect the detail, and fixed or removable retainers follow.
Fixed braces
Brackets are bonded to each tooth and connected by an archwire that is gradually changed from thin, flexible wires to thicker, stiffer ones. Elastic ties, springs and sometimes small elastics between the jaws add specific forces. Adjustments every four to six weeks keep the teeth moving, and because the appliance is never off, the movement is continuous. When the teeth are in position the brackets are removed, residual adhesive polished away, and retainers fitted to hold the new alignment.
Fees
Cost and longevity at Wimpole Street
Clear aligner treatment at Wimpole Street will begin at £2,000. Cases are grouped into three plans according to how much movement is needed: Easy Align (short courses, up to about four months, from £2,000), Smart Align (up to roughly 17 months, from £4,000) and Ultimate Align (longer, more complex courses, from £5,980). An initial consultation is offered without charge.
Fixed braces are not fitted at any Medical & Dental clinic. Where they are the appropriate treatment we refer to a specialist orthodontist, whose fees are separate. With either approach, expect to wear retainers indefinitely at night; the cost of treatment is wasted without them.
All prices are indicative and are confirmed in a written treatment plan at your consultation. Fees are the same at every Medical & Dental clinic.
Weighing it up
Strengths and trade-offs
Clear aligners
Strengths
- Nearly invisible in everyday situations
- Can be removed for eating, cleaning and special occasions
- No wires to snap or brackets to come loose
- Fewer and shorter appointments
- Outcome previewed digitally before treatment starts
Trade-offs
- Depends on the wearer; trays out of the mouth do nothing
- Some severe cases are beyond the reach of aligners alone
- Must be removed for any drink except water
- Trays can be lost or damaged and need replacing
Fixed braces
Strengths
- Force is applied continuously without any effort from the patient
- Handles the most demanding movements and bite problems
- Decades of evidence and highly predictable mechanics
- Often the lower-cost option for very complex treatment
Trade-offs
- Clearly visible, particularly metal brackets
- Soreness and ulcers are common in the first weeks
- Cleaning takes longer and decalcification marks can appear if it slips
- Food restrictions for the whole course
- Requires referral to an outside orthodontist
FAQ
Common questions
Not as a rule. Simple cases often finish sooner with aligners because the plan is short by design. Complex cases take a year or more either way, and braces may achieve a more precise end point because they never come off.
They are less effective at moving teeth vertically, rotating very rounded teeth and making large changes to how the jaws meet. A dentist will tell you at the assessment whether your case sits inside those limits.
Around 22. That leaves roughly two hours for meals and cleaning. Wearing them noticeably less slows the plan and can leave trays not fitting properly.
With aligners you simply take them out for a few hours. With fixed braces the appliance stays on, though clear or ceramic brackets reduce how much it shows.
Yes. Teeth have a tendency to drift back towards their original position regardless of how they were moved. Nightly retainer wear, or a bonded wire behind the front teeth, keeps the result.
No. We provide clear aligner treatment and retainers from 1 October 2026, and already do so at South Kensington and St Paul’s. If fixed braces are the right answer for you, we will refer you to a specialist orthodontist.
Marylebone, W1
Wimpole Street opens 1 October 2026
Register your interest and we will contact you when the Marylebone diary opens. If you would rather not wait, the same clinicians can see you at South Kensington or St Paul's now.
Related treatments at Wimpole Street
Opening 1 October 2026
Wimpole Street is not yet seeing patients. Until then, please book or call our South Kensington clinic on 020 7183 2362 or our St Paul's clinic on 020 7183 3709. Questions about the new clinic: wimpolestreet@md.co.uk.
Until we open
Need an appointment before 1 October 2026?
The same clinical team already works from two other Medical & Dental clinics. Book at either one now and, if you prefer, move your ongoing care to Wimpole Street once the doors open.
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
