4444 Connecticut Ave NW #106 · Washington, DC
Cosmetic Dentistry
A removable, nearly invisible series of custom trays that gradually straightens crowding or spacing — planned and monitored from first scan to final retainer by Dr. Kambez Shukoor.
Google Rating
4.9 · 303 reviews
Availability
Same-day consults
Payments
Financing available
Definition
Clear aligners are a series of custom-fitted clear plastic trays, each worn for about one to two weeks, that gradually shift teeth into a planned position. For many cases of crowding or spacing they replace the need for traditional metal braces entirely.
Each tray in the series is shaped fractionally differently from the one before it. Worn in order, they apply gentle, continuous pressure that guides teeth along a mapped path — the same biological process behind orthodontic treatment with braces, delivered without brackets or wires.
Unlike a crown or a veneer, this is not a procedure completed in a visit or two. It is a months-long treatment you take an active part in, which is why wear time matters as much as the plan itself.
At a glance
Clear Aligners
or call (202) 363-2810
Real Cases
Drag the handle on each case to compare. Every photograph below is an actual patient treated in our Washington, DC office — no stock photography, no touch-ups.
Full smile view
Close-up view
This case combined mild spacing with individually tipped and rotated teeth. Aligner therapy closed the irregular gaps and uprighted the rotated teeth so the upper and lower arches meet evenly, producing a smile line that reads as balanced rather than patched.
Crowding on both arches was corrected with a digitally planned series of clear aligners. Each tray moved the teeth a fraction of a millimeter, unwinding the rotations and creating room for the front teeth to line up along a smooth arch. Straighter teeth here are not only a cosmetic gain — overlapping surfaces trap plaque and are far harder to floss, so alignment also makes daily hygiene meaningfully easier.
Uneven front teeth had been wearing against each other at the edges. Aligner treatment repositioned them so the forces spread evenly across the arch, leveling the smile line and protecting the edges from continued chipping.
Overlap across the upper front teeth was resolved in stages, each tray worn full-time and swapped on schedule. The finished alignment shows a continuous, even arch with the midline centered under the lip.
Smile view
Close-up view
Rather than removing tooth structure to make room, the aligner plan used gentle arch development to create space, then rotated each crowded tooth into position. The result is a fuller smile with the front teeth aligned along a natural curve.
Compare
Both move teeth with sustained pressure. They differ in how visible they are, whether you can take them out, and how much movement they can predictably deliver.
A sequence of custom clear trays, each worn about one to two weeks, moving teeth in planned increments.
Brackets bonded to each tooth and connected by an archwire, adjusted periodically in the chair.
We do not position aligners as a universal replacement for braces. Mild to moderate cases are excellent candidates; if your bite needs the control that fixed appliances provide, we will say so at the consultation.
The Process
Six stages from the first digital scan to the retainer that holds your result. Most of the work happens at home; visits are short and spaced weeks apart.
Visit 1
We assess your bite, gum health, and what is realistically achievable, then capture a digital 3D scan of both arches — no trays of impression material.
1–3 weeks
Dr. Kambez Shukoor maps the full sequence of tooth movement from the scan, stage by stage, so you can see the projected end position before any trays are made.
Visit 2
Your trays are fitted and checked, and any small enamel attachments needed to grip and guide specific teeth are bonded in place at this appointment.
Ongoing
Each tray is worn roughly one to two weeks per the plan, 20–22 hours a day, then swapped for the next one in the series. Most tray changes happen at home.
Every 6–10 weeks
Short visits confirm the teeth are tracking to plan. If a tooth is lagging, the plan is adjusted or refined rather than allowed to drift.
After active treatment
Teeth move back toward their old position if nothing holds them. A retainer — worn nightly long term — is what makes the result permanent.
Candidacy
Two questions decide it: is the movement your teeth need within what aligners can predictably deliver, and is position actually the thing that bothers you?
Severe misalignment, significant rotations, and bite corrections that require controlled root movement are still more predictable with traditional orthodontics. In those cases we refer rather than stretch aligners past what they do well.
And sometimes position is not the real issue at all. If the shape, size, or color of the teeth is what bothers you, porcelain veneers or a smile makeover gets you there faster.
Dr. Kambez Shukoor tells you which of these your case actually is.
When the real concern is the shape or color of the teeth rather than where they sit, veneers change the appearance directly.
Porcelain VeneersAlignment, shade, and shape planned together as one case when more than one thing needs to change.
Smile MakeoverMany patients whiten at the end of aligner treatment, once the teeth are in their final position.
Teeth WhiteningDiscipline
Aligners have no material choice to make — the variable in this treatment is you. Here is what the trays ask of you, stated plainly before you start.
Aligners only move teeth while they are in your mouth. The standard is 20 to 22 hours a day — out for meals and brushing, in for everything else, including sleep.
Trays sit against your teeth almost all day, so anything left on them stays there. Cleaning takes under a minute and prevents both staining and odor.
Each tray is engineered to deliver a specific amount of movement in a set window. Falling short of the hours means the next tray no longer fits the teeth it was designed for.
Day to Day
There is no recovery period here — nothing is cut, drilled, or removed. What there is instead is a rhythm you settle into for the length of treatment.
Teeth drift back toward their old position for the rest of your life if nothing holds them. A retainer worn nightly is not an optional add-on — it is the part that makes months of tray wear permanent. Many patients finish with professional whitening once the teeth have settled into place.
| Stage | What it feels like |
|---|---|
| First week | Getting used to trays in and out; brief lisp; noticeable pressure |
| Each tray change | Tightness for 1–2 days, then it settles |
| Mid-treatment | Routine and largely unremarkable; visible progress in photos |
| Check-ins | Short visits every 6–10 weeks to confirm tracking |
| Retainer phase | Nightly wear, indefinitely, to hold the result |
Investment
Aligner cases are quoted individually, because a six-month case and an eighteen-month case are not the same treatment. These are the three things that move the number.
We do not publish a flat price for aligners. After your scan you receive an itemized written quote covering the full tray series, check-ins, and retainers, and our financial information page explains CareCredit and Cherry monthly payment options.
Why Choose
Dr. Kambez Shukoor is a U.S. Navy veteran dentist who plans, sequences, and monitors your aligner treatment personally, in one Connecticut Avenue office.
Dr. Kambez Shukoor plans the sequence of movement himself and reviews every check-in, so the person who designed your case is the person tracking it.
FAGD and fellowship-level training, with alignment treated as one part of a whole-smile plan rather than an isolated product.
Digital planning shows the projected result before your first tray is made, so you know what you are committing months to.
No brackets, no wire adjustments, and short check-ins — pressure is limited to the first day or two of each new tray.
If your bite needs traditional orthodontics, or if veneers would actually address what bothers you, we say so instead of selling trays.
One written quote covering the full series, refinements, and retainers, with CareCredit and Cherry financing available.
FAQ
The questions Washington, DC patients ask most often before starting aligner treatment.
Related
Alignment is often one part of a larger plan. These are the treatments most commonly planned alongside or after aligners.
Custom ceramic shells for shape and color concerns on healthy teeth.
Porcelain VeneersA combined plan when alignment is only one part of the goal.
Smile MakeoverProfessional whitening, often timed for the end of aligner treatment.
Teeth WhiteningFull-coverage restorations for teeth that are damaged, not just misaligned.
Dental Crowns