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Clear aligners vs. braces in Nashua, NH

Clear aligners vs. braces in Nashua, NH

Clear aligners and traditional braces both straighten teeth well, but they feel and work differently. The right choice depends on your bite, your lifestyle, and how involved you want to be in your own treatment.

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Appearance and comfort

The biggest difference is visibility. Clear aligners are hard to notice, while metal braces are easy to see. Clear braces with tooth-colored brackets fall somewhere in between. Aligners are smooth plastic, so they rarely irritate the cheeks and lips. Braces can rub at first and may need small adjustments. Both cause some pressure and soreness as teeth move, usually for a few days after each new aligner set or brace adjustment.

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A dental chair in a treatment room at the Nashua office

Daily life and care

Aligners come out for meals, so you can eat what you like and brush and floss normally. The trade-off is discipline. They work only when worn about 20 to 22 hours a day, and they're easy to misplace. Braces stay on all the time, so they work without you having to remember them. You'll need to avoid hard, sticky, and chewy foods, and cleaning around brackets takes extra time and tools like floss threaders.

Which works better for your case?

Neither option is better for everyone. Clear aligners handle crowding, spacing, and many bite problems well, and they suit motivated teens and adults. If aligners are a good fit, we choose the aligner system that matches your case. Traditional braces may be the better fit for some severe rotations, complex bite corrections, or patients who are unlikely to wear aligners consistently. An accurate diagnosis comes first. We'll examine your teeth and bite and explain the pros and cons of each option for your case.

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A treatment room at the Nashua office

Frequently asked questions

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Sometimes, but not always. For mild to moderate cases, treatment times are often similar, roughly a year to a year and a half. Complex cases can take longer with either method. With aligners, how consistently you wear the trays makes the biggest difference in how quickly you finish.
Both can work well. Aligners suit teens who will wear them consistently and keep track of them. Braces may suit teens who would struggle with that responsibility or who have complex bites. We'll talk with you and your teen about what's realistic for your family.
In some cases, yes. Patients can sometimes move from braces to aligners to finish treatment, or use aligners to correct teeth that shifted after braces years ago. We'll evaluate your teeth and bite to see whether a switch makes sense and how it would affect your timeline.

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(603) 484-9595

115 Daniel Webster Hwy, Nashua. Get directions

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115 Daniel Webster Hwy, Nashua, NH 03060

Nashua office

(603) 484-9595

Woburn office

(781) 999-1817

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