Before braces or aligners
What to check before you start braces or clear aligners.
Braces and aligners are a long commitment. These are the questions worth asking any clinic first, with the answers Dr Arshad’s Dental Care has published.
Prices are given in writing before treatment begins. Rates are reviewed each year.
The five checks
Who will treat me, and are they an orthodontist?
Moving teeth is a specialist job, and the person who plans your case should be trained for it.
At Dr Arshad’s Dental Care
Dr Tabassum Ahsan Qadeer, BDS, FCPS (Orthodontics), Professor of Orthodontics at Bahria University Medical & Dental College.
Is my case suitable for aligners, or do I need braces?
Aligners do not suit every case, and you want to hear that before you pay, not after.
At Dr Arshad’s Dental Care
Aligners are for simple cases only. Complex cases, including those involving extraction of teeth, will not respond well to them, and you are told that at the consultation.
What is the total price, and how is it paid?
Ask for the whole figure, including the retainer, and whether payment is spread across the treatment.
At Dr Arshad’s Dental Care
Fixed braces are PKR 325,000 paid in instalments across the treatment, and a retainer is PKR 17,000 per arch. Clear aligners are PKR 180,000 for one arch and PKR 350,000 for both. Prices are given in writing before treatment begins.
How long will it take, and how many visits?
The length of treatment and the visit schedule decide how it fits into your life.
At Dr Arshad’s Dental Care
A braces case could be done in about a year, not two or three: the first three visits fall within the first month, then once a month. With aligners, trays are changed every ten days and you are seen once a month.
What will be asked of me?
Some treatment depends as much on the patient as on the clinic.
At Dr Arshad’s Dental Care
With aligners, compliance is the treatment: if a tray is lost it becomes a real problem. For a braces consultation, bring your full-mouth films, an OPG and a lateral cephalogram.
Common questions
Questions people ask before they book.
01Are aligners right for every case?
No. Aligners are for simple cases only. Complex cases, including those involving extraction of teeth, will not respond well to them, and you are told that at the consultation rather than after you have paid.
02How long does a braces case take?
Your braces case could be done in about a year, not two or three. The first three visits fall within the first month, then it is once a month after that.
The price lists
More checklists
Ask before you decide, and get the price in writing.
Bring your X-rays to a consultation with Dr Tabassum Ahsan Qadeer. The price is given in writing before treatment begins.