Clearstep cost and alternatives

funkey_monkey

I'm 33yo and a bit self conscious about my teeth - I have a slightly prominent overjet. I was refused braces when a child due to oral hygiene (not brushing on day of appointment with orthadontist).

My current dentist said there is no reason I can't get one - and recommended Clearstep to me. However, it is very expensive and I was wondering what the alternatives are.

Has anyone used clearstep and able to provide a figure for its cost? My dentist tol me to expect to pay in the region of £3,000GBP.

I see there are other treatments like Invisalign or iBraces, etc.

What are my options? Ideally I'd like something not overly visible. The Clearstep did appeal to me as I currently wear a buard to prevent bruixim during the night wearing my enamel down.


Thanks.

day dreamer

Hi

there is probably no reason why you cannot get braces but without seeing you it is not possible to say what would suit you best.

In general Clear Step or Invisalign to not work as well as the normal braces and usually cost more. They are not suited to every case and work best on mild or straightforward cases.

Make sure the dentist is experienced in orthodontics or a Specialist. If they have only done a Clear Step course then that is all you may be offered whether it is suitable or not. While you might not like the idea of normal braces you will get a better result. you can always consider ceramic or lingual braces if the appearance is a big issue

good luck

funkey_monkey

Part of my issue is that I have a mild overjet and to even get a review for Clearstep costs over £300GBP. If you are accepted for it that money is taken off the cost though.

Roughly how much can it cost of normal braces - do the white ones cost more?

day dreamer

Hi

prices vary a lot but a specialist in Ireland will charge €3,500 to 4000. It is about £2500 to 3000 in UK. White ones may cost a hundred more.

The Clear step charges are interesting. The dentist is probably not a specialist so the Clear step company charge a fee for diagnosis and to tell them how to treat the case. If it is unsuitable you will have paid 300 to be told no.

funkey_monkey

Hi, back again.

I've been thinking about this for a while now. Due to my crooked teeth food seems to lodge between each of my teeth and I have to be very careful after eating to ensure that I clean them. Sometimes I don't and later in the day I embarrassingly notice something is lodged.

My dentist is a quite expensive. Is there anyway to get a referral to an orthadontist without having to go through my dentist?

Also, how do I find a register of approved orthadontists in Northern Ireland?

Thanks.

Damien M

I would advise folk to steer well clear of ClearStep. I paid out over £4,000stg over 2 years ago for Clearstep dental treatment. Now into my third year of treatment my bottom teeth are nowhere near finished, my top teeth, the end position which I wasn't satisfied with in the first place have drifted back several stages as I have gone through two retainers because they cracked, and I'm waiting on my third retainer which will be my third in just under 8 months or so. They even tried to charge me £30 for a tray (plastic brace) that cracked while I was waiting for my next box, the turn-around time from impressions to new braces is shocking, nearly two months.
Their customer service is disgraceful, I've sent them many email enquiries and have never received as much as a reply, even my dentist is exasperated with them. I have gone through seven boxes of trays, and my treatment should finish over 3 years after I started, which is really frustrating as I can't get the cosmetic work done on my front teeth until they are ALL straight, and with my top teeth no doubt need more straightening it will presumably be 3 & 1/2 years. On top of all that they made my gums recede badly. If anyone wants proof of dates, boxes, emails, treatment etc feel free to ask, this is not a troll email, I only wish to warn people who may be considering clearstep, - I would suggest metal ones, get them in and get the treatment over with.

Oral Surgeon

Damien M wrote: »

- I would suggest metal ones, get them in and get the treatment over with.

Tried and tested works best, good advice....

OS

funkey_monkey

How long approx does the metal ones need to stay in place - for a mild overjet?

How expensive are they?


Thanks.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

I think its a bit unfair this thread, and takes my own person views the other way.

Clearstep does work for the cases its designed for. I think that the problems arise when its used as a blanket treatment for everyone. Its the same with all the systems out there. They work for certain cases and not others.

We get people on here all the time that have decided for themselves that clearstep is for them, or six month smiles is for them. They go off to a dentist who does this system and gets it but are disappointmed with the results. This is not the fault of clearstep or six month smiles its a error in diagnosis by the dentist and a error in expectation by the patient.

Best to go see a orthodontist or very experianced dentists who has experiance and can provide many different treatment modalities. That way you will get what you need. If your only tool is a hammer all you problems look like nails......

Damien M

"I think its a bit unfair this thread, and takes my own person views the other way.

Clearstep does work for the cases its designed for."

ClearStep doesn't really do much now as they have gone bust, and rode off into the sunset with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of hard earned money that they took for treatment and didn't finish. They left a lot of dentists, and worse again, customers money.

helimachoptor

Clearstep is out of business and not available anymore.