Orthodontic treatment: the costs of adult orthodontics

Understanding what orthodontic treatment costs and how it can benefit you can be tricky. Depending on the case, several orthodontic treatments are available.

To help you decide what treatment you might need, let's start by understanding what orthodontics is and how it can help.

What is orthodontics?

Orthodontics is a specialised area of dentistry, meaning everyone who is an orthodontist has to study and qualify in dentistry, but not all dentists choose to specialise in orthodontics.

Orthodontics is the treatment of misaligned teeth and jaws (malocclusions). You usually seek an orthodontist when you want to explore options to align your teeth.

From orthodontic splints to functional orthodontic appliances, including discreet and innovative solutions such as clear aligners, there is a range of possibilities for orthodontic correction.

What can orthodontics fix?

Crooked, crowded, and gapped teeth are just some of the typical orthodontic costs you might be looking for information about.

Orthodontists offer specialised treatment in these areas, and also have the expertise to treat more severe cases of jaw misalignment.

Rather than focusing on the aesthetic appearance of teeth, the main objective of orthodontics is to improve people's quality of life and their ability to chew, speak and elevate their oral health.

Dentist vs. Orthodontist

You visit your dentist annually, or more as required for things such as:

• Tooth extractions 
• Wisdom tooth removal 
• Root canal treatment 
• Scale and polish

There may be a graded scale of dental treatment costs, typically based on your income, if you receive social benefits, and if you're at a subsidised practice or private dental clinic.

The dentist usually takes action during your visit and will discuss how well you brush your teeth in between check-ups and if you're using a fluoride toothpaste to protect your teeth.

However, when it comes to corrective positioning, and you want to explore types of braces, such as traditional metal braces or lingual braces, your dentist will refer you to an orthodontist. The prices for straightening your teeth also vary with the method you choose.

Orthodontic Assessments

Usually, when you visit an orthodontist, they'll carry out an orthodontic assessment of your misaligned teeth. Once they've given you an oral health examination, the recommendations can vary depending on different factors.

• The age of the patient
• Your level of dental health and hygiene
• The level of malocclusion you have and the extent of the dental issue
• Whether you're paying for private treatment or paying NHS dental charges

What does orthodontic treatment cost?

Cost of treatment at orthodontists can vary widely, but here's a round-up of popular treatments and the approximate costs of them at Impress:

Aligners: or invisible braces as they're also sometimes called, start at approximately £1,850 with Impress

Veneers: available in our London clinics, with prices dependent on consultation

Whitening: our LED whitening service starts at £350.00. Read more about the LED whitening method.

Free orthodontic consultation

An orthodontic quote and comprehensive orthodontic treatment can often be costly, but we're glad to be able to offer them for free at Impress. We have an excellent article that tells you more about what's included in your first visit to our clinics.

Did you know?

We also offer payment plans for different types of orthodontic treatments! You can spread the cost over 12 months and in some cases, longer.

Orthodontic treatment price: what's included?

There is a combination of factors that might affect your orthodontic treatment price, depending on the provider you choose. We break some of those factors down for you below.

Clinic location and specialists

Depending on the location, some clinics, for example, in major cities across the UK, can charge more. In addition, there are also orthodontists who offer different price ranges for teeth straightening and consultations.

Difficulty of the case and duration of treatment

As not all orthodontic patients have the same needs, the difficulty of each case differs from one person to the next. Cases that are more complex and require more check-ups by the orthodontists can increase the cost of orthodontics in the UK.

Below we will explain each of the factors in detail and discuss the reason for the range in the price for each teeth straightening device.

In addition, pre-treatments that complement the orthodontic treatment, such as surgery, the placement of implants, the extraction of wisdom teeth, and the filling of cavities, among others, may increase the cost.

Age of the patient

In the world of orthodontics, the population is divided into three subgroups based on the age of the patients:

Children

First off, we have interceptive orthodontics, which is performed exclusively on children. It is a type of preventative orthodontics, used to guide or correct the poor growth of the teeth and jaw bones. The primary purpose is to take action before the bone is fully formed to avoid future complications.

Teenagers

Next, we have orthodontics in adolescents (from 12 or 14 years old). Treatments are usually a little more expensive than adult orthodontics because they require an exhaustive study of the case. If the patient is still in the growth phase, it can cause more difficulties. This causes the follow-ups to be more intensive in order to ensure that the progress of the treatment is adequate.

Adults

Finally, we have orthodontics for adults. This type of orthodontics focuses on bones that are already fully formed, so it’s not necessary to have as many check-ups in the clinic, therefore, lowering the cost.

Treatment plans at Impress

At Impress we offer orthodontic treatments following a revolutionary methodology and we offer closed orthodontic budgets. Taking into account the complexity of the case, the orthodontist will recommend one treatment or another.

If you want to know more about our orthodontists, treatment plans, or prices here in the UK, you can call or text us by phone/Whatsapp at +44 20 3808 1072. You can also book an appointment through our website. Contact us to evaluate your case and find out which treatment plan suits your needs at the first consultation. Come visit us!

Updated: August 2025