Invisalign tends to get pitched as the easy version of orthodontics: clear, removable, nobody notices. Most of that is true. What usually goes unsaid is that clear aligners move your teeth only while they are actually in your mouth, which makes this the one treatment we offer where the outcome depends more on you than on us. Here is an honest breakdown of what Invisalign at Modern Smiles includes, and what it expects in return.
What the $4,500 actually covers
Full Invisalign treatment at our North Hollywood office starts at $4,500, and that number is all-inclusive by design. It covers the iTero digital scan, every tray in your series, any refinement trays needed at the end, and your first set of retainers when you finish.
We quote it this way on purpose. The common frustration we hear from patients who started somewhere else is not the sticker price — it is the add-ons. Refinements billed as a second case. Retainers quoted separately after the fact. A scan fee at the consult. Bundling those in from the start means the number you are quoted is the number you pay.
If you would rather spread it out, our financing calculator shows real monthly Cherry payments, and 0% APR is available for qualifying patients.
You see the finished result before you start
The iTero scan takes a few minutes and replaces the impression trays most people remember unfondly. From that scan we build a digital plan showing your teeth moving from where they are now to where they will end up, tray by tray.
That preview is genuinely useful, and it is also where honest conversations happen. Sometimes the plan shows that aligners alone will not get a bite where it needs to go, and that a different approach makes more sense. Better to know that on a screen at the consult than twelve trays in.
The plan also tells you your specific tray count and estimated timeline, which is a far more useful answer than a generic range. We would rather show you your number than quote you somebody else's average.
Attachments, and why aligners are not quite invisible
Most cases need attachments — small tooth-colored bumps bonded to certain teeth that give the aligner something to push against. Without them, trays tend to slide over teeth rather than move them, particularly for rotations and anything that needs a root to tip.
They are subtle and they come off completely at the end, but they are the reason "invisible" is a stretch. Up close, someone may notice. At conversation distance, essentially nobody does. We would rather tell you that at the consult than have you discover it at tray one.
The part that is on you: 22 hours a day
This is the whole ballgame. Aligners are designed to be worn about 22 hours a day — out for meals and brushing, in for everything else. Teeth only move while the tray is seated.
Patients who treat that as a guideline rather than a rule end up in the same place: trays that no longer fit, a timeline that stretches, and extra refinements to recover ground that was lost. It is not a moral failing, it is just physics. The upside is that the reverse is equally reliable. Patients who keep the trays in finish close to the plan they were shown on day one.
Retainers are not optional
Teeth drift back toward where they started — that is true after any orthodontic treatment, aligners or braces. Retainers are what hold the result. Your first set is included, and wearing them is the difference between paying once and paying twice.
Is it the right call for you?
Invisalign handles a wide range of cases well, from mild crowding to more involved bite correction. It is not automatically the right tool for every situation, and the digital plan is what tells us which case yours is. You can read more on the Invisalign service page, but the scan answers the question far better than any article can.
Come see your own plan
Consults are complimentary and include the scan and the digital preview, with no obligation to start. Book on Zocdoc or call (818) 763-9353. We see patients from Burbank, Toluca Lake, Van Nuys, Studio City, and throughout North Hollywood.