Are clear aligners suitable for teenagers?

Neither is automatically better. Fixed braces can be useful for complex tooth movements and bite correction, while clear aligners may suit patients who want a removable and less visible option. Suitability depends on the tooth movements needed and patient compliance. Braces stay in place for the whole of treatment, so they work whether or not the patient is consistent, while aligners are removed for eating and cleaning and only work if they are worn for around 20 to 22 hours a day. Cost, appearance, lifestyle and the specific movements needed usually decide which is the better fit.

Clear aligners can treat some crowding, especially mild to moderate cases, but severe crowding may need attachments, interproximal reduction, extractions, braces or specialist planning. As a rough guide, crowding that needs a few millimetres of space can often be managed by slightly widening the arch or polishing small amounts of enamel between teeth, while crowding that needs more space than that may call for extractions, which are usually planned with fixed braces. An orthodontist can measure the space needed from a scan.