# Invisalign vs Braces UK: Costs, Timelines, and How to Choose

Source: https://thelocaldentist.co.uk/guides/invisalign-vs-braces-uk/
Updated: Thu Aug 13

## Quick answer

In the UK, Invisalign typically costs £1,500–£5,500, fixed braces £1,500–£3,500, and at-home clear aligners £1,100–£1,800. Aligners suit mild-to-moderate crowding and can be removed for eating; fixed braces handle a wider range of cases. NHS braces are only funded for under-18s with a clear clinical need — adult orthodontics is almost always private.

## Who should skip this guide

Skip this guide if you need a dentist to look at your bite today, you are in pain (call NHS 111), or you want a mail-order kit without a named GDC registrant. Aligner therapy is dentistry. An assessment comes first — marketing does not.

## Should you choose Invisalign or braces?

Clear aligners and fixed braces both straighten teeth effectively — aligners win on appearance and convenience for mild-to-moderate cases, fixed braces win on complex movements and not depending on your discipline to wear them 22 hours a day.

There's no universally better option. The right choice depends on how complex your case is, how visible you're willing for treatment to be, how disciplined you'll be with removable aligners, and your budget. A proper assessment comes first: an aligner provider who hasn't examined your teeth can't tell you aligners will work for you.

## Invisalign, at-home aligners, and braces compared

## Can you get braces on the NHS in 2026?

NHS orthodontics is funded for under-18s with a clear clinical need, assessed using the IOTN (Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need) — typically NHS treatment uses fixed metal braces, and waiting lists can be long. Mild or purely cosmetic cases don't qualify. Adult NHS orthodontics is only approved in exceptional clinical circumstances, so if you're an adult wanting straighter teeth, plan for private treatment.

## Where clear aligners genuinely win

## Where fixed braces genuinely win

## A word on at-home aligner companies

At-home clear aligner providers post impression kits or offer scanning appointments, then a dentist reviews your case remotely. They're the cheapest route (£1,100–£1,800) and can work well for genuinely mild cases — but you get less in-person supervision, and problems like untracked teeth or gum issues may be spotted later than they would be in a practice. Check the provider gives you a named GDC-registered dentist responsible for your treatment, what its refinement and refund policies are, and that a proper suitability screening happens before any money changes hands. If your case is more than mild, a dentist-supervised option is worth the extra cost.

## Costs beyond the headline price

Whichever route you choose, ask about the full lifetime cost: initial consultation and scans (£0–£150, often refunded against treatment), any teeth whitening you're planning after alignment (£250–£700, and legally dentistry only), refinement aligners if teeth don't track to plan, and retainers — typically £100–£300 per set, replaced every few years for as long as you want your teeth to stay put.

## Ready to compare providers?

Desk-researched by The Local Dentist — not clinical advice.