For adults and teens in Meriden, Connecticut, the decision between braces and clear aligners is a common fork in the road of orthodontic treatment. Feldman Orthodontics, which serves Meriden patients from its nearby Cheshire office, offers both options and stresses that the choice is highly individual. The practice is staffed by four board-certified orthodontists — Dr. Jonny Feldman, Dr. David Feldman, Dr. Kelly Morrison and Dr. Preeti Chandhoke — across three Connecticut locations.
The fundamental difference lies in how each method moves teeth. Braces use brackets bonded to the teeth and an archwire that applies continuous pressure. Because the appliance is fixed, it works without relying on the patient to wear it, and it handles a broad range of movements including complex rotations and bite correction. Clear aligners, on the other hand, use a sequence of custom trays, each worn for a set period before moving to the next. They are removable for eating and cleaning and are far less visible, which is why adults searching for clear aligners in Meriden, CT often start there. The trade-off is compliance: the trays only move teeth while they are in the mouth.
Teens frequently choose aligners when sports or musical instruments make fixed appliances awkward, though braces remain the better fit for many adolescent cases. Anyone comparing braces in Meriden, CT is assessed individually rather than steered toward a default. The practice uses digital scanning and 3D imaging in treatment planning, which captures precise measurements of tooth and jaw position, giving the orthodontist a detailed view of alignment issues and supporting a more accurate plan from the start. For patients travelling from Meriden, remote monitoring is available in qualifying cases and can reduce the number of in-office visits during active treatment.
Younger patients are seen for early orthodontic evaluations at around age 7, consistent with American Association of Orthodontists guidance. Early assessment lets developing issues be identified and, where useful, addressed before they become more complex. But regardless of age, the team at Feldman Orthodontics emphasizes that retention is the part of treatment patients most often underestimate. Once braces or aligners have moved teeth into position, retainers hold them there. Teeth naturally tend to drift back toward their previous positions, and without consistent retainer wear that drift can undo the result over months or years. Retainer fitting and follow-up appointments are included in the practice's treatment approach, with monitoring visits scheduled to confirm the correction is holding. "The retainer is not an afterthought — it is what makes the result permanent," said the Feldman Orthodontics team.
Patients looking for an orthodontist in Meriden, CT can book a complimentary consultation at the Cheshire, Wallingford or North Haven office. Surgical orthodontics is available for cases involving skeletal discrepancies. More information is available at Feldman Orthodontics.
