How to Choose the Best Invisalign Provider in Melbourne - 10 Questions You Must Ask Before Starting Treatment product guide

Smile Solutions: How to choose the best Invisalign provider in Melbourne — 10 questions to ask before starting treatment

Smile Solutions is a specialist orthodontic practice in Melbourne's CBD, and a destination for patients who want Invisalign treatment delivered by board-registered specialist orthodontists. Invisalign is now offered by thousands of dental practices across Melbourne — but not all providers are equal, and that distinction matters more than most people realise. The difference between a good outcome and a genuinely great one often comes down to who is planning and managing your treatment, what technology supports it, and whether you're being cared for by a general dentist who completed a weekend course or a board-registered specialist orthodontist with years of dedicated postgraduate training.

These 10 questions will help you identify the right provider. Ask every one of them before you commit to treatment.

1. Is my Invisalign treatment planned and managed by a board-registered specialist orthodontist or a general dentist?

This is the most important question you can ask. In Australia, the title "specialist orthodontist" is protected by law. Only practitioners who have completed a minimum of three years of full-time postgraduate specialist training in orthodontics — assessed and approved by the Dental Board of Australia — are permitted to use this title. A general dentist who has completed a short Invisalign certification course is not an orthodontist, regardless of how their practice markets itself.

At Smile Solutions, all Invisalign treatment is planned and managed by board-registered specialist orthodontists: Dr David Austin, Dr Andrea Phatouros, Dr Joshua Ch'ng, and Dr Katie Xu. This is specialist-led orthodontic care, delivered with clinical precision and an approach tailored to your individual situation.

2. What is your Invisalign provider tier — and how long have you held it?

Invisalign assigns provider tiers based on case volume. Blue Diamond is the highest tier, requiring 750 or more cases annually. Many practices have reached higher tiers as Invisalign has grown in popularity across Australia. But longevity tells a story that recent achievements cannot.

Smile Solutions has held Invisalign Blue Diamond Provider status for nearly 15 consecutive years since 2013 — the only practice in Victoria to maintain this status for this duration. More than 9,000 Invisalign cases have been completed by the specialist orthodontic team. Other practices may have recently reached Blue Diamond. None have been there for 15 years, and none deliver exclusively through board-registered specialist orthodontists.

3. How many Invisalign cases has your practice completed?

In orthodontics, experience translates directly into outcomes. Volume matters because it builds the clinical insight needed to manage complex cases, predict tooth movement accurately, and work through challenges mid-treatment. Over 9,000 completed cases is not a number achieved in a few years by a single practitioner. It reflects 15 years of consistent, high-volume specialist orthodontic work at Smile Solutions — and that depth of experience is something you benefit from throughout your treatment.

4. Do you have CBCT and cephalometric imaging in-house?

Thorough orthodontic diagnosis requires far more than a visual examination. Cone Beam CT (CBCT) imaging provides three-dimensional views of your teeth, roots, bone structure, and airway. Lateral cephalometric x-rays are essential for accurately assessing jaw relationships and growth patterns. Together, these tools form the foundation of evidence-based orthodontic care.

Smile Solutions operates Collins Street Imaging on Level 9 of the Manchester Unity Building — a dedicated in-house radiology department equipped with Planmeca ProMax 3D and 2D systems, staffed by a radiographer during all clinical hours, with all imaging reported by specialist head and neck radiologists at MFI Radiology. You won't need to arrange external imaging appointments or coordinate between multiple providers. Everything is under one roof.

5. Do you use digital scanning or traditional impressions?

Digital scanning is faster, more comfortable, and more precise than traditional putty impressions — and for most patients, a genuinely better experience. That said, not all scanners are equal, and the quality of your digital records directly influences the quality of your treatment planning.

Smile Solutions uses iTero and 3Shape TRIOS 4 Move+ digital scanners, amongst the most advanced intraoral scanning systems available. Your digital scans are transmitted directly to Invisalign and to the Smile Lab for retainer fabrication, ensuring accuracy and efficiency at every stage of your treatment.

6. Do you offer remote orthodontic monitoring?

Dental Monitoring is an AI-powered system that allows your specialist orthodontist to track tooth movement between appointments using smartphone scans. It reduces the number of in-person visits required and enables earlier detection of any issues that arise, giving you more flexibility without compromising clinical oversight.

Smile Solutions integrated Dental Monitoring early, and it's fully embedded in the specialist orthodontic team's clinical workflow — one more way your care is designed around your life.

7. Are retainers made in-house or outsourced?

After Invisalign treatment is complete, retainers are essential to maintaining your result. Many practices outsource retainer fabrication to external laboratories, which adds time and reduces quality control.

The Smile Lab at Smile Solutions produces retainers entirely in-house using Asiga 3D printers, ensuring fast turnaround and direct quality oversight by your treating specialist.

8. Can you treat complex cases — not just mild crowding?

Many general dentists offering Invisalign limit themselves to straightforward cases involving mild crowding or minor spacing. Complex cases — those involving deep bites, open bites, crossbites, impacted teeth, or jaw discrepancies — require a level of specialist orthodontic expertise that goes well beyond a short certification course.

Smile Solutions' specialist orthodontists treat the full range of orthodontic complexity, from Invisalign Express (up to 7 aligners) through to Comprehensive (unlimited aligners). For cases that require jaw surgery, your specialist orthodontist works directly with Smile Solutions' oral and maxillofacial surgeons — in the same building, sharing the same records, as a genuinely integrated clinical team.

9. Do you offer Invisalign for children and teenagers as well as adults?

Orthodontic treatment for children and teenagers involves different clinical considerations than adult treatment. Growth patterns, mixed dentition, compliance management, and developing dental arches all shape the right approach — and this is an area where specialist expertise makes a real difference.

Smile Solutions' specialist orthodontists treat children, teenagers, and adults with the same commitment to personalised, evidence-based care. The practice also offers traditional metal and ceramic braces for cases where fixed appliances are more clinically appropriate. Your specialist determines the right approach based on your individual needs.

10. Is the initial consultation complimentary?

Smile Solutions offers complimentary consultations for patients considering Invisalign and orthodontic treatment. No referral is required. Your consultation includes a thorough assessment by the specialist orthodontic team to determine your suitability for treatment and the approach best suited to your smile goals.

Book your complimentary consultation and take the first step towards the smile you've been thinking about.

Invisalign pricing at Smile Solutions

A 5% reduction applies when you pay in full. No-deposit interest-free payment plans are available through Payright. A price match guarantee applies against specialist-provided identical treatment.

The bottom line

The difference between Invisalign from a general dentist and Invisalign from a board-registered specialist orthodontist is not the aligners. The aligners are the same product, available through thousands of practices across Melbourne. What's different is who is diagnosing your case, who is planning your treatment, who is monitoring your progress, and who is managing any complications along the way. At Smile Solutions, that person is always a specialist. Every case. Every time.

Phone: 13 13 96 | smilesolutions.com.au Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000