Medically reviewed by Dr. Osama Al-Nahari, orthodontic specialist — Pearl Beads Dental Clinic, Al-Salamah, Jeddah. Last updated: 29 September 2026.
The short version
- Our prices are published: clear aligners from SAR 11,000, and fixed metal braces from SAR 5,000 with monthly instalments — excluding VAT.
- An iTero digital scan is SAR 150, and it is what turns “roughly” into a measured plan.
- Clear aligners depend entirely on your compliance — 20 to 22 hours a day. This is the one factor we cannot control, and the one that decides the outcome.
- They are not suitable for every case. Complex rotations, large bite discrepancies and some extraction cases are handled better and faster with fixed braces.
- Timeline: commonly six to eighteen months depending on the case — and nobody can give a duration before a scan and a plan.
- Retainers are part of the treatment, not an extra. Teeth move back if they are not retained, and we say so before you start.
What clear aligners actually are
A series of transparent trays made to fit your teeth, each worn for one to two weeks before moving to the next. Each tray moves the teeth a fraction of a millimetre, and the sequence is planned digitally from a scan of your mouth before the first tray is made.
The appeal is obvious: they are nearly invisible, removable for eating and brushing, and there are no brackets or wires to irritate the cheek. What is less often said is the trade-off, which is the next section.
Clear aligners or fixed braces — an honest comparison
- Appearance: clear aligners are nearly invisible; metal braces are visible.
- Price: aligners from SAR 11,000; metal braces from SAR 5,000 with monthly instalments.
- Removable: aligners yes, braces no.
- Eating: with aligners you remove them, so no food restrictions; with braces hard and sticky foods are restricted.
- Cleaning: easier with aligners — you brush and floss normally.
- Complex cases: fixed braces are more capable, and often faster.
- Depends on your compliance: aligners — entirely. Braces work whether you remember them or not.
That last line is the one that matters most and the one least often printed in an advertisement. An aligner left in its box does nothing. If you know you will not keep to 20 hours a day, fixed braces will serve you better and cost you less.
Why we start with a digital scan
An iTero scan costs SAR 150 and replaces the impression putty. It produces a three-dimensional model of your teeth, from which the whole sequence of movements is planned — and it lets you see the projected end position before you commit.
It also answers, with measurements rather than impressions, the question everyone asks first: is my case suitable for aligners at all? No honest answer to that exists before a scan and X-rays.
When we do not recommend clear aligners
- Severely rotated teeth or large movements that trays handle slowly and imprecisely.
- Significant bite discrepancies between the jaws, where the treatment may need more than orthodontics alone.
- Cases requiring extractions and closure of large spaces — often faster and more controlled on fixed braces.
- Untreated gum inflammation or decay — treated first; moving teeth in inflamed gums makes matters worse. See gum disease treatment.
- When you tell us honestly you will not wear them 20 hours a day. We would rather you say so at the consultation than discover it eight months in.
In these cases fixed braces from SAR 5,000 are not the cheaper compromise — they are the better treatment.
What happens, step by step
1 · Consultation and scan. Examination, X-rays and an iTero scan, then a written plan with the number of trays, the expected duration and the full cost.
2 · The trays are made and you collect the first set with instructions.
3 · Sequence and reviews. One tray every one to two weeks, with a review appointment roughly every six to eight weeks.
4 · Refinement. Many cases need a short additional series at the end to settle the details. This is normal, not a failure, and it should be discussed before you start.
5 · Retainers. The stage people underestimate. Teeth have a natural tendency to drift back, and what prevents it is wearing retainers as instructed — nightly, long term. Skipping this undoes the work you paid for.
What we do not promise
We do not guarantee a duration and we do not guarantee a specific final result. An aligner plan is a projection, and the mouth is living tissue: bone responds at different rates in different people, and the single biggest variable is how many hours a day the trays are actually worn. What we commit to is a measured plan before you pay, an honest assessment of whether your case suits aligners, and telling you when fixed braces would serve you better.
Questions our patients actually ask
Are they painful?
Not painful, but the first two or three days with each new tray bring pressure and tenderness that ease. That pressure is the treatment working.
Can I take them out for an event?
Yes, and that is one of their advantages. But hours out of the mouth come off your 20 to 22, and doing it often extends the whole treatment.
Can I eat with them in?
No. They come out for eating and for anything other than water, and teeth are brushed before they go back in.
Will they fix my case faster than braces?
Sometimes, for mild cases. For complex ones fixed braces are usually faster. Anyone promising speed before seeing a scan is guessing.
What happens if I lose a tray?
Contact us; depending on where you are in the sequence we either go back to the previous tray or move forward to the next. Do not leave your teeth without a tray for days.
Are instalments available?
Monthly instalments are available on orthodontic treatment. Ask at the consultation, and it appears on the written plan.
Who will handle your case
Orthodontics here is handled by Dr. Osama Al-Nahari, orthodontic specialist — holder of the orthodontic fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FOrth RCSEd), and an Invisalign Platinum provider for 2026/2027.
The clinic has worked in Al-Salamah, Jeddah since 2017, with five treatment rooms and specialists in periodontics, endodontics and cosmetic dentistry, so if your case needs treatment before orthodontics it does not leave the building. See our orthodontics page, how braces and aligners work, or all our services.
Book a consultation
The iTero scan is SAR 150, and you leave with a written plan setting out the trays, the duration and the full cost.
Pearl Beads Dental Clinic — Najmat Sari Building, 3rd floor, 6715 Sari Sub-Road, Al-Salamah, Jeddah 23436.
Hours: Saturday – Thursday, 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Closed Friday.
Phone: 053 071 1110