Platt Park, Denver · Braces and Invisalign for adults
Adult Braces in Denver
Clear braces, Invisalign or braces nobody sees, from a board-certified orthodontist on South Pearl Street who is in adult treatment herself.
Aligned Orthodontics is an orthodontic specialty practice at 1215 S Pearl St in Denver’s Platt Park neighborhood, and adults make up most of our Invisalign patients.
You can choose from metal braces, clear ceramic braces, Invisalign and lingual braces, depending on what your bite needs. Adult braces here usually cost $5,500 to $8,000, with no-interest payment plans, and your first consultation is free.
Maybe your teeth shifted after braces as a teen. Maybe your kids went first. Maybe you assumed the window had closed. It hasn’t, and one visit gets you a real plan and a real price.
Dr. Vanderstelt is board certified by the American Board of Orthodontics, is in adult treatment herself, and sees you at every visit. Braces and Invisalign consults are free with 3D imaging, and in-house payment plans carry no interest.
Am I too old for braces?
No. Teeth move at any age, as long as your gums and the bone around your teeth are healthy. About one in four orthodontic patients today is an adult.
Adult bone is denser, so treatment can take a little longer than it would for a teenager. The mechanics are the same, and with a retainer the results hold just as well.
Aligned treats patients from age five into their seventies. The adults we meet usually tell us they wish they’d come in sooner, never that they wish they’d waited longer.
Why adults in Denver see an orthodontist
These are the reasons we hear most often:
- Teeth that shifted back after braces as a teen, usually once the retainer stopped getting worn
- Lower front teeth that have crowded more every year
- A gap you’ve wanted closed since high school
- An overbite, underbite, crossbite or open bite that wears your teeth unevenly
- Clenching, grinding, or a jaw that clicks and aches
- Teeth so tight together that floss shreds
- Finally doing something for yourself after years of putting everyone else first
Crowded and crooked teeth come from a mix of things: genetics, tooth size, how your jaw developed and the slow shifting that happens with age. Sometimes a narrow palate or mouth breathing is part of it. Dr. Vanderstelt looks at your bite, your jaw development and, when it matters, your airway, so your plan accounts for what’s behind the crowding and not only the front teeth.
Adult orthodontic options at Aligned
There are four main ways to straighten adult teeth at Aligned. Dr. Vanderstelt will tell you which one fits your bite, including when the least visible option isn’t the right call.
Metal braces
Damon self-ligating
Small, low-profile steel brackets with no colored ties. A fit for every case type, and the most economical choice. Usually 12 to 36 months, with most cases taking 18 to 24.
Stainless steel, self-ligating brackets hold the wire with a built-in door instead of elastic ties. They’re the strongest and most precise option, and they sit at the low end of our price range.
Modern brackets are smaller than most adults expect, so don’t rule them out before you’ve seen them. More on metal braces in Denver.
Clear braces
Damon Clear
Translucent ceramic brackets with no elastic ties to stain. Made for adults who want fixed braces that are hard to spot. The timeline matches metal braces.
Damon Clear brackets are translucent ceramic with the same self-ligating design. The yellowing you see on older clear braces comes from elastic ties, and ours don’t use any, so you can keep your morning coffee.
Ceramic isn’t the first pick for every adult. If you play contact sports, or your bite closes hard on the lower brackets, Dr. Vanderstelt may suggest metal on the bottom teeth. More on clear braces in Denver.
Invisalign
Clear aligners
Nearly invisible removable trays. Right for adults whose bite suits aligners and who will wear them 20 to 22 hours a day. Usually 6 to 18 months for cases that suit aligners.
Removable trays you switch every week or two. They come out for a wedding, a presentation or dinner, and they only work if they’re in 20 to 22 hours a day.
Most of our Invisalign patients are adults, and minor relapse from old braces can finish in 3 to 6 months with Invisalign Express. More on Invisalign in Denver.
Lingual braces
InBrace
Bonded behind the teeth, so they’re hidden from the front. Made for adults who want fixed braces nobody sees. Your timeline is set at your consultation.
InBrace lingual braces are custom brackets bonded to the back of your teeth, so nobody sees them when you talk or smile. Expect a slight lisp for a short while as your tongue adjusts.
Your timeline depends more on how complex your case is than on which option you pick. Dr. Vanderstelt gives you your own estimate after she examines your teeth and bite.
Watch: custom digital braces
A quick look at how custom braces are planned digitally at Aligned, tooth by tooth, before a single bracket goes on.
How custom braces get planned before they go on
Aligned is also bringing custom digital braces into the practice. If you’re curious, ask about them at your consultation.
If braces are clearly better for your bite, Dr. Vanderstelt will say so. If aligners get you the same result, she’ll tell you that too.
What do adult braces cost in Denver?
At Aligned Orthodontics, adult braces usually cost $5,500 to $8,000. Metal braces start around $5,500, clear and custom digital braces cost more, and complex bites that need extra appliances or longer treatment land toward the top of the range.
Invisalign at Aligned runs $4,000 to $10,000, depending on your case and which Invisalign product you need.
Price at Aligned
What the fee includes
Your 3D digital scans and imaging, every adjustment visit, your first set of retainers, and an airway and bite evaluation. With Invisalign, refinement trays are built into the fee too, so there are no surprise charges later.
We don’t post one flat price, because anyone who quotes an exact number before looking in your mouth is guessing. At your free consultation, we go over your full estimate in plain numbers: the total fee, what insurance covers and your monthly payment.
Does dental insurance cover adult braces?
Sometimes. Many plans include an orthodontic benefit, often $1,000 to $3,000 for life, but some only cover dependent children.
Aligned accepts most major insurance plans, checks your benefits before treatment starts, and files the claims for you.
Payment plans, HSA and FSA
We offer in-house payment plans with no interest. Your treatment coordinator sets the monthly amount around your down payment and how long you want the plan to run.
HSA and FSA dollars work too, since the IRS treats orthodontic treatment as a qualified medical expense. FSA money often expires at the end of the year, so it’s worth timing your start.
There’s also a family discount when a parent and child, or siblings, are in treatment together.
Here’s how it can add up. If your treatment is $6,500 and your plan’s orthodontic benefit pays $2,000, your share is $4,500. Cover part of that with HSA funds and spread the rest over a no-interest plan. Your own numbers come from your consultation.
For more detail, see what braces cost in Denver and our Invisalign cost guide.
How long do adult braces take?
Most adult braces treatment takes 12 to 36 months, with the average around 18 to 24 months. Invisalign for adults usually takes 6 to 18 months.
The time depends on how far your teeth need to move, whether your bite needs correcting, and with aligners, how faithfully you wear them.
After that comes a retainer: full time for the first few months, then at night for as long as you want your teeth to stay put. Here’s more on the retainer phase.
How braces fit into a working adult’s week
Will people notice at work?
At conversation distance, most people won’t notice clear braces or aligners, and on a video call they read as almost nothing. Adults tell us they braced for comments that never came.
How often will I be in the chair?
Adjustment visits take 20 to 30 minutes, every four to eight weeks depending on your plan. The office opens at 8:00 a.m. if you’d rather come in before work.
Does it hurt?
Your teeth will feel tender after braces go on and after adjustments. Most soreness fades within 24 to 72 hours, and soft food gets you through it.
What can I eat?
With braces, skip hard and sticky foods like ice, hard candy, caramel and popcorn. Aligners come out when you eat, so there’s no food list, but you brush before they go back in. Here’s the full list of foods to avoid with braces.
What if a bracket comes loose on a work trip?
Call the office at 303-521-3333. A loose bracket is rarely an emergency, and it can usually wait until you’re home.
Your orthodontist wears elastics too
Dr. Vanderstelt wore elastics during her own MARPE treatment. Here is what that looked like on a regular workday.
Watch: Dr. V’s own treatment
Dr. Vanderstelt shares where she is in her own MARPE palate expansion and aligner treatment, the same care she plans for adult patients.
An orthodontist who has been an adult patient herself
Dr. Amanda Vanderstelt knows adult treatment from the chair, not only from the other side of it. She is going through MARPE palate expansion now, the same treatment she recommends to adult patients, and she wore aligners during it.
Her own story started young. She had large tonsils, breathed through her mouth as a kid, and her jaws grew narrow. She was told to have four teeth pulled, and nobody suggested an expander. That’s a big part of why she looks at jaw development, and not only straight teeth, for every adult she treats.
So when you ask whether it’ll hurt, how it changes your routine, or whether people at work will notice, you’re asking someone who has lived those answers.
She is board-certified through the American Board of Orthodontics and earned her orthodontic specialty certificate and master’s degree at the University of Colorado. She practiced for a decade in a multidisciplinary group before opening Aligned on South Pearl Street, and she’s a Platt Park local and a mom of three.
At Aligned, you see Dr. Vanderstelt at every visit. She places your braces and plans every wire change, in a practice that is small on purpose. Meet Dr. Vanderstelt.
“As an adult getting Invisalign for the first time, I always understood my options and felt comfortable with her approach.”
“I got a MARPE, and my nasal breathing has improved so much. I love how wide my smile is now.”
“I am a general dentist in the Denver metro area. I refer nearly all of my patients to her.”
What people say on Google
Real results from adult orthodontic treatment
These are real adult patients, shared with their permission. Every case is different, and yours will depend on your teeth, your bite and how closely you follow the plan.
See more cases in the Aligned smile gallery.
When adult treatment involves more than teeth
Some adult cases need more than braces, and Dr. Vanderstelt’s training in airway-focused care sets Aligned apart from most Denver braces offices.
A narrow upper jaw
For some adults with a narrow upper jaw, MARPE adult palate expansion can widen it without jaw surgery. Whether you’re a candidate depends on your anatomy, and Dr. Vanderstelt checks that with 3D imaging. MARPE is often paired with braces or Invisalign.
Jaws that are out of position
When the jaws themselves need to move, Dr. Vanderstelt plans the braces before and after surgery and works with trusted oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the Denver area. Braces usually run 12 to 18 months before surgery and 6 to 12 months after. More on jaw surgery for sleep apnea in Denver.
Jaw pain, clicking and sleep
Braces aren’t a guaranteed fix for TMJ problems. Dr. Vanderstelt can check how your bite plays into your jaw pain and tell you whether orthodontics makes sense or another specialist should be involved. Here’s how orthodontics can help with TMJ and jaw pain.
Your first consultation for braces or Invisalign is free. If Dr. Vanderstelt or you want a closer look at your airway, jaw joint or a possible jaw surgery, that’s a different appointment: a 60-minute evaluation for $250. Adults need a sleep study from the past year before that visit, and the front desk can walk you through it when you call. Learn about adult airway orthodontics.
Gums and existing dental work
Healthy gums come first. If you’re being treated for gum disease, your dentist will want that settled before braces go on.
Crowns, fillings and missing teeth don’t rule you out. Dr. Vanderstelt plans around them and works with your dentist when your case needs it.
What happens at your first visit
Your first consultation for braces or Invisalign is free and takes 60 to 90 minutes. You won’t be asked to decide anything that day, and you don’t need a referral from your dentist.
- 1
Dr. Vanderstelt asks what bothers you about your teeth, about any past orthodontic treatment, and what you want to change.
- 2
A handheld iTero scanner builds a 3D model of your teeth in a few minutes. No goopy impressions.
- 3
3D imaging shows your jaws and roots, so she can see what’s driving the crowding or bite problem.
- 4
She examines your bite and walks you through your options. For Invisalign, you can see a simulation of the projected result before you commit.
- 5
You leave with a real price for your case, what insurance should cover, and your payment options.
For straightforward cases, braces can sometimes go on the same day as your consultation. Here’s more on what to expect at Aligned.
Adult braces FAQ
How much do adult braces cost in Denver?
At Aligned Orthodontics in Platt Park, braces usually cost $5,500 to $8,000, and Invisalign runs $4,000 to $10,000. The fee includes imaging, all adjustments and your first retainers.
My teeth shifted after braces as a teen. Can that be fixed?
Yes, and it’s one of the most common reasons adults come in. Minor relapse can often be corrected in 3 to 6 months with Invisalign Express.
Can I straighten just my bottom teeth?
Sometimes. If your bite is otherwise healthy and the crowding is only in the lower front teeth, treating one arch can be an option. If your bite needs work too, Dr. Vanderstelt will tell you, because straightening only the bottom can leave the real problem in place.
Can I get braces if I have a dental implant?
Often, yes. An implant is fixed in the bone and won’t move with braces, but the natural teeth around it can. Dr. Vanderstelt plans your treatment around it.
Can I get braces if my gums have receded?
Many adults with some recession still get braces. Your gums and bone get checked first, and if they need care, Dr. Vanderstelt works with your dentist or a gum specialist before and during treatment.
Are braces harder to keep clean as an adult?
They take more time, at any age. Plan on brushing after meals, using floss threaders or a water flosser, and keeping your regular cleanings with your dentist. Aligners come out, so brushing and flossing stay the same.
Do I need my wisdom teeth out before braces?
Not usually. Whether they should come out is decided case by case with your dentist or oral surgeon, and it’s part of what we look at in your 3D imaging.
Do I need a referral to see an orthodontist?
No. You can book a consultation at Aligned yourself.
Where can I get adult braces in Denver?
Aligned Orthodontics, 1215 S Pearl St in Platt Park, run by board-certified orthodontist Dr. Amanda Vanderstelt. Most of the practice’s Invisalign patients are adults, and braces and Invisalign consultations are free.
Visit Aligned Orthodontics in Denver
Aligned Orthodontics is at 1215 S Pearl St, Denver, CO 80210, in Platt Park. It’s a short walk from Wash Park and a few blocks from the South Pearl Street Farmers Market.
Parking is free behind the building. Enter the alley from E. Arizona Ave or E. Louisiana Ave. The Louisiana/Pearl light rail station is a few blocks away.
Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed every other Monday and every other Friday. Call 303-521-3333.
Most adults reach us in a few minutes from Washington Park, the University of Denver and University Park, about 10 minutes from Cherry Creek and Englewood, and 15 to 20 minutes from the Denver Tech Center and Highlands Ranch.
See all the Denver neighborhoods we serve.
Aligned Orthodontics · Platt Park, Denver
Your next photo can look different
A year or two from now, you could be smiling in pictures without thinking about it, with teeth that meet the way they should.
It starts with one free visit on South Pearl Street, where you’ll get a real plan and a real price.
Or call 303-521-3333.