Your Smilelign questions
answered

With Smilelign, getting started couldn’t be simpler. In fact, most patients are starting their new smile journey in just 10 days after their initial consultation! Smilelign aligners can only be provided by dentists. So, the first step in your Smilelign journey is to find your nearest dentist offering treatment. You will then need to call the practice and arrange your first appointment.
Don’t see your current dentist listed? Don’t worry, Smilelign is a private treatment, meaning you can go to any dentist listed to transform your smile.

The exact cost of Smilelign treatment is flexible, as no two cases are the same! The cost of treatment is based on the complexity of your case i.e. how much movement is required to give you your dream smile. As a general idea, treatment can range from £1750-£5000+. To get an accurate cost, we recommend contacting your nearest Smilelign provider today.

For you to make progress in line with your treatment plan, you must wear your aligners full-time, removing only to eat, drink or brush your teeth. Failure to wear the aligners for the correct amount of time each day can result in treatment stalling and movements not progressing as planned – which we don’t want to happen! Factoring in mealtimes and cleaning your teeth, your aligners should be in no less than 22 hours per day. Each stage of aligners is worn for 2 weeks at a time. After this, you should be ready to move on to the next stage of aligners in the sequence. If you can adhere to this you get your new smile faster.

We advise drinking only cold, plain water when wearing your aligners. Never drink hot drinks whilst wearing your aligners as the heat can warp the aligner material and affect fit. We would also advise against cold, sugary drinks whilst wearing your aligners. In terms of food, you should always remove your aligners to eat.

Your dentist will be able to advise when you can move on to the next set of aligners in your treatment. This is usually after 2 weeks of wear. When you first begin wearing aligners, they will feel tight as they are moving your teeth into the correct position. Once your current aligners have completed this movement, they will become loose. This is an indication that you are ready to move on to the next set. Smilelign aligners move teeth more per aligner than any other system, meaning you will need less aligners to complete your treatment. You get your new smile faster with Smilelign.

Using clever technology, Smilelign aligners apply gentle forces to your teeth to gently guide them into the next position in the sequence. In actual fact, it may interest you to know that your teeth have a natural tendency to move and revert back to their initial position. This is why full-time aligner wear is essential – and retainers once you have completed treatment. Smilelign also uses attachments for more complex movements. This is not required for every case, but will be needed for more complex movements, such as rotating a tooth.


Once you have completed treatment, you will need to wear retainers to ensure you maintain your new smile. A lot of adult orthodontic cases are actually people that had braces as a teenager and didn’t wear their retainers – meaning their teeth have moved as a consequence! Your dentist will be able to advise you about different types of retainers – including fixed retainers, as well as removable ones similar to an aligner. 


There is no set timeframe for treatment with Smilelign. The length of treatment is determined by how many aligners you will need to wear – though almost all cases are completed within 12 months. Once you have your treatment plan, this will detail exactly how many aligners you will need, and how long your new smile journey will take.