Everything people ask about Invisalign.

Most adults and teenagers with healthy teeth and gums are. Louise checks your teeth, gums and bite at your consultation and tells you honestly whether Invisalign is right for you, or whether fixed braces or a specialist orthodontist would serve you better. Any decay or gum problems are treated first.

About 45 minutes with Dr Louise Gidda: a conversation about what you would like to change, a gentle check of your teeth, gums and bite, an iTero 3D scan with a digital preview of a possible result, and a written, all-inclusive price. There is no obligation to go ahead.

Yes. Send three photos through our online smile check and Louise will reply, usually within two working days, with what she would suggest and the likely package. A consultation then confirms the plan.

No. You are welcome to come to us just for Invisalign.

Treatment can begin in as little as two weeks from your consultation, once Louise has designed your plan and the aligners are made.

Yes. You see a digital preview at your consultation and the final ClinCheck plan before any aligners are made. Both show the planned movement; neither is a guarantee of your exact result.

Often, if you start early enough. Our online event planner compares your date with typical treatment times, and Louise confirms a realistic timeline at your consultation.

No. Louise is your local Invisalign expert: a dentist (GDC No. 78061) with more than twenty-five years of orthodontic experience, more than 4,250 orthodontic cases since 2000 and Platinum Elite Invisalign status. The title “specialist orthodontist” is reserved for dentists on the GDC’s specialist list. If your case would be better treated by a specialist, Louise will tell you and refer you.

It is a status Align Technology, the makers of Invisalign, gives to clinicians who treat a high number of Invisalign cases. It reflects experience and case numbers, not a specialist qualification.

Call 01564 822 224 or send the form on our contact page. A £25 booking fee reserves your consultation. It is credited in full to your treatment if you go ahead, and is non-refundable if you decide not to proceed or miss the appointment without notice.

£2,500 for Express, £3,500 for Lite, £4,500 for Moderate, and £4,900 each for Comprehensive and Invisalign Teen. Each fee covers your treatment from consultation to retainers, with no hidden charges. See fees and payment plans.

As of October 2026, published fees at private practices in Solihull and Birmingham range from about £2,000 for the shortest courses to about £5,300 for comprehensive treatment. When you compare, check what each practice includes in its fee. Read our Solihull price guide.

Yes, on every package, with no interest. You pay a deposit when your aligners are ordered, then a set number of equal monthly payments during treatment, arranged directly with the practice. For Moderate, for example, that is a £1,700 deposit and eight payments of £350. See every payment plan.

It reserves your consultation. It is credited in full to your treatment if you go ahead, and it is non-refundable if you decide not to proceed or miss the appointment without notice. We remind you of this when you book.

Rarely. NHS orthodontics is mainly for under-18s who meet a clinical-need threshold, and it is usually provided with fixed braces. Private treatment is the usual route for Invisalign.

That is a personal decision. Straighter teeth can be easier to clean and may wear more evenly, and many patients tell us they feel more confident smiling. Louise will tell you honestly if she thinks the change would be too small to justify the cost.

Your consultation, iTero scan, X-ray, the aligners in your package (with refinements included on every package except Express), Dental Monitoring, two sets of Vivera retainers, twelve months of aftercare and, for patients aged 18 and over, professional whitening.

Only if you need or would like something outside your package, and you always have the price before any work is done. That could be treatment needed before Invisalign starts, refinements with Express, replacement retainers more than a year after treatment, bonded retainers, new aligners if aligners are lost or not worn as advised, or extra months of Dental Monitoring if treatment takes longer because aligners were not worn as advised. See the fees page.

£1,600 for Express and £1,700 for the other packages, paid when your aligners are ordered, followed by 3, 6, 8 or 10 equal monthly payments depending on your package. See every payment plan.

Typically 3 to 4 months for Express, 6 to 7 months for Lite, 9 to 12 months for Moderate and 12 to 18 months for Comprehensive and Invisalign Teen. It depends on how far your teeth need to move and how well the aligners are worn. Your treatment plan shows the number of aligners and stages.

Usually only mildly. Each new aligner tends to feel tight for a day or two as your teeth begin to move, and most people describe it as pressure rather than pain. Read our guide to discomfort.

Small tooth-coloured bumps bonded to some teeth so the aligner can grip and move them precisely. They are removed at the end of treatment.

Many overbites, underbites, crossbites and open bites can be treated with Invisalign Comprehensive. Louise will tell you plainly at the consultation if fixed braces would do a better job.

Invisalign is not a treatment for jaw joint disorders. If you have jaw pain, clicking or headaches, tell Louise; she will examine you and advise before any orthodontic treatment.

Rarely. Space for crowded teeth is usually made by removing a fraction of a millimetre of enamel from between some teeth, or by widening the arch slightly. Louise will tell you at your consultation if an extraction would be needed.

Typically every six to eight weeks, with phone scans through Dental Monitoring in between so Louise can check progress without a trip to the practice.

A phone app used with a small scanner that holds your phone. You scan your teeth each week, and Louise reviews the scans to check each aligner is fitting before you move on to the next one, so you need fewer visits to the practice.

Extra aligners made near the end of treatment to fine-tune the result. They are included in Lite, Moderate and Comprehensive, but not in Express.

Usually, yes. Teeth moving after braces is one of the most common reasons people come to us, and a small relapse is often suited to Express or Lite. Read our guide to teeth that have moved.

Often, yes. Teeth with crowns or veneers can usually be moved, although attachments may be bonded differently. Implants cannot be moved, so the plan works around them. Louise checks this at your consultation.

There is no upper age limit if your teeth and gums are healthy. Read our guide to Invisalign at any age.

Both straighten teeth well. Invisalign is removable and nearly invisible; fixed braces can suit some complex bite problems better. Louise will tell you which suits your teeth. Read our honest comparison.

Often, yes. Bring your current aligners and any treatment plan you were given to a consultation, and Louise will assess where things are. Read our guide to at-home aligners.

20 to 22 hours a day. Take them out to eat, to drink anything other than cold water, and to brush your teeth.

A simple way to keep your wear time up: aim to have your aligners out for no more than about 30 minutes at each meal, so they stay in for 20 to 22 hours a day.

Some people notice a slight lisp at first. It fades as your tongue adjusts, usually within a week.

Yes, but take your aligners out first and keep them in their case. Afterwards, brush your teeth, or at least rinse your mouth with water, before putting the aligners back in. Hot drinks can warp aligners, and coffee, tea and red wine can stain them.

Call us. Louise will tell you whether to move on to your next aligner a little early or wear your previous one until a replacement arrives. A replacement for a lost aligner is charged separately.

Rarely. At a normal speaking distance your aligners are very hard to spot, although attachments may be slightly visible close up.

Rinse them in lukewarm water and brush them gently with a soft toothbrush and a drop of mild, clear soap; toothpaste scratches them. Never use hot water, which warps them, and brush your teeth, or at least rinse your mouth with water, before putting the aligners back in. Read our aligner care guide.

No. Gum sticks to aligners, and smoking and vaping can stain them. If you do either, take your aligners out first and brush your teeth before putting them back in.

Keep wearing it if it still fits and has no sharp edges, and tell us; a replacement can be made, which may be chargeable. If it does not fit or feels sharp, go back to your previous aligner and call us.

Yes. Take your aligners out for contact sports and wear a mouthguard. You can usually play an instrument with your aligners in; most wind and brass players adapt within a few days.

Take your aligner case, your previous aligners as a spare, any next aligners Louise has given you and your Dental Monitoring scanner, and keep up your weekly scans. If you will be away for a while, tell us beforehand so Louise can plan around it.

Often, yes, if they will wear the aligners as advised. Invisalign Teen has wear indicators and allows for teeth that are still coming through. Read our guide for parents.

Usually between 12 and 15, once most adult teeth are through.

You are welcome at every appointment, and we ask a parent or guardian to attend the consultation and the start of treatment.

Invisalign Teen aligners have wear indicators that fade with use, and Dental Monitoring shows Louise how well each aligner is fitting. If aligners are not worn as advised, treatment takes longer, and extra months of monitoring are chargeable.

Yes. Teeth naturally drift throughout life, so retainers help keep them in place. Your Vivera retainers are included in your package. Read about retainers.

Often, yes: it repairs chipped or uneven edges once teeth are straight. It is done at Omnia Dental Spa and priced separately. Read our guide to bonding.

Yes, for patients aged 18 and over: professional whitening is included in every package, timed for the end of treatment. UK law does not allow tooth whitening for under-18s except to treat or prevent disease, so it is not part of treatment for teenagers.

Nightly for the first year, then a few nights a week for as long as you want to keep the result.

You receive two sets of Vivera retainers, so start wearing your spare set and let us know. Replacements needed more than a year after treatment finishes are chargeable.

Twelve months of aftercare from the end of treatment, including up to three retainer reviews.

Omnia Dental Spa, 243 Station Road, Wythall, Birmingham B47 6ET, a short drive from Solihull and close to junction 3 of the M42. Free on-site parking.

Yes: a ramp at the entrance, step-free access throughout the ground floor, including the surgery, an accessible toilet and a disabled parking bay.

Not at all. Invisalign does not usually involve drilling or injections, and your consultation starts with a conversation. Read how we help nervous patients.

Of course. Take our online practice tour, or ask to look around when you call.

Monday 8.30am to 6.00pm, and Tuesday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm. We are closed at weekends.

Dr Louise Gidda plans and oversees every Clear Braces treatment, and normally sees you at each appointment.