ArticleInvisalign
How long does Invisalign take?
Most adult cases run between six and eighteen months. What decides where you sit in that range is rarely what people expect.
21 September 2026 · 4 min read
Awaiting clinical review
The journal
Patient guides to cosmetic dentistry, Invisalign and oral health from our Twickenham practice. Articles identify their clinical reviewer and review date once signed off, with references for further reading.
Most adult cases run between six and eighteen months. What decides where you sit in that range is rarely what people expect.
21 September 2026 · 4 min read
Awaiting clinical review
Eating, speaking, attachments, hours of wear — the everyday practicalities, answered straight.
21 September 2026 · 5 min read
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For most people it is the most comfortable cosmetic treatment there is — usually with no drilling and no injection at all.
21 September 2026 · 4 min read
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The implant itself can last decades. The crown on top is the part that wears out first — and almost every early failure has the same cause.
21 September 2026 · 5 min read
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Placing an implant is usually more comfortable than having the tooth out. The recovery is where honest expectations matter.
21 September 2026 · 5 min read
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Porcelain and composite age differently, and how you look after them matters as much as what they are made of. Here is a realistic timeline for each.
21 September 2026 · 4 min read
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Aligner treatment is priced by complexity, not by the box the trays arrive in. Here is what drives the fee — and what should always be included in the quote.
21 September 2026 · 5 min read
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An implant is three components priced as one — and whether a quote includes all three is the first thing to check. Here is how implant fees are actually built.
21 September 2026 · 5 min read
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Preparation is done under local anaesthetic and is not painful. The sensitivity afterwards is the part worth understanding.
21 September 2026 · 4 min read
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The honest answer is a range, and the range only makes sense once you know what is actually being priced — the material, the laboratory, and the planning behind it.
21 September 2026 · 5 min read
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Five to seven years is the honest average. Your habits move that figure more than the material does.
21 September 2026 · 4 min read
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Bonding is priced per tooth, and the gap between the cheapest and the best quotes is mostly time, artistry and planning.
21 September 2026 · 4 min read
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Not painful, but not nothing. Here is an honest account of what each new aligner feels like, and when discomfort is worth mentioning.
21 September 2026 · 4 min read
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Charcoal, purple toothpaste, salon sessions in a shopping centre. A dentist's view of what changes the colour of a tooth and what merely changes the photograph.
18 September 2026 · 5 min read
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A patient who had worn fixed braces as a teenager and watched the lower front teeth drift back through their thirties.
16 September 2026 · 4 min read
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A patient in their forties whose upper front teeth had shortened over two decades of night-time grinding.
12 September 2026 · 5 min read
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Two treatments, one aim, very different commitments. The deciding factor is rarely the look — it is how much tooth has to be given up.
11 September 2026 · 6 min read
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Bonding is the most requested cosmetic treatment in the practice, and the most misunderstood. Here is an honest account of where it shines and where it falls short.
4 September 2026 · 5 min read
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A significant part of the practice is people who have not been seen in years. Nothing about that is unusual, and nothing about it is judged.
2 September 2026 · 4 min read
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A patient who had been quoted eight veneers elsewhere, treated instead with alignment and two hours of bonding.
27 August 2026 · 4 min read
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How a nervous patient who expected the worst was treated over four visits, in the order that made it bearable.
23 August 2026 · 5 min read
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Most of our aligner patients are between 30 and 60. These are the questions that come up in almost every consultation.
21 August 2026 · 6 min read
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There is no such thing as a registered specialist in cosmetic dentistry in the UK. Here is what to look at instead.
30 July 2026 · 4 min read
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The most demanding implant position in the mouth, and why the planning takes longer than the surgery.
9 July 2026 · 6 min read
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After years of patients travelling into central London for cosmetic dentistry, Dr Sundeep Solanki is opening his own practice a few minutes from Twickenham station. Here is what is opening, when, and how to be among the first through the door.
12 October 2026 · 3 min read
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Searching for a periodontist often starts with bleeding gums or a worrying word at a check-up. Many cases are managed well by a dentist; some genuinely need a specialist. Here is how to tell the difference.
13 October 2026 · 4 min read
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Adults in Richmond and Twickenham looking to straighten their teeth find both specialist orthodontists and dentists offering clear aligners. Both can be the right choice — for different cases.
13 October 2026 · 4 min read
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Root canal treatment saves a tooth by removing infection from inside it. Here is what actually happens, what affects success, and the honest alternatives.
12 October 2026 · 5 min read
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Smoking does not rule out veneers, but it changes the risks, the maintenance and how long your result is likely to look its best. Here is the honest picture.
12 October 2026 · 4 min read
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People often ask about the cost of Invisalign "per bracket" — but Invisalign has no brackets at all. Instead it uses small tooth-coloured attachments, and they are usually included in the fee.
12 October 2026 · 4 min read
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Whitening gel works on natural enamel — not on porcelain or composite. If your veneers look dull, the answer depends on why, and replacement is not always needed.
12 October 2026 · 4 min read
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Teeth naturally wear, darken and shift with age. Veneers can help, but older teeth often need a broader look at wear, gums and old fillings.
11 October 2026 · 5 min read
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Both replace a whole arch of teeth with a fixed bridge on implants. The difference is how many implants hold it — and that depends on your bone, your bite and what you want it to do for the next twenty years.
11 October 2026 · 6 min read
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Both change the colour and shape of front teeth. One is built by hand in the chair; the other is made in a laboratory. Here is how they really differ.
11 October 2026 · 5 min read
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Invisalign is one brand of clear aligner. What matters most is not the logo on the tray, but who plans the movement and checks it along the way.
11 October 2026 · 4 min read
Awaiting clinical review
Age on its own is rarely the barrier. General health, gum health and bone matter far more — and so does what you want from your teeth.
11 October 2026 · 4 min read
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A practical guide to cleaning, protecting and eventually replacing porcelain veneers without treating them as maintenance-free.
4 October 2026 · 6 min read
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How the condition of the neighbouring teeth, bone, gums, timing and complete cost shape this decision.
4 October 2026 · 7 min read
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A clear comparison of appearance, control, daily routine and the cases where fixed braces may be the stronger option.
4 October 2026 · 6 min read
Awaiting clinical review
What changes bonding over time, what a maintenance visit can correct and when repair is more sensible than replacement.
4 October 2026 · 6 min read
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Whether to move, reshape or cover an uneven tooth depends on its position, enamel, colour and the amount of change needed.
4 October 2026 · 6 min read
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A calm first visit should clarify health, priorities, alternatives, timing and complete cost before you decide on treatment.
4 October 2026 · 6 min read
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The first treatment fee is only part of the decision. Reviews, retainers, polishing, repairs and replacement shape the long-term cost.
4 October 2026 · 7 min read
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The right restoration depends less on colour than on how much healthy tooth remains and where the biting forces fall.
4 October 2026 · 6 min read
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A practical guide to protecting the blood clot, managing soreness and knowing when recovery needs review.
4 October 2026 · 6 min read
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An uneven gumline can have different causes. The safest cosmetic change starts by identifying which tissue determines the tooth's visible length.
4 October 2026 · 6 min read
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What IV conscious sedation does, how safety is assessed and why an escort and recovery plan are essential.
4 October 2026 · 7 min read
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How gum measurements lead to treatment, what the appointment involves and why maintenance determines the result.
4 October 2026 · 6 min read
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The amount and position of healthy tooth, the bite and any crack matter more than choosing a restoration by name.
4 October 2026 · 7 min read
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The signs of grinding, what a custom guard can protect and why jaw pain still needs a proper diagnosis.
4 October 2026 · 6 min read
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How the two retainer types differ in wear, cleaning, repair and the long-term work of keeping teeth straight.
4 October 2026 · 6 min read
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What a 3D scan shows, how grafting changes timing and when another way to replace the tooth may be more proportionate.
4 October 2026 · 7 min read
Awaiting clinical review
A practical comparison of stability, surgery, cleaning, maintenance and cost for people considering more secure dentures.
4 October 2026 · 7 min read
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How the cause and depth of a white mark affect suitability, likely improvement and the place of whitening or restoration.
4 October 2026 · 6 min read
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Why diagnosis, stabilisation and staged decisions come before extensive restorative work on worn or failing teeth.
4 October 2026 · 8 min read
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Before-and-after photos are the most persuasive part of any cosmetic dentist's website. Here is how to tell a useful case from a flattering one.
12 October 2026 · 5 min read
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Refinements are additional aligners made part-way through or near the end of treatment. They are common, they are not automatically a sign anything went wrong — and your plan should explain how they are handled before you start.
15 October 2026 · 5 min read
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One of the advantages of composite bonding is that it can often be repaired rather than redone. Whether that is right for your tooth depends on the size of the chip, the bonding underneath and what caused it.
15 October 2026 · 4 min read
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Sensitivity is the most common side effect of whitening and the most common worry before it. Many people with sensitive teeth can still whiten — but finding out why your teeth are sensitive comes first.
15 October 2026 · 4 min read
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A wedding, milestone birthday or important event is a common reason to think about your smile. The most useful thing you can do is tell your dentist the date early — and keep an open mind about how much needs doing.
15 October 2026 · 4 min read
Awaiting clinical review
A cracked veneer is unsettling, but it does not always mean the tooth underneath is damaged or that every veneer needs replacing. The answer starts with a careful look at the veneer, the tooth and your bite.
15 October 2026 · 4 min read
Awaiting clinical review
Bonding can close a small gap in a single visit without drilling healthy tooth. Whether it looks right depends on why the gap is there and how wide the teeth would become.
15 October 2026 · 4 min read
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Moving teeth relies on healthy gums and bone. That is why gum health is assessed before aligner treatment and monitored throughout it.
15 October 2026 · 4 min read
Awaiting clinical review
Bring it to a consultation, or plan it in advance with the smile planner.