Dental CareDENTALDA
Inclusions not itemisedIn-clinic
Dental Care
Orthodontics in the UAE.Compare 3 packages.
Compare 3 Braces & Invisalign packages across the UAE. Prices from AED 7,500 to AED 25,410.
Typical priceAED 7,500Across 3 packages
3 packages comparedProvider-published pricesAll 7 Emirates
3 of 3 packagesBraces & Invisalign
Showing 3 of 3 confirmed provider prices
Inclusions not itemisedIn-clinic
POLAR BE
Braces & Invisalign
Invisalign Comprehensive, full course
Polar Bear General Dental Clinic · Jumeirah Beach Residence, DubaiInclusions not itemisedIn-clinic
At a glance
- Typical price range
- AED 7,500 – 25,410
- What you are buying
- A treatment plan lasting months or years, not a single procedure
- Typical duration
- Commonly around eighteen months to three years
- The price question that matters
- The total for the whole plan, and whether retainers are included
- Typical insurance position
- Generally excluded; some employer riders contribute a capped amount
What orthodontic treatment involves
Orthodontics moves teeth into better positions using steady, gentle pressure over months. Fixed braces bond brackets to the teeth and use a wire to guide movement, and they come in metal, ceramic or lingual versions fitted behind the teeth. Clear aligners are a series of removable trays, each worn for a set period and each moving the teeth slightly further. Treatment is not only cosmetic: a bad bite can make cleaning difficult, wear teeth unevenly, and in some cases affect eating or speech. Most cases run somewhere between about eighteen months and three years depending on complexity, with adjustment appointments throughout, and every case ends with retainers.
What drives the cost, and how to compare quotes
Four things set the price: the appliance, the complexity of your case, the length of treatment and who is treating you. Lingual braces and clear aligners generally sit above metal braces. A crowded or complex case takes longer and costs more than minor alignment. A specialist orthodontist and a general dentist offering aligners are not the same service, and the difference matters most in difficult cases. The comparison trap in the UAE is the monthly instalment: clinics advertise a monthly figure because it sounds manageable, but it hides both the total and the treatment length. Multiply it out, then ask what sits outside the plan. Where clinics on this page publish verified prices, they appear above; otherwise get a written total after an assessment.
What a treatment plan must include
Ask for the plan in writing and check it names all of these: the initial consultation, X-rays, photographs and digital scans; the appliance itself; every adjustment or aligner-change appointment for the whole treatment; any extractions or preparatory work, or a clear statement that these are extra; refinement aligners at the end of an aligner case, which are common; the retainers; and what happens if a bracket breaks or an aligner is lost. Then ask two questions people usually forget. What happens to the fee if treatment runs longer than estimated, which is common. And what happens if you move away or transfer to another clinic mid-treatment, since transfers are frequent in the UAE and refund policies vary considerably.
Insurance and coverage
Assume you are paying for this yourself. Orthodontics is excluded from most UAE dental plans, and the mandatory basic dental benefit is built around emergency and essential treatment rather than alignment. Where an employer has bought an enhanced dental rider, there may be a capped contribution, sometimes restricted to dependants below a certain age, and pre-approval is normally needed before treatment begins rather than claimed afterwards. Functional cases can be viewed differently: correcting a bite that affects eating or speech, or orthodontics that forms part of jaw surgery or cleft care, is a clinical rather than aesthetic indication and is worth submitting with a proper clinical justification. Because cover is limited, most clinics offer instalments, and those are credit arrangements with their own terms rather than a reduction in cost.
What to expect over the treatment
Treatment starts with an assessment, X-rays and scans, and a plan showing what movement is intended. Fitting braces or receiving your first aligners does not hurt in itself, but teeth ache for a few days after each adjustment or new tray, and that recurs throughout. Fixed braces demand more cleaning effort and mean avoiding hard and sticky foods, and a broken bracket needs a prompt appointment. Aligners must be worn for the number of hours your orthodontist specifies each day, and this is the single biggest determinant of whether an aligner case finishes on time: they only work while they are in. Appointments continue every few weeks. At the end, retainers hold the result. Teeth drift back throughout life if retainers are abandoned, so retention is part of the treatment rather than an afterthought.
Risks, and mail-order aligners
Orthodontics is safe when supervised, but it does not come without risk. Poor cleaning around fixed braces can leave permanent white marks on the enamel or cause decay. Some root shortening can occur, usually minor. Gum problems can worsen if they are not treated first, which is why a good clinic will insist on healthy gums before starting. Relapse after treatment is common without retainers. The specific thing worth warning about is direct-to-consumer mail-order aligners: moving teeth is a medical procedure, and doing it without an in-person examination, X-rays and supervision risks damage to teeth and gums that is expensive to correct and sometimes permanent. If a case needs extractions, jaw surgery or careful bite management, remote treatment cannot deliver it. Whoever treats you should examine you in person, take proper records, and be licensed and reachable if something goes wrong.
Choosing a clinic
Check whether you are being treated by a specialist orthodontist or a general dentist offering aligners, and check the licence on the regulator’s register. Both can be appropriate, but the distinction matters in complex cases and you are entitled to know which you are getting. Ask to see the treatment plan and what movement is intended, not just the appliance. Get the total cost in writing with the exclusions listed, and confirm retainers are included. Ask how often you will be seen and by whom, what happens in an emergency, and what the policy is if you transfer to another clinic. Because this is a relationship lasting years rather than a single procedure, how clearly a clinic answers these questions at the start is a reasonable guide to how it will handle month eighteen. Facility licence status shown on this site is checked against the regulator’s available records. That is a licensing check, not an endorsement of clinical quality or outcomes, and not a verification of any price.
Frequently asked questions
Should I compare clinics on the monthly payment?
No. The monthly figure is a financing arrangement and hides both the total cost and how long treatment lasts. Ask for the total for the complete plan, from records to retainers, with the exclusions listed. Two similar monthly amounts can add up very differently over two or three years.
Are retainers included in the price?
Often not, and they are needed at the end of every case. Teeth drift back throughout life without retention, so retainers are part of the treatment rather than an optional extra. Ask explicitly whether they are in the quoted total and what a replacement costs if one is lost or broken.
Is insurance likely to pay for braces in the UAE?
Usually not. Orthodontics is excluded from most dental plans. Some enhanced employer riders contribute a capped amount, sometimes only for dependants under a certain age, with pre-approval required before treatment starts. Genuinely functional cases affecting eating or speech, or orthodontics as part of jaw surgery, may be assessed differently.
Clear aligners or braces?
It depends on the case, not only on preference. Aligners are discreet and removable but only work while worn for the hours specified, so they demand discipline. Fixed braces work continuously and handle complex movements more predictably. A good orthodontist will tell you when a case is not well suited to aligners.
How long does treatment take?
Most cases run somewhere between about eighteen months and three years, depending on complexity and, for aligners, on how consistently you wear them. Ask for an estimate in writing and ask what happens to the fee if treatment runs beyond it, since overruns are common.
Are mail-order aligners a cheaper option?
They are cheaper because they leave out the parts that make treatment safe: an in-person examination, X-rays, gum assessment and ongoing supervision. Moving teeth is a medical procedure and unsupervised movement can damage teeth and gums in ways that are expensive and sometimes impossible to reverse.
What if I move away or change clinic during treatment?
Transfers happen often in the UAE and policies vary considerably. Ask before you start what the refund position is if you leave mid-treatment, what records the clinic will release, and whether they charge a transfer fee. Getting this in writing at the outset avoids a difficult conversation later.
Prices are collected from each provider’s own published pages. They are indicative and subject to change. Confirm the final price and what it covers with the provider. Facility licence status is checked against the regulator’s available records; that is not an endorsement of clinical quality or outcomes. This is general information, not medical advice.