Clear aligners at SmileHouse
Clear aligners in Hitzkirch: straightening teeth with transparent trays
Thin, clear, removable trays instead of brackets and wires, almost invisible in everyday life. Dr Steffi Koychev treats adults and teenagers from Lucerne, Zug, Cham, Baar and the Seetal with Spark™ aligners. If you do not live near our practice, Dental Monitoring lets you have your progress checked from the comfort of home, using your smartphone.
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Aligners are thin, removable plastic trays that move your teeth into the desired position step by step. Every single tooth movement is planned digitally in advance. They need to be worn about 22 hours a day and only come out to eat, to drink anything other than water, and to brush your teeth. At SmileHouse in Hitzkirch (Bahnhofstrasse 3, canton of Lucerne, Switzerland), Dr med. dent. Steffi Koychev, MSc Orthodontics, SSO, treats with Spark™ aligners; she has been Invisalign certified since 2016. Patients who do not live close to the practice are followed with Dental Monitoring: a weekly scan at home with a smartphone, practice visits only when needed, included in the treatment price. In Switzerland, aligner treatment usually costs CHF 4,000 to 10,000, with minor corrections starting at around CHF 3,000. The practice is about half an hour from Lucerne, Zug, Cham and Baar, and the consultation can be held in English.
Dr Steffi Koychev has been Invisalign certified since 2016, and today she treats with the modern Spark™ aligner system. As a dentist with an MSc in Orthodontics, she plans every treatment personally and precisely. Ongoing international training lets her combine many years of experience with the latest scientific findings. The focus is always on the best solution for you, even if that sometimes means fixed braces.
Dental Monitoring
Progress checks by smartphone instead of a drive to Hitzkirch
During aligner treatment we regularly check whether your teeth are moving as planned and whether the next tray can go in. At SmileHouse this is done with Dental Monitoring: once a week you scan your teeth at home with your smartphone and the Dental Monitoring app, and Dr Steffi Koychev reviews every scan. For patients from Lucerne, Zug, Cham or Baar that means far fewer journeys and less time off work, with a check every week instead of a practice visit every few weeks.
A weekly scan from home
With your smartphone and the app, whenever it fits your day: no drive, no parking, no waiting room.
Practice visits only when needed
You come to Hitzkirch to start treatment and when there is a specific reason. Routine check-ups at the practice fall away.
Continuously checked by Dr Koychev
Every scan is analysed automatically and reviewed by Dr Koychev. If a tray is not sitting right, we react straight away instead of at the next appointment. That is why treatment can often be completed earlier.
Included in the treatment price
Dental Monitoring costs nothing extra. We use it for everyone who does not live in the immediate vicinity of the practice.
How aligners work
Instead of brackets and a wire, a series of custom-made trays moves the teeth. Each tray is a small step closer to the goal than the one before. The end result is planned on a computer before the first step, and that planning matters more to the outcome than the tray itself.
The trays
Thin, removable plastic trays, made new for each stage of treatment. You wear them about 22 hours a day and take them out to eat, to drink anything other than water, and to brush. They are usually changed every one to two weeks.
The plan
Your digital scan becomes a 3D model of your teeth. Dr Koychev plans every movement tooth by tooth and only approves the plan once it is right orthodontically. You see where treatment is heading before it starts.
The check-ups
Instead of regular practice visits, you scan your teeth at home once a week with Dental Monitoring. Dr Koychev reviews every scan and sees whether the trays fit and when the next change is due.
What aligners are suited to
Aligners suit many, but not all, kinds of misalignment. The examination shows whether they are the right choice for you. Common reasons adults and teenagers come to us:
Crowding and crooked front teeth
Teeth that overlap or are rotated, often more noticeable in adulthood.
Gaps between teeth
One or more gaps, for example between the upper front teeth.
Relapse after earlier braces
Teeth that have moved again years after treatment as a teenager, for example because the retainer was no longer worn.
Mild to moderate bite problems
A deep bite, a mild crossbite or an overbite can often be treated with aligners, sometimes with additions such as elastics.
Spark™ and Invisalign®
Many people know aligners by the name Invisalign®. Spark™ aligners, made by Ormco, work on the same principle: removable trays, digital planning, step-by-step tooth movement.
Dr Steffi Koychev has been Invisalign certified since 2016 and has experience with both systems. Today she treats with Spark™ aligners. So if you were searching for Invisalign®, you are in the right place: we will discuss what aligner treatment can do for your teeth, and we treat with Spark™.
How aligner treatment works at SmileHouse
- 1
First consultation in Hitzkirch: we talk about what you would like to change, examine your teeth, bite and gums, and take a digital scan instead of impressions. The appointment is charged according to the SSO dental tariff.
- 2
Assessment and plan: you find out whether aligners make sense for you or whether fixed braces would suit you better, roughly how long treatment will take and what it costs. You receive a written cost estimate.
- 3
Digital planning: Dr Koychev plans the tooth movements on the 3D model. You see the planned end position before the trays are made.
- 4
Start: when you receive your first trays, small tooth-coloured anchor points (attachments) are bonded to some teeth if needed. We show you how to put the trays in, take them out and keep them clean.
- 5
Follow-up: a weekly scan at home with Dental Monitoring, practice visits only when needed. When an appointment is needed, it can be after work, on Tuesdays until 7 pm.
- 6
Finishing and retainer: after active treatment, a retainer or night-time tray keeps the teeth in their new position.
What aligners can and cannot do
Wear time decides
Aligners only work if they are worn about 22 hours a day. Leaving them out often makes treatment longer. If that is hard to fit into your life, fixed braces may be the better choice. We discuss this before you start.
Not for every case
Pronounced jaw discrepancies, severely rotated teeth or major bite corrections are often treated more reliably with fixed braces. Sometimes a combination makes sense.
Planned by an orthodontist
We offer aligners because they are the right method for many adults, not because they are the only one. Metal and ceramic brackets, self-ligating and lingual (behind-the-teeth) braces are available too. We recommend what fits your findings.
From Lucerne, Zug, Cham and Baar to Hitzkirch
SmileHouse is at Bahnhofstrasse 3 in Hitzkirch, between Lake Baldegg and Lake Hallwil, about half an hour's drive from Lucerne and Lake Zug. Thanks to Dental Monitoring, you rarely need to come in during aligner treatment.
Lucerne
About 30 minutes by car (26 km). By train, the S9 Lucerne–Lenzburg runs every half hour to Hitzkirch station without changing, about 55 minutes door to door.
Zug and Baar
About 30 minutes by car (29 km), from Zug via Cham and Sins, from Baar via the motorway. After-work appointments are possible on Tuesdays until 7 pm.
Cham, Hünenberg, Rotkreuz
About 25 minutes by car (22 to 23 km), the shortest route from the Ennetsee area to the Seetal.
How much do aligners cost?
In Switzerland, aligner treatment usually costs CHF 4,000 to 10,000. Minor corrections start at around CHF 3,000 to 4,000; comprehensive treatment over 12 to 24 months is CHF 6,000 to 10,000. Dental Monitoring is included in the treatment price. After the first consultation you receive a written, binding cost estimate before you decide; payment in instalments is possible. For adults, basic health insurance covers orthodontics only in rare, medically defined cases.
Frequently asked questions about aligners
Dr Steffi Koychev has been Invisalign certified since 2016 and has experience with both Invisalign and Spark aligner systems. Today she treats with Spark™ aligners, which work on the same principle: removable trays, digital planning and step-by-step tooth movement. At the first consultation we discuss whether aligner treatment makes sense for you.
Not quite. Aligners are thin and fit closely to the teeth, so they are rarely noticed in conversation. Up close you can see them, along with the small tooth-coloured attachments many treatments need. Compared with brackets, though, they are much less noticeable.
No, not if you live further away. With Dental Monitoring you scan your teeth at home once a week with your smartphone, and Dr Koychev reviews every scan. You come to the practice to start treatment and when there is a specific reason. Dental Monitoring is included in the treatment price.
Minor corrections often take a few months; comprehensive treatment usually takes 12 to 24 months. How long it takes for you depends on the misalignment and on wear time; you get an estimate after the examination.
In Switzerland usually CHF 4,000 to 10,000, minor corrections from around CHF 3,000. Dental Monitoring is included in the treatment price. You will find the exact price in the written cost estimate after the first consultation. The first consultation is charged according to the SSO dental tariff.
For adults, Swiss basic health insurance covers orthodontics only in rare, medically defined cases. Supplementary dental insurance rarely contributes for adults; check your policy. We are happy to issue the cost estimate for your insurer.
After switching to a new tray, many people feel pressure on their teeth for a day or two. That is normal and a sign that the tray is working. Severe pain is not usual; please contact us if it happens.
Yes, if the findings fit and the trays are worn reliably. With teenagers we talk openly with parents and child about wear time; sometimes fixed braces are the safer choice.
Yes. Dr Koychev treats patients in German and English, and the cost estimate can be explained in English.
Request an aligner consultation
Tell us briefly what you would like to change about your teeth. We will get back to you with a suggested appointment for a first consultation in Hitzkirch.
Spark™ is a trademark of Ormco Corporation. Invisalign® is a registered trademark of Align Technology, Inc. SmileHouse is an independent orthodontic practice.