Clear Aligners in Battersea | 32Co | Vere Dental

What Are Clear Aligners, and How Do They Work?

Clear aligners are thin, transparent trays custom-made to fit snugly over your teeth, gently moving them into a straighter position a fraction of a millimetre at a time. You wear each set for a 10 to 14 days, then move to the next, and because they are removable you can eat, brush and floss exactly as you do now. Most people you meet will not notice you are straightening your teeth.

At Vere Dental in Battersea, we straighten teeth using 32Co clear aligners. What makes 32Co different is that every treatment plan is designed by a specialist orthodontist who reviews your case personally—so the plan moving your teeth is clinically rigorous, not generated by an algorithm, and more predictable as moving teeth is a very unpredictable treatment.

You get the discretion of clear aligners with the predictability of proper orthodontic planning, all supervised here at our dental practice.

Why Patients Choose Clear Aligners

Most adults who come to see us about straightening their teeth are not looking for a perfect orthodontic textbook result. They want:

Crowded or overlapping front teeth to sit neatly
Gaps to close
Teeth that have moved in adulthood — a common story, even for people who had braces as a teenager. If you have not worn your retainers or nightguards, your teeth will relapse due to the forces we place on them on a day-to-day.
A smile they stop hiding in photos

Clear aligners suit that list very well.

There is a health argument too: straighter teeth are simply easier to clean, which matters for long-term gum health. If your teeth overlap in a way that traps plaque, straightening them is a genuine investment in keeping them for life.

Illustrative photograph of a woman smiling against an orange background

Why We Chose 32Co

There are several clear aligner systems on the market, and they are not all the same. We partnered with 32Co because of how their planning works behind the scenes:

Every case is designed by a specialist orthodontist. 32Co was the first aligner company to replace technicians with orthodontists—your dentist plans your case with a named UK orthodontist reviewing and refining it, rather than a remote technician.
Exceptionally predictable results. Over 95% of 32Co cases finish with one refinement or fewer, and half finish with none at all—meaning the plan you see at the start is very likely to be the plan that finishes.
Fast turnaround. Once your scans and records are submitted, your orthodontist-designed plan comes back to us within 48 hours, and your aligners arrive within about ten working days of ordering. Careful in moderate to complex cases, we might need 5 working days to make the treatment plan.
Plan quality you can see. Before you commit to the straightening treatment, our dentist will show you a digital preview of how your teeth will move, stage by stage, and what your smile will look like at the end.

For you, the practical difference is this: fewer surprises, fewer extra aligner rounds, and a plan built around your actual bite—not just how your front teeth look in a photo.

What Treatment Involves, Step by Step

1. The Consultation and the record taking

Your first visit is a proper assessment, not a sales conversation. We examine your teeth, gums and bite, discuss what you would like to change, and take photographs and the needed radiographs.

If aligners are right for you, we explain the process, the likely timeframe and the cost. And if they are not—if your case needs fixed braces or a specialist orthodontist—we will explain this honestly. Clear aligners are superb for many cases, but they are not the answer to everything, and we only recommend treatment we believe will work.

We take a 3D scan of your teeth (no messy impressions), photographs, and any X-rays needed. These records go to your 32Co orthodontist, who designs your personalised plan in association with your dentist at Vere Dental.

2. Seeing Your Plan

Within about 48 hours but sometimes 5 working days, we receive your treatment plan: how many aligner stages it will take, which teeth move when, and a preview of your finished smile as well as predictability of your treatment. We sit down with you and go through it together before anything is ordered. You approve the plan—you are not committed before that point.

3. Fitting Your First Aligners

Your aligners arrive within roughly ten to 20 working days. At the fitting appointment, we check the initial set sits precisely, show you how to take them in and out, and answer all of the practical questions. We apply small, painless composite attachments on certain teeth to help them move more predictably. They are tiny tooth-coloured buttons that give the aligners grip and control. They are barely visible and are polished off at the end of treatment. If space is needed, then the space will be made at this appointment too.

4. Living With Them

Wear your aligners 20–22 hours a day, removing them only to eat and to brush. This is the single biggest factor in how fast and how well treatment goes.
Change to the next aligner on schedule, usually every 10–14 days.
Check-ins with us at regular intervals so we can confirm your teeth are tracking to plan.
Daily life carries on: eat whatever you like (aligners come out), speak and smile normally. There is some pressure for a day or so after each new aligner—that is the teeth moving—but most patients describe it as tightness, not pain.

5. Retention

This is the part people want to skip but shouldn't. Once teeth have moved, they need support to stay put—without retention, teeth relapse over time. After your final aligner, we provide retainers and a wearing schedule. We will show you exactly how to look after them. Retention is what protects the result you invested in.

How Long Does It Take?

The honest answer is: it depends on your starting point.

Mild crowding or small gaps: often 6–9 months

More comprehensive cases: typically, 6–12 months

Complex bite changes: longer, and in some cases fixed braces may be the better tool—we will tell you if this is the case for you.

Because your plan is designed in detail before you start, you will know the number of stages and the expected timeline before you commit.

Am I Suitable?

Clear aligners work well for adults of any age—and increasingly for teenagers whose second teeth are fully through. You are likely to be a good candidate if your concern is crowding, spacing, or teeth that have shifted over time. The essentials are:

Healthy teeth and gums before treatment (untreated gum disease and aligners do not mix—if needed, we sort gum health first; see our gum health page)

Commitment to wearing the aligners consistently

A bite that aligners can genuinely correct—this is what the assessment determines

The best way to find out is to simply come in. The assessment is straightforward, and you will leave knowing whether aligners will work for you, roughly how long it would take, and what it would cost.