››› Spark Aligners
What they are, how they compare to Invisalign and Angel, what treatment is like, and what to expect at Smile Pop.
››› Start here
Spark is a clear aligner system made by Ormco, a company that has been in orthodontics for around 60 years. Like Invisalign and Angel, Spark is available only through trained providers rather than direct to consumer. The trays are made from a material Ormco calls TruGEN.
The differences are mostly in the material and the planning software. Ormco’s claims for TruGEN are that it is clearer than the leading aligner brand, resists staining better, holds its force more steadily across the wear period, and makes better contact with the tooth surface. Their trays also have polished, scalloped edges intended to sit more comfortably against the gums.
There are two versions of the material. TruGEN is the more flexible one; TruGEN XR is more rigid and gets used for expansion and finishing movements. Both are 0.75mm thick and both are free of BPA, mercury, latex and phthalates.
Those are the manufacturer’s claims rather than mine, and Ormco backs them with its own internal data rather than independent published studies. What I can tell you from the chair is that all three systems are capable, and the one that suits you depends on your case rather than on whose marketing you read.
Whichever one is the better clinical fit. For a new case it will be Invisalign or Angel. I do not start Spark cases from scratch, though I am glad to take over a Spark case that was started somewhere else. I will tell you at your consultation which one I would choose for your case and exactly why.
Yes. Spark had been available internationally since 2019 and launched in the United States in December 2020. In 2021 the FDA cleared it for younger children as well, including patients who still have primary teeth alongside their adult ones. Ormco also makes Spark Junior for growing patients.
It is prescribed through trained providers only. You cannot order Spark direct to consumer, and that is by design.
The same way every clear aligner system works. A sequence of custom trays applies controlled force to move specific teeth, and each tray in the series is slightly different from the last. I plan the entire sequence digitally before a single tray is manufactured, including where every auxiliary sits.
››› Day to day
About 22 hours a day. You take them out to eat, to drink anything other than cool water, and to brush and floss. Wear time is what moves teeth. There is no way around it and no substitute for it.
Typically every 1 to 2 weeks. I set the exact interval based on how your teeth are actually tracking, which is something I check rather than assume.
Expect mild pressure or soreness for the first day or two after a new tray. That is the aligner working. Spark’s trays have polished, scalloped edges designed to be gentler on the gums and cheeks than a plain trimmed edge.
Rinse with cool water every time you take them out. Brush gently with a soft toothbrush and a mild clear soap. Skip the toothpaste, it scratches. Retainer cleaning tablets work for a deeper clean. Never use hot water, it warps the trays. Air dry before they go back in the case.
Cool water only. Everything else comes out first. Food can crack or warp a tray, and anything sugary or acidic sitting against your teeth under plastic is exactly what you do not want. Take them out, eat whatever you like, brush, put them back.
››› Clinical
Ormco describes Spark as treating a wide variety of Class I, Class II and Class III malocclusions in children, teens and adults, including mixed dentition. In practice that covers crowding, spacing, and most bite corrections.
Some cases do. Attachments are the small tooth-colored bumps bonded to teeth that give the tray something to grip so it can apply a more precise force. Spark’s planning software gives me control over exactly where every attachment and auxiliary sits, which matters more than most people realize. Buttons for elastics are placed the same way.
Ormco makes Spark Junior for growing patients, and Spark has been cleared for children who still have baby teeth alongside their adult ones. That said, for children as young as seven, my early treatment is Invisalign with expanders, and I do not start children on Spark either. Parents, come in and I will tell you honestly whether your child needs anything yet, and quite often the answer is not yet.
››› The money part
Because I only take Spark on as a transfer, this is usually about finishing treatment you began somewhere else, and the cost depends on how far along you are, how many trays are left, and what the case still needs. I will give you a real number after a consultation and a 3D scan, not before, because any figure I quoted without seeing your teeth would be a guess.
Many dental plans include an orthodontic benefit that applies to clear aligners, usually as a lifetime maximum. Check your plan’s orthodontic benefit section and confirm clear aligners are covered.
We are out of network, which means your plan reimburses you directly rather than paying us. We look up your benefits, help you file, and support you along the way.
Yes. Clear aligner treatment prescribed by a licensed orthodontic provider is a qualified FSA and HSA expense. Using pre-tax dollars reduces what it actually costs you. Confirm eligibility with your administrator.
Not at all. Consultations are open to brand new patients, and just as open to people already in treatment somewhere else who want to transfer to Smile Pop. We do not discriminate. 😉
Book online and select Orthodontic Consultation. If you are mid-treatment elsewhere, bring whatever you have and we will work out where you are.
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