Clear aligners
in Newcastle
Straightening teeth with a series of removable clear trays. I work with two aligner systems, so I can pick the one that suits your teeth.
Planned and treated by me
I’m Jack Dowling. BDS Bristol 2019, two years of Dental Core Training at Newcastle Dental Hospital, private practice in Newcastle since 2021. I hold Invisalign Level 2 certification, achieved in 2023, which is advanced certification in aligner orthodontics — in practice it means I plan and treat more complex tooth movements myself rather than referring them on.
Two systems, not one
Most practices sell one aligner system. That’s a commercial arrangement, not a clinical one, and it means your teeth get fitted to the system rather than the other way round.
I work with Invisalign clear aligners and with SureSmile, and I’m certified in IAS aligner orthodontics. Different systems are better at different movements. Some handle rotations well, some are better on the bite, some are simply better value for a straightforward case. Having more than one to choose from means I can tell you which one suits your teeth and why, instead of telling you the one I stock is the best one.
How aligners work
A scan of your teeth is turned into a treatment plan — a sequence of small movements from where your teeth are now to where we’ve agreed they should be. That sequence becomes a set of clear plastic trays, each slightly different from the last.
You wear each tray for a week or so, taking them out to eat and to clean your teeth. Each one moves things a fraction. Over the course of the treatment those fractions add up.
They’re removable, which is their main advantage and their main weakness. They only work while they’re in your mouth. Twenty-two hours a day is the number, and people who treat it as optional get slower results and more disappointment.
Is it right for you —
and when I’d say no
Aligners handle crowding, spacing, mild to moderate bite problems and a lot of the front-tooth alignment people actually care about. They’re very good, and for most adults asking the question, they’re the right answer.
They’re not right for everyone. If your case involves large movements, significant bite correction or teeth that need bodily repositioning rather than tipping, fixed braces will do it better, faster and more predictably. I’d rather tell you that than take your money and give you a compromise.
They’re also not right if you know you won’t wear them. There’s no judgement in that — some people would genuinely rather have something fixed on and not have to think about it. If that’s you, fixed ceramic braces are worth reading about.
And some cases need a specialist orthodontist. If yours is one of them, I’ll say so and refer you.
What your quote includes
This is where aligner pricing catches people out, so here it is in full.
Included
The scan, the digital treatment plan, every aligner in the series, all your review appointments during treatment, any refinements needed at the end to finish the case properly, and your first set of retainers.
Not included
Replacement retainers if you lose them, whitening, and any bonding or reshaping you decide to have afterwards.
Worth knowing what other practices sometimes charge separately: the treatment plan itself, refinements, and retainers. I’ve seen all three billed as extras locally. Ask whoever you see — including me — to put in writing what’s in the number.
From first call to retainers
Free 15-minute call
Phone or video. I’ll tell you whether aligners are likely to be right for you and roughly what it would cost.
Consultation
Photographs, a scan, and a proper look. I’ll tell you what’s realistic and how long it’ll take, based on your teeth rather than a best case.
Your plan
I’ll show you the proposed movements before we order anything. If you don’t like the end point, we change it then.
Treatment
Aligners arrive, you start wearing them, and I see you every six to eight weeks.
Refinement
Most cases need a small second round to finish properly. That’s normal, and it’s in the price.
Retainers
Fitted at the end. Then the part below.
Retainers, and what
happens in year five
Nobody enjoys this section, and almost nobody’s website has one.
Teeth move for your whole life. Straightening them doesn’t switch that off — it just puts them somewhere better and hands you the job of keeping them there. That job is retainers, and it doesn’t end.
You’ll get retainers at the end of treatment, included. You wear them every night at first, then most nights indefinitely. If you stop, your teeth will drift back, slowly at first and then noticeably. That’s not a failure of the treatment, it’s what teeth do.
Retainers wear out and get lost. Budget for a replacement every few years. A bonded wire behind the front teeth is an option for some people and lasts longer.
I’d rather you knew this before you started treatment than after.
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