Clear aligners are sold on what they do not ask of you: no brackets, no wires, nothing anyone notices. What decides whether they suit you is what they do ask. Small bonded attachments on some teeth. Trays out for meals and straight back in. A retainer once the teeth have moved. And an honest answer on the cases trays cannot fix. This page covers that part first. Dr. Henry Kim, DMD plans every case from a Trios 3D scan, about 10 to 15 minutes west of Addison, starting with a $99 new-patient exam.
For an adult with crowding, a gap that opened up over the years, or teeth that drifted after braces as a teenager, aligners solve a practical problem: straightening without brackets at work, in meetings or in photos. The trays come out to eat, brush and floss, so meals and cleaning stay close to normal, and tray changes happen at home with short check-ins instead of wire adjustments.
The case for them stops where the movement gets complicated. Some bites and some kinds of tooth movement are handled better by a fixed appliance, and a tray that spends half the day in its case does not move teeth on schedule. Both are worth knowing before you pay for anything. Our clear aligners page covers the treatment in general; this one is about what it involves for you.
Six questions to put to any office before you start treatment, ours included.
Not every case is an aligner case. Some bite problems and some kinds of tooth movement need a fixed appliance, and no amount of wear time changes that. If the scan puts your case in that group, you hear it at the consult, before anything is ordered or paid for. Our clear aligners vs braces comparison goes through which cases tend to fall on which side.
No promise made off a photo. Whether trays can do the job is confirmed from the 3D scan and the exam, never from a selfie or over the phone.
No finish date the trays cannot keep. Most patients finish in several months to about a year, depending on the case. How long yours runs depends on how far the teeth have to move and how consistently the trays are worn, so the timeline in your plan is an estimate, not a guarantee.
No skipping the retainer. Teeth that have just moved tend to drift back, and a retainer keeps them where the trays put them. Retainers after clear aligners explains why that matters.
Attachments. Many aligner plans use small tooth-colored bumps bonded to certain teeth so the tray has something to push against. They show a little up close. Our guide to clear aligner attachments and buttons explains what they do and what to ask about them.
Wear time. Trays only move teeth while they are in. The FDA says aligners should be worn at least 20 hours a day or as your dentist directs, which in practice means they come out for meals and cleaning and go straight back in.
Meals and drinks. The trays come out to eat. Brushing or at least rinsing before they go back in keeps food from sitting against the teeth under the plastic.
Check-ins. Short visits to confirm the teeth are tracking the plan, and fewer of them than a mouth full of brackets needs.
The first step is the $99 new-patient exam with X-rays. The aligner price itself depends on how much movement your teeth need, so it is set after the scan: you get an exact price at your consult, in writing, before you commit to anything.
Financing is available and most PPO insurance is accepted. If your plan carries orthodontic benefits, what it is likely to pay is checked before you decide.
Aligner treatment runs for months and comes with a plan, a price and a set of habits to keep. All of it, from the scan results to the payment options, can be explained in Vietnamese, Korean or Spanish, so nothing gets agreed that was not fully understood.
From Addison, take Lake Street (US-20) west toward Bloomingdale and turn onto Bloomingdale Road. It is about 10 to 15 minutes from most Addison neighborhoods, without touching a tollway. The office is at 183 S. Bloomingdale Rd., Suite #102, Bloomingdale, IL 60108, with parking at the door.
Check-ins are short, so an easy drive counts for more than it sounds over a few months of treatment. Everyday care is on our Addison dentist page, and dental implants for Addison covers replacing a missing tooth.
Dr. Henry Kim, DMD, 183 S. Bloomingdale Rd., Suite #102, Bloomingdale, IL 60108. Aligner cases are planned and checked by the same dentist who looks after the rest of your teeth, so your cleanings and your check-ins sit on one chart. Teens are seen too, and family dentistry covers the rest of the household. Once the teeth are straight, cosmetic dentistry covers take-home whitening. Hours are Monday 9 to 6, Wednesday 9 to 6, Thursday 10 to 6 and alternating weekends, closed Tuesdays. More on the bio page and the new patients page.
4.8 stars from 126 Google reviews. Two appear below exactly as written, and the reviews page carries the rest.
“Professional staff and an incredibly clean environment. Our whole family comes here for our dental care and we couldn’t be happier with the service.”
Patrick Ly, Google review
“I feel very comfortable with the people here. They go to the extreme to make you feel relaxed and they truly care about their work. They are great.”
Carmelo Flores, Google review
The price depends on how much your teeth need to move, so it is set after the Trios scan. You get an exact figure in writing at your consult, before you commit, at an office 10 to 15 minutes west of Addison. The exam and X-rays first are $99, and financing is available.
Not always, but many plans use them. They are small tooth-colored bumps that give the tray something to grip so it can move a tooth the way the plan needs. Your plan shows whether you need them and where they go before you agree to anything.
Plain water is fine with the trays in. Coffee, tea and anything sweet are better with the trays out, because liquid trapped under the plastic sits against the teeth and can stain the tray. Take them out, drink, rinse, and put them back.
You are told at the consult, from the scan, before anything is ordered or paid for. Some bites and tooth movements sit outside what trays do well, and it is far better to hear that at the start than halfway through.
Most patients finish in several months to about a year, depending on the case. Your own estimate comes with the plan, and it holds best when the trays are worn as directed.
For many teens, yes. The trays come out for sports and instruments, which matters at that age, but they only work when they are back in, so the habit counts as much as the plan. A 3D scan confirms whether the case suits trays.
Yes. Teeth that have just moved want to drift back, and a retainer holds them where the trays put them. Ask about it at the consult so you know what comes after the trays.
Book the $99 new-patient exam and scan. Call (224) 520-8665 or use the contact form, and the office will find a time that suits you.
Book the $99 exam and the 3D scan. The scan and the exam show whether trays can do what you want, and you get an exact price at your consult before you commit to anything. Call (224) 520-8665 to book.
Keep reading: clear aligners vs braces · clear aligners in Bloomingdale · retainers and relapse · general dentistry for Addison · cleanings and exams · family dentistry · every service · clear aligners in Carol Stream · emergency dentist in Addison · cosmetic dentistry in Itasca · cosmetic dentistry in Wood Dale