Invisalign & Clear Aligners · Specialist-Planned
Dr Tom Ethell has extensive experience with Invisalign® and other clear aligner systems, and now works primarily with Angel Aligners. Every aligner system works in a similar way: a series of custom trays, replaced every one to two weeks, that gradually move teeth into the planned position. What changes the result is not the brand on the box, it is who plans the movement and who supervises it.
Each aligner moves your teeth a fraction of a millimetre. Worn 22 or more hours a day and swapped every one to two weeks, the series gradually shifts teeth into the planned final position. They are removable for eating and cleaning, almost invisible at conversational distance, and can address anything from minor crowding through to comprehensive bite correction. Individual results vary from case to case.
Any registered dentist can prescribe clear aligners, Invisalign included. A specialist orthodontist has three additional years of full-time university training in tooth movement biology, which matters most when a case is not straightforward: significant rotations, deep bites, and cases where aligners alone will not achieve the planned result. We will tell you honestly if aligners can give you the outcome you want, or if a different appliance will get you there faster or at lower cost. You see the digital plan before you commit to anything.
Dr Ethell trained and worked across the established aligner systems, Invisalign among them, and now plans most cases with Angel Aligners. Either way treatment runs in a similar way: custom trays, a digital plan you see before you commit, and reviews every 8 to 10 weeks. If your case would be better served by a different system or by fixed braces, we will tell you that at the consultation rather than fitting you to whatever we happen to stock.
Dr Ethell plans most cases with Angel Aligners rather than Invisalign, and the fee is set by the treatment rather than the brand. Aligner treatment at the practice ranges from $3,200 to $11,750. Where your case sits depends on how much tooth movement is needed and how long treatment runs, and we give you the exact figure at your consultation before you commit to anything. Following an initial deposit from $1,500, we offer interest-free fortnightly payment plans typically over 24 months. We provide a receipt so you can claim through your private health fund where your policy includes orthodontic cover.
Most courses run 12 to 18 months. You wear each aligner 22 or more hours a day, switching every 7 to 14 days. We review your progress every 8 to 10 weeks. Treatment finishes with custom retainers, which hold the result while bone settles around the new tooth positions.
FAQs · Invisalign & Clear Aligners
Dr Ethell has extensive experience with Invisalign and other clear aligner systems, and plans most cases with Angel Aligners. Both are established systems that work in a similar way, with custom trays swapped every one to two weeks against a digital plan. The specialist planning and the supervision are what determine your result, not the label on the tray. We talk through what suits your case at the consultation.
Both are established clear aligner systems and both work in a similar way, with a series of custom trays worn 22 or more hours a day and changed every one to two weeks against a digital plan. They differ in the tray material, the attachment protocol and the planning software behind them. Dr Ethell has worked with both and plans most cases with Angel Aligners. At a consultation you see the digital plan for your own teeth before you commit to anything, which is a more useful comparison than a spec sheet. There is a fuller comparison on our Angel Aligners page.
Dr Ethell works primarily with Angel Aligners rather than Invisalign, and aligner fees are set by what the treatment involves rather than by the brand on the tray. Fees at the practice range from $3,200 to $11,750, depending on case complexity and treatment time. Following an initial deposit from $1,500, we offer interest-free fortnightly payment plans typically over 24 months, and we provide a receipt so you can claim through your private health fund where your policy includes orthodontic cover. You receive your exact figure in writing at the consultation.
Many cases yes, but not all. Complex bite corrections and significant rotations are sometimes better treated with fixed braces. We show you the digital plan at your consultation and you see the predicted final position before you commit. Individual results vary from case to case.
It depends on what needs to move. Aligners suit crowding, spacing and many bite corrections, and they are removable for eating and cleaning. Fixed braces give more control over rotations and complex movement, and they do not rely on you wearing them. We assess both at the consultation and tell you which we would recommend for your case and why.
Mail-order aligner kits do not include specialist supervision. Tooth movement without monitoring carries a risk of moving teeth into an unintended position or causing root resorption, and any complications would need to be assessed and managed in-clinic. We would recommend a specialist consultation before starting any aligner treatment.
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Learn moreInside · Invisalign & Clear Aligners
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An hour-long appointment with Dr Tom — all photos and x-rays, examination, every treatment option open to you, and a written quote to take home.
