What the fee covers
Invisalign is priced as a course, not per visit. The fee covers the digital treatment plan built from your scan, the full series of custom aligners, the fitting appointment where any attachments are bonded, and the review appointments every six to eight weeks until the teeth have reached the end of the plan. Retainers are listed separately, so there are no surprises about them at the end.
Two items are worth asking about explicitly at your consultation so the quote is complete: whether refinement aligners are included should a tooth need a little extra persuasion, and what a replacement costs if an aligner goes missing. We would rather answer both up front than have you discover them in month nine.
What moves the price above “from”
Complexity, mostly. A lower arch with a few crowded front teeth needs a short series of aligners and finishes in a few months. Two arches with rotations, spacing and a bite to correct need many more aligners, more reviews and more time, and the fee reflects that. Broadly, the things that push a quote up are:
- Treating both arches rather than one.
- Larger movements, particularly rotated canines or teeth that need moving vertically.
- A bite that needs correcting as well as the alignment.
- Work that has to happen first. Aligners are only fitted over healthy teeth, so any decay is filled and any gum inflammation dealt with by our hygienist before the scan is sent off.
What does not change the price is the season, the day of the week or how the enquiry arrived. We do not run “offer ends Friday” pricing.
Why Cheltenham prices vary so much
Search for Invisalign locally and you will see figures from around £1,500 up to £6,000 or more. Neither end is dishonest, but they are rarely describing the same thing. The lower figures are usually for very minor corrections with a limited number of aligners, sometimes for a single arch, and sometimes with retainers, refinements or the consultation added afterwards. The higher figures tend to be comprehensive cases at practices with specialist orthodontists on the team.
The useful comparison is not the headline number. It is the written quote for your teeth, with a list of what it includes, from a dentist who has actually scanned you. If two practices give you those, comparing them is easy.
Is Invisalign cheaper than fixed braces?
Not at our practice. Fixed braces at Oriel Villas are from £2,500 for one arch and from £3,500 for both, so aligners carry a premium of roughly £1,000. You are paying for the plastic being custom made in a lab for every stage, and for the fact that nobody at work will know. Whether that premium is worth it depends on the case and on you, which is why we wrote Invisalign vs fixed braces: which is right for your smile? as a separate guide.
Spreading the cost
Very few patients pay for Invisalign in one go, and they do not need to. Oriel Villas is a credit broker, not a lender, which means we can arrange patient finance through a lender so that treatment is paid for in monthly instalments rather than a single sum. Ask about it at your consultation and we will go through the options and the terms available at the time. Whichever route you take, you will have the total in writing before anything is made.
Is Invisalign available on the NHS?
No. NHS orthodontic treatment in England is only for under 18s who meet a clinical need assessment, it is delivered with fixed braces, and it runs through specialist orthodontic services rather than general practices. Adults pay privately for teeth straightening whichever system they choose, and clear aligners are not offered on the NHS at any age.
Frequently asked questions
Is the £80 consultation fee taken off the treatment cost?
Do I pay before the aligners are made?
Are retainers really necessary after paying for Invisalign?
Does Denplan cover Invisalign?
Get your own written quote
The “from” is where every quote starts, but only a scan tells us where yours ends. Book an orthodontic consultation at Oriel Villas Dental Surgery in Cheltenham on 01242 523531, on our private line 07741 593675, or by emailing practice@orielvillasdental.com, and you will leave with a number for your own teeth. For the fuller picture of how treatment works, start with our guide to Invisalign in Cheltenham.
Written by Dr Magdalena Wojcicka,
Dentist at Oriel Villas Dental Surgery
(GDC No. 84983)