Clear aligners: cost and realistic duration
A full course of clear aligner treatment costs between two thousand five hundred and five thousand five hundred euros and takes twelve to twenty four months, provided the aligners are worn for the twenty to twenty two hours a day the system requires.
gelisted editorial team · Updated 15 August 2026
The short version
- The required wear is 20 to 22 hours a day.
- Aligners are changed every 7 to 14 days.
- A mild case can finish in 6 to 9 months for 1,800 € to 2,800 €.
- Retention afterwards is indefinite and carries its own cost.
The technique works. Its weak point is behavioural rather than technical: an appliance you can remove is an appliance that gets removed.
How it works
An intraoral scan produces a digital plan of the whole movement sequence, from which 15 to 60 aligners are manufactured. Each one applies a light force and is worn 7 to 14 days before the next. In most cases small composite attachments are bonded to the teeth so the plastic can apply force in the required direction.
| Type of case | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Relapse after previous treatment | 4 to 7 months | 1,400 to 2,200 € |
| Mild crowding | 6 to 9 months | 1,800 to 2,800 € |
| Moderate crowding | 12 to 18 months | 2,500 to 4,000 € |
| Complex case with extractions | 18 to 30 months | 4,000 to 5,500 € |
| Scan and treatment plan | 1 session | 80 to 200 € |
| Fixed retainer | per arch | 150 to 300 € |
| Removable retainer | per arch | 120 to 250 € |
| Additional refinement | 6 to 12 weeks | 200 to 600 € |
Where the limits are
Rotations of rounded teeth, extrusions and cases requiring a significant skeletal change are handled better by fixed appliances or a combination. A treatment plan promising to correct any case with aligners alone deserves a second opinion. The practical rule is that the further a case sits from mild or moderate crowding, the more likely another system or a hybrid approach is needed.
The hours decide
At 20 to 22 hours a day the plan runs as designed. At 16 hours the teeth fall behind the sequence, the treatment stretches by 30 to 50 per cent and extra refinements become necessary. Eating or drinking anything other than water means removing the aligners, which in practice is 3 to 5 removals a day and a level of discipline not everyone sustains.
Each unplanned refinement adds 6 to 12 weeks and, depending on the contract, 200 € to 600 €.
Retention, which nobody budgets for
When treatment ends the teeth tend to move back. Retention is indefinite: a fixed retainer bonded behind the teeth, a removable night retainer, or both. It costs 120 € to 300 € per arch and removable retainers are replaced every 2 or 3 years. Ignoring this stage is the most common reason a 3,500 € treatment is lost within 5 years.
Frequently asked
+What do clear aligners cost?
Between 2,500 € and 5,500 € for a full course, and 1,400 € to 2,800 € for relapse or mild crowding.
+How long does treatment take?
Twelve to twenty four months in most cases, and 6 to 9 months for mild crowding.
+How many hours a day must they be worn?
Twenty to twenty two. At 16 hours the treatment stretches by 30 to 50 per cent.
+Do they work for every case?
No. Complex rotations, extrusions and skeletal changes are better handled by other systems.
+What happens after treatment?
Indefinite retention is required, at 120 € to 300 € per arch, with removable retainers replaced every 2 or 3 years.
Sources
- 1Ministerio de Sanidad, Gobierno de España (August 2026)
- 2Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE (August 2026)