Braces are fixed appliances that move teeth using brackets, wires and gentle pressure. In Australia in 2026 the main types are metal ($5,000–$9,000), ceramic or clear ($6,000–$11,000), self-ligating such as Damon (priced like metal or ceramic), lingual ($9,000–$15,000) and limited fast braces ($3,500–$6,000). Clear aligners are a removable alternative at $4,500–$10,500.
Ask three people what braces are and you will get three answers: the metal train tracks they had as a teenager, the clear brackets a colleague wore, or the aligners they keep seeing advertised. All of them are right. ‘Braces’ now covers a family of appliances that move teeth in the same basic way but differ in cost, appearance, comfort and what they can fix. This hub explains each type, what it costs in Australia in 2026 and how to decide between them.
Teeth sit in bone, held by a ligament. Apply light, steady pressure to a tooth and the bone on the pressured side slowly remodels while new bone forms behind it, letting the tooth move. Braces deliver that pressure through three parts: brackets bonded to each tooth, an archwire running through the brackets, and something to hold the wire in place, either tiny elastic ties or a built-in clip.
The orthodontist shapes and changes the wire every 6–10 weeks, adding elastics, springs or other attachments to move specific teeth or correct the bite. A full course typically takes 12–24 months, after which retainers hold the result while the bone firms up. That retention phase is lifelong for most people. You can read more in our guide to retainers.
Clear aligners work on the same biology but replace brackets and wires with a series of removable plastic trays, each one moving teeth a fraction of a millimetre. The trade-off is that aligners only work while they are in your mouth, so results depend on wearing them 20–22 hours a day.
| Type | Indicative cost (full course) | Visibility | Typical treatment time | Best suited to | Main drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal braces | $5,000–$9,000 | Most visible | 12–24 months | Any case, including complex bites; budget-conscious patients; children and teens | Appearance; food traps; initial discomfort |
| Ceramic (clear) braces | $6,000–$11,000 | Low to moderate | 12–24 months | Adults and older teens who want fixed braces with less visibility | Costlier; brackets can chip; elastic ties can stain |
| Self-ligating (e.g. Damon) | $5,500–$10,000 | Same as metal or ceramic | 12–24 months | Patients wanting fewer, quicker adjustment visits | Little evidence of faster results; cost depends on bracket type |
| Lingual braces | $9,000–$15,000 | Hidden behind teeth | 18–30 months | Adults who need fixed braces but cannot show them | Most expensive; tongue irritation and speech changes early on; fewer providers |
| Fast or limited braces (e.g. Fastbraces, Six Month Smiles) | $3,500–$6,000 | Low to moderate | 4–9 months | Mild crowding of the front teeth only | Does not correct bite problems; 2020 pricing |
| Clear aligners (Invisalign, Spark, ClearCorrect) | $4,500–$10,500 | Nearly invisible | 6–24 months | Mild to moderate cases; adults who want removable treatment | Relies on 20–22 hours' daily wear; less suited to complex movements |
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For a fuller breakdown of prices by city, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, see our guide to braces cost in Australia.
Stainless steel brackets and nickel-titanium wires have been straightening teeth for roughly a century, and modern versions are smaller and smoother than the ones your parents wore. They are the most versatile appliance: there is no case a specialist orthodontist cannot treat with metal braces, from mild crowding to severe bite problems that need surgery.
They are also the cheapest fixed option, at an indicative $5,000–$9,000 for a full course in 2026, and the most robust. Children and teenagers get them more than any other type, partly for cost, partly because coloured elastic ties let them personalise the look. Our guide to choosing braces colours covers that.
Drawbacks are the obvious one, visibility, and the practical ones: food gets trapped, brushing takes longer, and the first week after fitting or an adjustment is sore. See our guide to braces pain and what you can eat with braces.
Ceramic braces are the same design with brackets made from a tooth-coloured or translucent ceramic, often paired with a white-coated or clear wire. From a metre away they are far less noticeable than metal, which is why ‘clear braces’ usually means ceramic braces in Australian practice marketing.
Are ceramic braces worth it? That depends on what you are paying for. Clinically, ceramic and metal braces move teeth the same way and take about the same time. The $1,000–$2,000 premium buys appearance, nothing more. Ceramic brackets are also more brittle, so they chip more often, and the clear elastic ties can stain with coffee, tea, curry and red wine between visits. Some orthodontists fit ceramic on the upper front teeth only, where they show, and metal elsewhere, which trims the cost.
For an adult or older teen who wants fixed treatment and will be in front of clients or cameras, ceramic is a sensible middle ground between metal and lingual. For a 13-year-old, metal usually makes more sense.
Self-ligating brackets have a small sliding door or clip that holds the archwire, replacing the elastic ties on conventional braces. Damon is the best-known brand, but several manufacturers make them, in both metal and ceramic versions.
The practical advantages are real but modest: adjustment visits are often quicker, there are no elastic ties to stain, and some patients find them easier to clean. Marketing claims that self-ligating braces are faster, less painful or avoid extractions are not well supported by independent research; systematic reviews have found little difference in treatment time or outcome compared with conventional braces. Cost depends on whether you choose metal or ceramic brackets, and we could not find a separate published Australian price range for Damon braces, so budget as you would for the equivalent conventional type.
What are lingual braces? They are fixed braces bonded to the inside (tongue side) of the teeth, so they are invisible from the front. Brands include Incognito, Harmony and WIN. Each bracket is custom-made from a scan of your teeth, and wires are robot-bent to match, which is where much of the cost comes from.
At an indicative $9,000–$15,000 they are the most expensive braces available in Australia. The first few weeks can be hard on the tongue and some people lisp until they adapt. Adjustments take longer, fewer orthodontists offer them, and treatment often runs a little longer than with front-mounted braces. They suit adults who need the control of fixed braces but genuinely cannot show them, such as performers or client-facing professionals, and who are prepared to pay for that.
What are fast braces? Products such as Fastbraces, Six Month Smiles and Smilefast are fixed braces designed to straighten the front six to eight teeth in four to nine months. They do this by limiting the goal: they tidy the visible ‘social six’ and leave the bite and back teeth alone.
For mild crowding or spacing of the front teeth in someone whose bite is already fine, that can be a reasonable, cheaper option; CHOICE’s 2020 guide put them at $3,500–$6,000. For anyone with an overbite, crossbite or crowding of the back teeth they are the wrong tool, and moving front teeth without addressing the bite can cause problems later. A specialist orthodontist can tell you which group you are in. Our guide to overbite correction explains why bite matters.
What are invisible braces? The phrase is used loosely for anything hard to see: lingual braces, ceramic braces and, most often, clear aligners. Aligners are the only truly removable option. A series of custom trays, changed every one to two weeks, moves teeth in small steps; small tooth-coloured attachments bonded to some teeth give the plastic something to push against.
Clinic-supervised aligners such as Invisalign, Spark and ClearCorrect cost an indicative $4,500–$10,500 for a full case in 2026, overlapping with ceramic braces. They suit mild to moderate crowding and spacing in adults who will wear them as instructed. They are less suited to large rotations, moving teeth vertically or correcting significant bite problems, which is why many orthodontists still recommend braces for complex cases. See our guides to Invisalign, Invisalign cost and Invisalign vs braces.
A note on mail-order or at-home aligners: the Australian Dental Association and the Australian Society of Orthodontists do not recommend DIY orthodontics without in-person assessment and ongoing supervision, warning of permanent damage to teeth, gums and jaw joints. They are not suitable for anyone with untreated decay or gum disease, bite problems, or who needs anything more than minor front-tooth movement. Our review of clear aligners in Australia covers who they do and do not suit.
Four questions settle most decisions:
Whichever type you lean toward, have it fitted by a practitioner registered with AHPRA. Only orthodontists registered as specialists with AHPRA may call themselves specialist orthodontists; many general dentists also provide braces and aligners, often for simpler cases. Get a written quote that lists what is included, and compare two if the sums are large. Our orthodontist directory lists practices by city, and our guide on what an orthodontist is explains the difference in training.
The main fixed types are metal braces, ceramic (clear) braces, self-ligating braces such as Damon, lingual braces fitted behind the teeth, and limited 'fast' braces for the front teeth only. Clear aligners such as Invisalign are a removable alternative. All move teeth with gentle pressure; they differ in visibility, cost, comfort and the range of problems they can correct.
Only if appearance matters to you. Ceramic braces move teeth exactly as metal braces do, in about the same time, for an extra $1,000–$2,000. They are less visible but more brittle, and the clear ties can stain between visits. Many adults consider them worth it; for children and most teens, metal is the better value.
Lingual braces are custom-made fixed braces bonded to the inside of the teeth so they cannot be seen from the front. In Australia they cost an indicative $9,000–$15,000 in 2026, the most of any braces type. They can irritate the tongue and affect speech at first, and fewer orthodontists offer them.
Independent research has not found a meaningful difference in treatment time or results between self-ligating braces such as Damon and conventional braces. Their practical benefits are quicker adjustment visits and no elastic ties to stain. Price depends on whether the brackets are metal or ceramic, so budget as for the equivalent conventional type.
It is a marketing term rather than a product. It can mean lingual braces hidden behind the teeth, ceramic braces that blend with tooth colour, or, most commonly, clear plastic aligners such as Invisalign. None is completely invisible up close. Aligners are the only removable option and cost an indicative $4,500–$10,500 in Australia.
Brackets bonded to the teeth hold a thin archwire that the orthodontist shapes and tightens every 6–10 weeks. The light, constant pressure causes the bone around each tooth root to remodel, letting the tooth shift a fraction of a millimetre at a time. Retainers then hold the teeth in place while the bone stabilises.
General information, not personal advice. Prices are indicative and change; always get a written quote. Editorial policy · Disclaimer