SureSmile is a digital orthodontic system made by Dentsply Sirona that uses 3D planning software to design and deliver clear aligners, custom archwires, and other appliances for straightening teeth. Unlike brands that offer only one type of product, SureSmile operates as a full digital platform, giving orthodontists the flexibility to plan aligner treatments, traditional braces with robotically bent wires, or a combination of both through a single software ecosystem. Treatment typically takes 6 to 18 months and costs between $4,000 and $7,500.
How SureSmile Differs From Other Aligners
Most people encounter SureSmile as a clear aligner alternative to Invisalign, but the system is broader than that. Backed by more than 30 years of orthodontic development, SureSmile is built around three connected software tools: SureSmile Aligner, SureSmile Ortho, and SureSmile Advanced. These share a common diagnostic foundation, meaning your orthodontist can start with aligners and switch to fixed braces (or use both at once) without rebuilding your treatment plan from scratch.
The platform also has a history with robotically bent archwires for traditional braces. Rather than having your orthodontist manually bend metal wires to guide your teeth, SureSmile’s system can produce precision-bent wires using robotic manufacturing. A 2009 case report in the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics highlighted a patient whose entire treatment was completed without a single wire bent by hand. This wire-focused approach was considered novel at the time and remains a distinguishing feature of the brand.
How the Treatment Planning Works
Your SureSmile treatment starts with a digital scan of your mouth, typically using an intraoral scanner like Dentsply Sirona’s Primescan. The scanner captures a detailed 3D image of your upper arch, lower arch, and bite in minutes, replacing the gooey impression molds that older systems required.
From that scan, the software builds a digital model of your teeth and lets your orthodontist simulate exactly how each tooth needs to move. The clinician can control the number of stages in your treatment, limit or exclude specific movements, and designate certain teeth as fixed (meaning they stay put while neighboring teeth shift around them). This level of customization means the plan is tailored to your specific bite rather than following a generic template. Once the plan is finalized, the software generates a series of staged models that map the path from your current alignment to the target result, and your aligners or wires are manufactured to match.
Attachments and How They Help
If you’ve seen someone wearing clear aligners with small tooth-colored bumps on their teeth, those are attachments. SureSmile uses several types to give the aligners more grip on teeth that need complex movements like rotations or vertical shifts. The main options include ellipsoid (rounded), rectangular, and rectangular beveled attachments, each shaped to push or pull teeth in a specific direction.
Your orthodontist selects and places attachments based on how much movement a particular tooth needs and in which direction. The software even allows attachments to be partially embedded into the tooth surface, which changes the size and angle of the active surface. This matters because a slight change in attachment shape can be the difference between a tooth rotating smoothly into place and one that resists movement. Small cutouts in the aligner trays can also accommodate buttons and elastic hooks for cases that need extra force.
Treatment Timeline
Most SureSmile treatments take between 6 and 18 months, though more complex cases can run longer. Mild crowding or minor spacing issues tend to fall on the shorter end, while significant bite corrections push toward the longer end. The digital planning process often results in shorter treatment times compared to traditional braces, particularly for mild to moderate alignment problems, because the software can optimize the sequence of tooth movements rather than relying on manual adjustments at each office visit.
You’ll still need to visit your orthodontist periodically to check progress and pick up new sets of aligners. Each set is worn for a prescribed period before moving to the next stage in the sequence. How consistently you wear your aligners (typically 20 to 22 hours per day) is the single biggest factor in whether your treatment stays on schedule.
Cost Compared to Invisalign
SureSmile and Invisalign fall in a similar price range. SureSmile typically costs $4,000 to $7,500 for a full treatment, while Invisalign ranges from $3,000 to $8,000. The exact price depends on the complexity of your case, your location, and your provider’s fees. Both are generally eligible for dental insurance coverage if your plan includes orthodontic benefits, and most offices offer payment plans.
The price overlap means cost alone isn’t a strong reason to choose one over the other. The more meaningful difference is that SureSmile is a platform your orthodontist controls directly, while Invisalign is a product manufactured and shipped by Align Technology. With SureSmile, your provider may have more flexibility to adjust the plan in-house, especially if they use the full suite of SureSmile tools for both aligners and fixed appliances.
Who SureSmile Works Best For
SureSmile aligners handle the same range of issues as most clear aligner brands: crowding, spacing, overbites, underbites, crossbites, and open bites of mild to moderate severity. The platform’s real strength shows up in cases where a hybrid approach might help. If your orthodontist determines that aligners alone won’t produce the best result, SureSmile lets them integrate fixed appliances into the same treatment plan without switching to an entirely different system.
Because SureSmile is only available through dental professionals (not direct-to-consumer), your treatment includes in-person monitoring throughout. This makes it a better fit for people who want the oversight of an orthodontist rather than a mail-order aligner experience. The trade-off is that you can’t start treatment without office visits, and you’ll need to find a provider who offers SureSmile specifically, since not every practice carries it.