Dental makeover: Perfect smile

Dubai: Residents with crooked teeth have reason to smile after wearing see-through aligners, or ‘clear braces', a specialist said.

The virtually invisible aligners can be pulled out when the patient wants to brush, floss or eat, said Dr Sameer Kumar, Assistant Director of Administration, GMC Super Speciality Dental Centre, Ajman.

He added that over 2,000 residents have been treated with clear braces after a UAE distributor (3D Ortholine) introduced them in 2006. The treatment starts with an impression, X-rays and photos of the teeth, all of which are used to create 3D images of the final teeth positions and to determine the corrections needed to get there.

After approval, a set of [teeth] trays are made and the patient wears the braces, changing them for the next one in the series until the teeth are lined up properly.

The number of trays, treatment time and costs differ from case to case, Dr Kumar stressed. Typically, however, it can involve up to a dozen sets and take about a year.

Treatment prices range from Dh15,000 to Dh20,000 — roughly double the cost of metal braces. Also, clear aligners are not used for patients with skeletal irregularities, he said. But because they can be removed at will, success also depends on the patient's cooperation, he pointed out.

"You should only take them out for very short periods, like when brushing or eating. And yes, it's compulsory to keep them on at sleeping time," Dr Kumar said.