Clear aligners on the Hibiscus Coast
A smile you stop holding back. It starts with a free two-minute Fit Check.
Straighter teeth change more than a photo. They change how it feels to walk into a room. Find out whether clear aligners can do that for you, what it would cost and how long it would take, starting with five questions and a phone call.
5.0 on Google from 300+ reviews
Claire explains what happens at your Fit Check and your assessment.
How it starts
Five questions about your teeth, then your name, mobile and email. About two minutes.
We text you within a minute so you have our number, then we ring you to go over your answers. If aligners look likely to be a fit, the team books the $100 Aligner Assessment with Dr Claire Mulquiney. That $100 comes off your treatment if you go ahead.
Treatment starts from $8,299 on a 12-month interest-free plan. The full numbers are further down this page, before you talk to anyone.
What the Fit Check is
It tells us whether clear aligners are likely to be a fit for you and worth an assessment.
It's a screening step, not a diagnosis. Nobody is told online that aligners will work for them. That answer comes from Claire, in person, with your teeth in front of her.
Before you ring anyone
Here's what you get. A free Fit Check and a phone call that cost you nothing, then a $100 assessment that comes back off your treatment when you go ahead. Nothing books online and no decision is asked of you today. What you come away with is Claire's honest answer on whether the smile you've wanted is within reach, and what it would take to get there.
Two minutes. We text you within a minute so you have our number, then ring you to go over your answers. Claire takes on a maximum of 5 new clear aligner patients a month.
Who this is for
Adults 18 and over on the Hibiscus Coast and North Shore. It's probably you if:
- You've wanted straighter teeth for years, and something more pressing always comes first. This time it's your turn.
- There's a photo you'd rather not share, and you'd love to stop thinking about your teeth every time a camera comes out.
- You want the real number in front of you before you decide anything.
- It's been a while since you sat in a dental chair, and you'd like that handled gently.
- You'd rather be told plainly whether this suits you.
Why clear aligners, honestly
Clear aligners are thin, clear trays that move your teeth a little at a time. You swap to a new set every week or two, and you take them out to eat and to clean your teeth. For adults doing front-teeth work, treatment is typically around 12 months, though it depends on your teeth.
They suit adults with mild to moderate crowding, small gaps, or teeth that have drifted since braces years ago. That's the work they're made for, and for the right teeth the change is real: a smile you stop hiding, and photos you're happy to be in.
They don't suit everyone. A bigger bite correction or heavy crowding needs more movement than an aligner can give. And they only work while they're in your mouth, around 22 hours a day. If you already know they'd end up sitting on the bench, better to find that out now than after you've paid for it.
Sometimes braces are the better answer, and we'll say so.
About Dr Claire Mulquiney
Straightening adults' teeth is some of the most rewarding work Claire does, and she is the only person at the practice who does it. The person who assesses you is the person who treats you.
"I'll tell you straight at the assessment. If clear aligners suit your teeth, I'll show you the plan and the price in writing, so you know exactly what you're deciding on. If they don't suit you, I'll tell you that, and what would work instead. You'll leave knowing either way."
Dr Claire Mulquiney
Stanmore Bay Dental Studio is a family practice on Whangaparaoa Road. A lot of what we do here is taking the fear out of dentistry and bringing back confidence. Straightening your teeth as an adult can be genuinely life-changing, and we see it in the way people carry themselves at their last appointment. If it's been years since you last sat in a dental chair, say so when we ring. It changes how we run the appointment, and nobody here will make you feel bad about it. Claire is a general dentist with a special interest in orthodontics, not a specialist orthodontist, and complex cases are referred on.
Nadine Thomas, on her daughter's treatment with us:
"Just the best experience on my daughters braces journey. Highly recommend!"Nadine Thomas
Find out what's possible for your smile
Claire will tell you either way, and the Fit Check is where that conversation starts.
Check if I'm a fit for alignersFive questions and your details. We text first so you have our number, then we ring at a time that works for you.
Aligner cases from our own patients
Real cases treated here at Stanmore Bay, shared with each patient's written permission.
How it works
The Fit Check, then a call
Five questions about your teeth, then how to reach you. A couple of minutes. We text you within a minute so you have our number, then ring you within a few minutes during opening hours, or at 8:30 the next morning if you send it after hours.
On that call we go over your answers, tell you whether an assessment is worth your time, and take the days that suit you. Then the team at the practice rings back to book it. If your answers say aligners aren't likely to be a fit, we'll tell you on the phone and save you the appointment.
The $100 Aligner Assessment with Claire
At 7/651 Whangaparaoa Rd. Claire has a proper look at your teeth and your bite, and takes the records she needs: scans, photos and X-rays as required. You get a straight answer on whether clear aligners suit you. If they do, you get a written plan with a fixed price on it, to take home and think over. The $100 is credited against your treatment if you go ahead, so it costs nothing extra when you proceed.
Treatment, if you decide to go ahead
You start with your first sets of aligners and come in for short check-ins along the way. Adult front-teeth treatment is typically around 12 months. Your retainers at the end are included when you start treatment.
Why the assessment is $100
It's a real appointment, and paying for it changes what you get.
What the $100 covers
Claire's time, a proper look at your teeth and bite, the records she needs, and a written plan with a fixed price at the end of it.
The appointment is yours
Nobody hurries you through it, and you leave with something written down instead of a rough idea and a follow-up call.
Why it isn't free
It keeps the assessment for people who genuinely want to straighten their teeth, which is part of how Claire can give each one proper time.
You keep what you paid for
Go ahead with treatment and the $100 comes off it. Don't, and you keep the answer and the plan. The next move stays yours.
What it costs
Here's the number, before you ring anyone.
Clear aligner treatment
Treatment is from $8,299, with a 12-month interest-free plan: $2,500 deposit then about $484 a month. The $100 assessment is credited against it.
Q Card is also available if that suits you better.
Your exact figure comes with the written plan at the assessment, once Claire has seen your teeth. That price is fixed and it's in writing, so you can take it home and sit with it.
Tui Shepheard came back to us after ten years away. Her visit wasn't about aligners, and this is how she put it:
"After ten years of avoiding dental services I took the plunge and popped along for a consult. They were so gentle and professional I signed myself up for more visits and orthodontic visits. Extra bonus they have wonder payment plans and very generous with prices."Tui Shepheard
What's included, and what it saves you
The Fit Check and the phone call cost nothing. Five questions, a couple of minutes, then a proper conversation about whether this is worth taking further.
The $100 assessment buys Claire's time, the records, and the written plan with its fixed price. It comes back to you off your treatment when you go ahead.
Retainers are included when you start treatment. They're normally $380 each, and teeth drift back without them, so they belong in the plan rather than in an invoice at the end.
Places each month
Claire takes on a maximum of 5 new clear aligner patients a month. It's a real cap and we'd rather keep it than stretch it.
Claire sees aligner patients Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
If the places are gone when you get in touch, we'll tell you plainly: this month's five places are taken. We can book your assessment now and put you first in line for next month.
A straight answer
If aligners are not right for you, Claire will say so at the assessment and tell you what would work instead.
Two minutes, then a phone call
You've carried this one for years. Two minutes on the Fit Check, a few more on the phone, and you'll know whether the smile you've pictured is actually within reach.
Check if I'm a fit for aligners5.0 on Google from 300+ reviews
We text, we ring, and you decide what happens after that.
Questions people ask
Why is the assessment $100 and not free?
Because it's a real appointment with records in it. Claire looks properly at your teeth and bite, takes the records she needs, and gives you a written plan with a fixed price. Paying for it means the appointment is yours and nobody is rushing you through it. The $100 is credited against your treatment if you go ahead, so it costs nothing extra when you proceed.
Do I have to see a specialist orthodontist?
Not always. Dr Claire Mulquiney is a general dentist with a special interest in orthodontics, not a specialist orthodontist. Complex cases are referred on, and Claire will tell you at the assessment if yours is one of them.
Which aligner systems do you use?
Invisalign and other clear aligner systems. Claire picks the one that suits your teeth and explains why in your written plan.
Is it painful?
Most people describe pressure or tightness for a day or two after each new set, then it settles. Some feel very little. If discomfort is the part you're worried about, say so when we ring or tell Claire at the assessment, and we'll work at your pace.
How long does it take?
For adults doing front-teeth work, typically around 12 months. It depends on how far your teeth have to move, and on wearing the aligners around 22 hours a day. Claire gives you a timeframe for your own teeth in the written plan.
What if I am not suitable?
Then you'll hear it at the assessment. Claire will tell you what would work instead, whether that's braces or something smaller than you were expecting, and you take that away in writing.
How much does it cost?
Treatment is from $8,299, with a 12-month interest-free plan: $2,500 deposit then about $484 a month. The $100 assessment is credited against it. Q Card is also available. Your exact figure comes with the written plan.
I had braces years ago and my teeth moved. Can aligners fix that?
Often, yes. Teeth do drift back after braces, and the movement needed to bring them back is usually small. Claire will confirm at the assessment whether that's the case for your teeth. Retainers are included when you start treatment, to help keep your teeth where they land.
Where to start
Fill in the Fit Check. We text you within a minute, ring you to go over your answers, and if aligners look likely to be a fit, the team books your assessment with Claire.
You've now read the cost, the cap, the timeframe, and what Claire will and won't take on. The only question left is whether your teeth are a fit, and that's the part the Fit Check and a phone call answer. This time next year you could be smiling in photos without a second thought, and the Fit Check is how you find out whether that's on the cards.
Check if I'm a fit for aligners5.0 on Google from 300+ reviews
Prefer to talk to a person first? Ring us on 09 424 0651, Monday to Saturday, 8:30 to 5:30.
Clear Aligner Fit Check
Five questions about your teeth, then how to reach you. Done in a couple of minutes. We text you within a minute and ring you shortly after.