You can straighten teeth with traditional braces, clear aligners, or, in cases involving jaw misalignment, surgery. The right method depends on how complex your case is, how visible you want the appliance to be, and what you’re willing to spend. Most options fall between $3,000 and $10,000 in the U.S., and treatment typically lasts one to three years.
Traditional Braces: Three Variations
Metal braces remain the most versatile option. Made from stainless steel brackets and wires, they correct everything from simple spacing to complex bite problems. They’re also the most visible, which is the main drawback for adults.
Ceramic braces work the same way but use clear or tooth-colored brackets that blend with your enamel. They’re popular with older teens and adults who want something less noticeable but still effective for moderate to severe cases. The tradeoff is cost: ceramic brackets run about $1,000 to $1,500 more than metal.
Lingual braces sit on the back surface of your teeth, making them virtually invisible when you smile or speak. They’re favored by professionals and adults who don’t want any visible hardware. Expect to pay significantly more, though. Lingual braces typically start around $8,000 and can exceed $10,000.
Clear Aligners
Clear aligners use a series of custom-molded plastic trays to shift teeth gradually. You swap to a new tray every one to two weeks, each one applying slightly different pressure. They’re removable, nearly invisible, and generally more comfortable day to day than braces.
But aligners have real biomechanical limitations. They’re good at tipping teeth (tilting the visible crown in a new direction), but they struggle with more complex movements. True intrusion, where a tooth is pushed deeper into the jawbone, and true extrusion, where a tooth is pulled outward, are movements aligners essentially cannot accomplish. They also have difficulty delivering torque, the rotational force needed to move tooth roots into proper position. Fixed braces achieve this through a technique called “walking,” where the bracket slot generates a counter-force that guides both the crown and root. That movement pattern has not been replicated with removable appliances.
For mild to moderate crowding, gaps, and certain bite issues, aligners work well. For severe rotation, deep bites, or cases requiring significant root movement, braces are the stronger choice. Your orthodontist can tell you which movements your case actually requires.
What Each Option Costs
Based on 2025-2026 U.S. cost data, here’s what to expect:
- Metal braces: $3,000 to $7,000
- Ceramic braces: $4,000 to $8,500
- Lingual braces: $8,000 to $10,000+
- Clear aligners (Invisalign): $3,500 to $7,500
Where you fall in these ranges depends on your location, the complexity of your case, and treatment length. Many orthodontic offices offer payment plans, and dental insurance often covers a portion of treatment, particularly for patients under 18.
When Jaw Surgery Is Necessary
Some alignment problems originate in the jaw itself, not just the teeth. If you have a significant underbite, open bite, or crossbite caused by the upper and lower jaws being structurally mismatched, braces alone can’t fix it. Orthognathic surgery repositions the jaw bones so that braces or aligners can then fine-tune tooth position.
Surgery is also indicated when jaw misalignment contributes to TMJ disorders or obstructive sleep apnea. These cases are typically identified by an orthodontist and referred to an oral surgeon. The process usually involves braces before and after surgery, with total treatment spanning two to three years.
Cosmetic Alternatives for Minor Issues
If your teeth are only slightly uneven, dental bonding or porcelain veneers can create the appearance of a straighter smile without moving teeth at all. Bonding involves applying tooth-colored resin to reshape individual teeth, while veneers are thin shells cemented over the front surface. Neither option changes your bite or actual tooth position. They’re purely cosmetic, best suited for small chips, minor size differences, or slight irregularities that bother you visually but don’t affect function.
Side Effects of Moving Teeth
Any orthodontic treatment that physically moves teeth carries some risk of root resorption, a process where the tips of tooth roots shorten slightly as bone remodels around them. One study using advanced imaging found that roughly 45% of orthodontic patients showed some degree of root shortening, and a broader assessment in the same research put the figure at nearly 64%. In most cases the shortening is minor and doesn’t affect tooth stability, but severe resorption can weaken a tooth’s anchoring.
The biggest risk factors are treatment duration (longer treatment means more resorption), the amount of force applied, and the patient’s age, with younger patients showing higher rates of severe shortening. Gum recession and white spot lesions, small areas of enamel demineralization around brackets, are additional concerns, particularly with fixed braces where cleaning is harder.
Clear aligners carry their own set of side effects. Some patients experience excessive salivation and noticeable speech changes in the first few days of wearing a new tray. There have also been reports of allergic reactions to aligner materials, though severe reactions are rare.
Retainers: The Part Most People Underestimate
Straightening your teeth is only half the process. Without a retainer, teeth gradually drift back toward their original positions. The American Association of Orthodontists states that retainer use is necessary for a lifetime, though how often you wear it decreases over time. Most orthodontists prescribe full-time wear for the first several months after treatment, then transition to nighttime-only wear indefinitely.
You have two main options. Removable retainers are clear trays or wire-and-acrylic plates that you take out when eating. Fixed retainers are thin wires bonded to the inside surface of your front teeth, usually the lower ones, that stay in place permanently. Fixed retainers require no daily compliance, which is their advantage, but you’ll need to avoid hard and sticky foods that could dislodge the wire, and flossing around them takes extra effort.
Many people use both: a fixed retainer on the bottom teeth and a removable one on top. Skipping retainer wear, even years after treatment, is the most common reason people end up needing orthodontic work a second time.