Reviewed by Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS — South Florida Smile Spa, Pompano Beach, FL
If you are looking for clear braces in Pompano Beach, it helps to know that the phrase means two different things. To an orthodontist, clear braces are fixed ceramic or tooth-colored brackets bonded to the teeth and joined by a wire; to most patients, it is simply any way of straightening teeth that nobody notices, which today usually means Invisalign. South Florida Smile Spa does not place bracket braces of any kind: Dr. Nicole M. Berger treats with Invisalign clear aligners and the retainers that follow. This page explains honestly how ceramic braces and Invisalign compare, which problems each handles, what a treatment here involves, and when Dr. Berger will refer you to an orthodontist for braces instead.
Quick answer
Clear braces are ceramic brackets and a wire fixed to the teeth; they are less visible than metal braces but still braces, still fixed, and still need the same diet rules and cleaning. Invisalign is a series of removable, nearly invisible plastic aligners changed every one to two weeks. For the crowding, spacing and bite problems most adults and teens bring in, Invisalign gives the same result in a similar time, six to eighteen months, with no food restrictions, easier brushing and far fewer emergency visits for a broken bracket. At South Florida Smile Spa in Pompano Beach, Dr. Berger provides Invisalign and retainers only; cases that need fixed braces, such as severely rotated teeth, large bite corrections or jaw-growth problems, are referred to an orthodontist we work with, and you are told which group you are in at the consultation.
The Difference
Clear braces in Pompano Beach: what the term actually covers
Three things get called clear braces, and they are not interchangeable. Knowing which one a website or a friend means saves a lot of confusion at the consultation.
- Ceramic braces. Tooth-colored or translucent brackets with a thin wire, bonded to the front of the teeth for the length of treatment. Less visible than metal, more fragile and a little bulkier, and the wire still shows.
- Lingual braces. Metal brackets bonded to the back of the teeth, invisible from the front. Effective but expensive, hard to clean and hard on the tongue; offered by some orthodontists.
- Clear aligners, which is Invisalign. Removable trays, each moving the teeth a fraction of a millimeter, worn 20 to 22 hours a day and changed every one to two weeks. No brackets, no wire, nothing bonded except small tooth-colored attachments that come off at the end.
- What they share. All three move teeth through bone with light, sustained force, take months, and need retainers afterward for life. None is faster than the others for the same problem.
- What SFSS provides. Invisalign, including Invisalign Teen and Invisalign First, and the retainers that follow. Not ceramic or lingual braces.
- What is referred. Severe rotations, large overbite or underbite corrections, impacted teeth and jaw-growth problems, where fixed braces or an orthodontist’s appliances do a better job.
The American Dental Association’s page on braces describes the bracket, lingual and aligner options in the same terms.
Ceramic clear braces vs. Invisalign
| Ceramic clear braces | Invisalign | |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | Tooth-colored brackets, visible wire; ties can stain | Nearly invisible; small attachments on some teeth |
| Removable | No, fixed for the whole treatment | Yes, out for eating, brushing and photos; 20 to 22 hours a day in |
| Diet | No hard, sticky or crunchy foods; corn, apples and nuts cut up | No restrictions; aligners come out to eat |
| Cleaning | Brushing around brackets and threading floss under the wire | Normal brushing and flossing; rinse the aligners |
| Comfort | Brackets rub lips and cheeks; wire changes ache for days | Mild pressure for a day with each new aligner; no sharp edges |
| Emergency visits | Broken brackets and poking wires are common | Rare; a lost aligner is replaced or the next one started early |
| Visits | Every 4 to 6 weeks for adjustments | Every 6 to 10 weeks to check progress and collect aligners |
| Treatment time | 6 to 24 months depending on the case | 6 to 18 months for most cases; similar for the same problem |
| Best for | Severe rotations, large bite corrections, patients who will not wear aligners | Crowding, spacing, mild to moderate bite problems, relapse after braces, adults and teens who want discretion |
| Provided at SFSS | No, referred | Yes, by Dr. Berger |
The Process
What Invisalign treatment at South Florida Smile Spa involves
- Consultation and scan. Dr. Berger examines the bite, takes photographs and an iTero digital scan with no impression putty, and shows you a simulation of the likely result. If the case needs braces, you are told now and referred.
- Treatment plan. The scan becomes a 3D plan showing every tooth movement and the number of aligners. You approve the plan before anything is made.
- Aligners and attachments. The full series arrives in a few weeks. Small tooth-colored attachments are bonded to some teeth so the aligners can grip, and the first set is fitted.
- Wearing them. Twenty to twenty-two hours a day, changed every one to two weeks, out only to eat, drink anything but water, and brush.
- Check-ups. Every six to ten weeks to confirm the teeth are tracking and collect the next aligners; small refinements are planned if a tooth lags.
- Retainers. When the plan is complete, attachments are polished off and clear retainers are made; nightly wear keeps the result for life.
Why we chose to offer Invisalign, not braces
Dr. Berger is a general and cosmetic dentist, and she offers the orthodontic treatment that fits a cosmetic practice: clear aligners planned from the same digital scans used for veneers and crowns, often as the first step of a smile makeover, with the finished smile designed before the first aligner is made. Fixed braces of any kind, ceramic included, are the province of orthodontists, who place and adjust them daily and have the appliances for the cases aligners handle poorly. So rather than offer ceramic braces occasionally, we provide Invisalign well and refer the cases that need brackets to an orthodontist we trust, with records shared so nothing is repeated.
Who is a good Invisalign candidate, and who is not
Most crowding, spacing, mild to moderate overbite and crossbite, and teeth that have drifted since braces years ago are well within what Invisalign treats, and the attachments and elastics used today handle more than the aligners of ten years ago. The cases Dr. Berger refers are the ones where fixed appliances are more predictable: severely rotated canines or premolars, teeth that need to be moved a long way up or down, large skeletal overbites and underbites, impacted teeth that have to be pulled into place, and children who need jaw expansion. The other candidate question is honesty about wear: an aligner in a pocket moves nothing, and a patient who knows they will not manage 20 hours a day is better served by braces.
Clear braces for teens
Parents often ask for clear braces for a teenager because metal brackets are the thing the teen is dreading. Invisalign Teen answers the same concern with blue wear indicators on each aligner, free replacements for lost ones, and room built in for molars still erupting. Dr. Berger provides it here for teens whose bite suits aligners; a teen who needs expansion or large bite correction is referred. Our early intervention page covers the age-seven screening and younger children.
Retainers, whichever you choose
Teeth move for life, and every orthodontic result, braces or aligners, is held by retainers. Clear removable retainers worn nightly are the usual choice; a thin fixed wire behind the lower front teeth is added for patients likely to relapse. Dr. Berger makes and replaces retainers here, including for patients who had braces elsewhere and have lost theirs. Our retainers page explains the options.
Cost and insurance
Invisalign is priced as one fee covering the scan, the plan, every aligner including refinements, visits and the first set of retainers, and you receive it in writing at the consultation. Ceramic braces at an orthodontist are typically priced in the same range as Invisalign and somewhat above metal braces. Dental plans with orthodontic benefits treat aligners and braces the same way, usually a lifetime maximum paid toward either; our team verifies yours before you decide. Financing is available for Invisalign treatment.
Care in Pompano Beach
Why patients choose South Florida Smile Spa for clear orthodontics
- Invisalign done by a cosmetic dentist. The end smile is designed first, and whitening, bonding or veneers are planned around it when wanted.
- Digital from day one. iTero scan, no putty, and a simulation of your result before you commit.
- Honest about braces. If your case needs brackets, you hear it at the first visit and are referred, not talked into aligners.
- Retainers for life. Made, checked and replaced here, for our patients and for anyone who has lost theirs.
- One office for everything. Cleanings, whitening and any restorative work continue here during and after treatment.
Patients come for clear orthodontics from Pompano Beach, Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Coconut Creek, many of them adults who had braces as teenagers and want a discreet correction now.
Straighter teeth without the brackets
Book an Invisalign consultation with Dr. Berger. A digital scan, a simulation of your result, and a plain answer on whether aligners will do the job, before anything is ordered.
South Florida Smile Spa · Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS · 572 E McNab Rd, Suite 102, Pompano Beach, FL 33060 · (954) 785-1100
Frequently Asked Questions
Are clear braces the same as Invisalign?
No. Clear braces usually means ceramic brackets and a wire fixed to the teeth, while Invisalign is a series of removable clear aligners. Many patients use the phrase to mean Invisalign, and for most crowding and spacing problems the two give the same result; Invisalign is what South Florida Smile Spa provides.
Does South Florida Smile Spa offer ceramic braces?
No. Dr. Berger provides Invisalign, Invisalign Teen and Invisalign First, and retainers. Patients who need fixed braces or an orthodontist’s appliances are referred to an orthodontist we work with.
Is Invisalign as effective as braces?
For crowding, spacing and mild to moderate bite problems, yes, with the same treatment time. Fixed braces are more predictable for severe rotations, large bite corrections, impacted teeth and jaw-growth problems, which is why those cases are referred.
Which is faster, clear braces or Invisalign?
Neither, for the same problem. Teeth move at the rate bone remodels, about a millimeter a month, whatever is pushing them. Most Invisalign cases finish in six to eighteen months; braces run six to twenty-four.
Can you see Invisalign?
Rarely. The aligners are thin and clear, and the small tooth-colored attachments on some teeth are hard to notice at conversation distance. Ceramic braces are less obvious than metal but the wire and brackets are still visible.
What can I eat with Invisalign?
Anything. The aligners come out for meals and for any drink other than water, then teeth are brushed and the aligners go back in. Braces rule out hard, sticky and crunchy foods for the whole treatment.
How many hours a day do I need to wear aligners?
Twenty to twenty-two. That is the one way Invisalign is harder than braces: it only works if it is worn, and a patient who will not manage it is better off with braces, which is part of the honest conversation at the consultation.
Can a teenager have Invisalign instead of braces?
Usually, yes. Invisalign Teen has wear indicators, replacement aligners and room for erupting molars, and Dr. Berger provides it here for teens whose bite suits aligners. Teens who need expansion or large bite correction are referred to an orthodontist.
Do you see patients from outside Pompano Beach?
Yes. Invisalign patients come from Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Coconut Creek and across Broward County, and check-ups are only every six to ten weeks. The office is at 572 E McNab Rd, Suite 102, Pompano Beach. Call (954) 785-1100 or request an appointment.