SureSmile Clear Aligners in Godalming
Discreet, removable aligners, planned in 3D before you start.
Want straighter teeth without fixed braces?
Most people who want straighter teeth aren’t after a dramatic change. They’ve just spent years looking at the same crooked lower tooth, or the gap that shows up in every photograph, and they’ve reached the point of wanting it sorted. Fixed braces feel like a lot to take on at 38. SureSmile clear aligners give you another route: a series of clear, removable trays that move your teeth gradually, planned in 3D before you start, and barely noticeable while you wear them.
In summary: SureSmile is a clear aligner system from Dentsply Sirona, launched in the UK in 2018. Treatment uses a series of custom-made clear trays worn around 20 to 22 hours a day, swapped every one to two weeks. Your dentist at Lakeside plans the tooth movements digitally and reviews your progress throughout. Suitable for a wide range of cases, from mild crowding to more complex bite corrections.
What Are SureSmile Clear Aligners?
SureSmile aligners are custom-made clear trays that fit over your teeth and move them a fraction at a time. Each set is worn for one to two weeks before you move on to the next one in the series. They’re made from Essix material, a clear thermoplastic used in orthodontics for decades, and you take them out to eat, drink and brush.
The system comes from Dentsply Sirona, a manufacturer we already work with across our implant and digital production equipment. The trays themselves are only half of it. The other half is the planning software, where your dentist maps out every stage of the movement before a single aligner is made.
Digitally Planned
Your dentist maps out every stage of the tooth movement in the SureSmile software before a single aligner is made.
Clear and Removable
Custom-made clear trays that are barely noticeable while you wear them. Take them out to eat, drink and brush.
Retainers to Hold the Result
At the end of treatment we fit retainers, which you’ll wear long term to keep your teeth where they belong.
Is SureSmile Right for You?
SureSmile can treat a broad range of cases, from mild crowding and spacing through to more involved bite corrections. That said, clear aligners aren’t automatically the right answer for everyone, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling rather than assessing.
It tends to suit you if:
- You want a discreet option that doesn’t announce itself in meetings or photos
- You’re happy to be disciplined about wear time
- Your teeth and gums are healthy, or can be made healthy first
- You want to be able to take them out for a wedding, a presentation or a weekend away
It may not be the right fit if:
- Your case involves significant skeletal jaw discrepancies, which may need a different approach
- You know you won’t manage 20 plus hours a day of wear
- You have untreated gum disease or decay, in which case we’ll treat that first
The only way to know properly is an assessment. Your dentist will tell you honestly whether aligners will get you where you want to go, and what the alternatives are if they won’t.
Not sure if SureSmile is right for you?
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Why Patients Choose Lakeside Dental for Clear Aligners
Your dentist plans your treatment
The SureSmile planning software puts the clinical decisions in your dentist’s hands. They decide how your teeth move and in what sequence, then review it at every stage.
Digital scanning, no putty impressions
We scan rather than take moulds. It’s quicker, more comfortable, and gives us a far more accurate starting point for planning.
You see the plan before you commit
We can show you a 3D visualisation of the projected result during your consultation, so the decision is an informed one.
Both options under one roof
We offer SureSmile alongside Invisalign and fixed braces. Your dentist will talk you through what suits your case rather than steering you towards whatever we happen to stock.
A practice invested in the technology
From our iTero scanner to our Primeprint production system, we’ve built a digital workflow that supports accurate planning and well-fitting appliances. You can see the full list on our technology page.
How Much Does SureSmile Cost in Godalming?
SureSmile treatment at Lakeside Dental Practice starts from £3500 for upper and lower teeth. The final cost depends on how complex your case is and how many aligners your treatment needs, which we’ll confirm in a written treatment plan before you decide anything.
Your fee includes your digital scan, treatment planning, your aligners and your review appointments throughout treatment. Retainers at the end are quoted separately.
We offer interest-free finance to help spread the cost, subject to status and eligibility. You can see our full price list on the private fees page or read more about finance options.
How SureSmile Treatment Works at Lakeside Dental
1. Your initial assessment
We start with a proper look at your teeth, your bite and your gum health. Aligners move teeth, so the foundations need to be sound first. If there’s active decay or gum disease, we’ll deal with that before any orthodontic treatment begins.
2. Digital scanning
We take a digital scan of your teeth using our intraoral scanner, along with photographs and any x-rays we need. No impression trays, no putty. The scan takes a few minutes and gives us an accurate 3D model to plan from.
3. Your treatment plan and 3D preview
Your dentist plans the movements in the SureSmile software, deciding how each tooth needs to move and in what order. We can show you a 3D visualisation of the likely outcome before you commit, so you know what you’re signing up for. Your dentist controls the plan throughout, rather than approving something produced elsewhere.
4. Fitting your aligners
Once your aligners arrive, we fit them and check everything sits properly. Some cases need small tooth-coloured attachments bonded to a few teeth to help the aligners grip and move them precisely. We’ll show you how to take them in and out, and you’ll leave knowing exactly what to do.
5. Wearing and switching
You wear each set for around 20 to 22 hours a day and swap to the next set on the schedule we give you. Hours matter more than anything else here. Aligners sitting in a case on the kitchen worktop don’t move teeth.
6. Reviews and finishing
We’ll see you periodically to check progress against the plan. If something isn’t tracking as expected, we adjust. At the end of treatment we fit retainers, which you’ll need to wear long term to hold the result.
Frequently Asked Questions About SureSmile Clear Aligners
Treatment time depends on how much movement your teeth need. Straightforward cases with mild crowding can finish in a few months, while more complex cases take considerably longer. Your dentist at Lakeside Dental in Godalming will give you an estimated timeline as part of your written treatment plan, based on your digital scan.
Around 20 to 22 hours a day. You take them out to eat, drink anything other than water, and clean your teeth. Wear time is the single biggest factor in whether treatment finishes on schedule, so the less you take them out, the better your teeth track to the plan.
Most people notice a slight lisp for the first few days while their tongue adjusts to the trays. It usually settles within a week. Talking normally, reading aloud and getting on with things is the quickest way to adapt, and by the second week most patients have stopped thinking about it.
Expect some pressure and tenderness for a day or two each time you move to a new set. That feeling is the teeth moving, so it’s a sign things are working. Most patients describe it as an ache rather than pain, and it eases as you settle into each stage.
Yes. Teeth drift back towards their old positions if nothing holds them, which is true after any orthodontic treatment. We’ll fit retainers at the end of your SureSmile treatment and explain how often to wear them. Retainers are a long-term commitment, so factor that in when you’re weighing up treatment.
Often, yes. Relapse after childhood braces is one of the most common reasons adults come to us about clear aligners in Godalming. Your dentist will assess your current tooth positions and gum health, then tell you whether SureSmile can get you back to where you were.