Straighten your teeth with custom removable trays you can take out to eat, brush and speak. They move teeth gradually, with far less hardware than fixed braces.
Each tray differs slightly from the one before it, and worn in sequence they shift teeth a fraction of a millimeter at a time. We use ClearCorrect, which is close to invisible at conversation distance and comes out for meals, for brushing, and for the photograph you did not plan on.
They work well for mild to moderate crowding, spacing, gaps, minor rotations and many bite issues. The limit matters just as much: severe crowding, teeth that must travel a long way through bone, and skeletal jaw problems are better handled with fixed braces or a referral. We tell you which category your case falls into at the consultation, not six months in.
For the clinical background on how tray sequences are designed, read our guide to clear aligners. This page covers who plans your case, how often you come in, and what happens when the trays run out.
Six differences come up in almost every aligner consultation.
Clear trays are far less noticeable than metal brackets and wires, which is why most adults ask about them.
Trays come out to eat, brush and floss. Nothing leaves your diet, and cleaning your teeth stays as easy as now.
Check-ins are shorter and less frequent than the wire adjustments fixed braces need.
Smooth plastic, with nothing to rub your cheeks. Expect firm pressure for a day or two with each new tray.
Digital planning shows the expected tooth positions before a tray is made, so you know what you are agreeing to.
Teeth move safely only through healthy bone, so gum health is assessed and treated with periodontal care first.
Three appointments frame the treatment. Most of the work happens at home in between.
We examine your teeth and gums, take digital scans rather than putty impressions, and confirm aligners suit your case. Active gum disease and untreated decay are dealt with first, because moving teeth through inflamed tissue puts them at risk.
The scan becomes a staged plan showing each increment of movement from where your teeth are now to where they are going. Once you approve it, your full series is made and you collect the first trays.
You wear each tray as directed and step to the next. Periodic check-ins confirm the teeth are tracking with the plan. If one lags behind, a short set of refinement trays is made from a fresh scan. Refinements are routine, not a sign that anything went wrong.
Aligner treatment is mostly self-managed, but you will be back every few weeks to collect trays and have progress checked, so the practical details are worth knowing.
Check-ins are short, so an early Friday slot works well if you are coming from Venice or Playa Vista and want to avoid Washington at its busiest. Bring your current tray to each review.
What you pay depends on how far the teeth have to move and how many trays that takes. A few months of minor alignment and a full arch correction are different numbers, so we quote the whole course up front rather than stage by stage.
We accept most dental plans and check your eligibility at no charge before the first visit. Orthodontic benefits sit in a separate category from routine coverage on many plans, which is why it is worth checking. See the plans we accept and we will tell you what your share looks like. Without insurance, your initial consultation is still free and every plan arrives with its cost attached.
Aligners only work if you wear them. Plan on 20 to 22 hours a day, out for meals and for anything other than water. Patients who treat that as a suggestion add months to their own treatment, and we would rather say so now than at month six.
The practice is rated 4.4 across 114 public reviews and has been open since 1997. It is led by Dr. Marjaneh Moghimi, DDS, who qualified at USC in 2000 and completed an implant residency at UCLA.
General, cosmetic and implant dentistry all sit under one roof, which matters more during aligner treatment than people expect. If the scan turns up a tooth that needs restoring first, or you want whitening once the trays are finished, none of it means a referral across town. The same team plans and finishes your case, alongside your general dentistry care.
Typically 6 to 18 months, depending on how much movement is needed. Small corrections finish sooner, and rotation or spacing across a whole arch takes longer. You get a range at the consultation.
Plan on 20 to 22 hours, out only for meals, for drinks other than water, and for brushing. Trays worn for less let teeth drift between stages, and the series stops matching your mouth.
For mild to moderate cases, they can be. Severe crowding, large rotations and skeletal bite problems are better handled by fixed braces, and we will say so rather than sell you a tray series that cannot do the job.
Many bite issues and crowding cases, yes. It depends on how far the teeth need to travel and whether the problem sits in the teeth or the jaw. The digital scan settles that.
We compare the result against the original plan. If everything has tracked, you move to retainers. If a tooth has lagged, a fresh scan and a short refinement series follow. That is a normal part of finishing well.
Yes, and indefinitely. Teeth have a memory and drift back without retention. Most patients wear a retainer full time for a short settling period, then nights only. Skipping it is the most common reason people straighten the same teeth twice.
Your consultation at our Marina del Rey office is free, and it ends with a straight answer about whether trays can do what you want. Call 310-827-2792 or book online, and we will check your insurance at no charge.
