Attachments & IPR
Find out how attachments and IPR support your Clear Aligner Treatment
What Are Attachments?
Attachments are tiny, tooth-coloured bumps made from dental composite. They’re bonded to selected teeth during your clear aligner treatment as planned by our orthodontist and are barely noticeable.
Clear aligners work by applying gentle, consistent pressure to shift your teeth into place. Attachments help give your aligners extra grip, allowing them to guide your teeth with greater accuracy.
Attachments provide:
Greater control for complex tooth movements
Better grip on rounded or hard-to-move teeth
More predictable results
Why are Attachments Important?
Attachments are included as part of every treatment plan and are no extra cost to you. This is because attachments play an essential role in helping your aligners work at their best:
Stay on your teeth for your entire clear aligner journey
Discreet and barely noticeable
Ensure your aligners fit and ‘click’ into place
Support more complex tooth movements for predictable results
What is IPR?
Interproximal Reduction (IPR) is a technique used in orthodontics to help create space between the front teeth in mild crowding cases. This is done by gently polishing a very small amount between your teeth. This can be as small as 0.1mm and a maximum of 0.5mm. Our Specialist Orthodontist with decide which teeth need IPR, how much if at all. This is all part of their careful planning of your new smile. IPR helps create the room needed for your aligners to move your teeth into their ideal position.
IPR may be recommended if:
- You have mild to moderate crowding
- There’s not quite enough space between your teeth to straighten
- You have black triangles/small gaps near the gum line
- To create space for your teeth to align without extractions
What Happens at my IPR Appointment?
IPR is not used in every clear aligner treatment, our Specialist Orthodontist will decide if this if needed for you and your individual needs. We will tell you this at your consultation with us.
At your IPR appointment the process is simple:
Our Oral Health Therapist will gently polish a tiny amount of enamel with fine strips and a polishing tool.
Most patients describe it as light pressure, similar to a clean.
We’ll check your teeth to ensure the right amount of space for your aligners.
- The appointment lasts approximately 30 minutes
Our Specialist Orthodontists determine if IPR is part of your plan. No matter which clear aligner treatment plan you follow: Lite, Moderate, or Advanced, IPR is included at no extra cost.
Attachment and IPR FAQs
Attachments stay on your teeth for the duration of your clear aligner treatment. Some may be removed or adjusted as your teeth move, but they’ll all be removed off once your treatment is complete.
At the end of your Clear Aligner treatment, you will have a ‘finish appointment’ where your OHT will polish away each attachment individually painlessly and safely.
Attachments are made from tooth-coloured composite, so they blend in with your natural teeth. They may pick up light staining from coffee, tea, or wine, but your regular brushing and clear aligner cleaning routine helps prevent this.
Attachments are small and tooth-coloured, so they’re barely noticeable. Most people won’t realise you have them unless you point them out.
Yes. IPR is a safe, routine part of orthodontic treatment that has been used for decades. It only removes a fraction of a millimetre of enamel, typically less than the width of a human hair! We use specialist tools and digital planning to ensure it’s done with precision, and always in line with what’s best for your tooth health and long-term results
You may feel a little pressure or vibration, similar to a dental cleaning. No injections are required, and it usually only takes a few minutes
Our expert team will explain when and why IPR is needed as part of your personalised clear aligner treatment plan.
IPR only removes a tiny amount of enamel, and won’t compromise the strength or health of your teeth when done professionally. It can prevent teeth from overlapping again in the future, helping your results last longer.