What Are Spark Clear Aligners?

How Spark works

Spark treatment is a series of clear, custom-made trays. Each tray is shaped slightly differently from the last, so that wearing them in sequence moves your teeth gradually toward their planned position. You wear each set for the prescribed period, then move to the next.

The trays are removable — you take them out to eat, brush, and floss, then put them back in. They need to be worn 20 to 22 hours a day to stay on track. That's the trade-off of any clear aligner: convenience in exchange for compliance. (If you're not confident you'll keep the trays in, braces may be the better fit, because they're never removed.)

To create your Spark trays, we start with a 3D digital scan of your teeth. We design your treatment in Spark's Approver software, mapping the movement of each tooth and the attachments that will guide it. We can show you a simulation of your expected result at your consultation. Once we finalize the plan, your trays are manufactured and shipped to our office.

What makes Spark different

Spark and Invisalign both straighten teeth with clear trays and bonded attachments. The real, verifiable differences are in the material, the edge design, and the planning software:

TruGEN material

Spark trays use Ormco's TruGEN and TruGEN XR thermoplastic, engineered to retain force through each tray's wear cycle. Invisalign uses its own SmartTrack material. Both are proprietary and both work.

Scalloped, polished edges

Spark trays are laser-trimmed with scalloped edges designed to follow the contour of the gumline, with a polished surface. It's a genuine manufacturing-process difference intended to sit naturally against the gums.

Approver planning software

Approver lets the orthodontist program tooth movement and attachments tooth-by-tooth, rather than accept an algorithm's default. With a CBCT scan, it can show the actual position of the roots inside the bone — not just the crowns.

Offered by specialists

Spark is offered primarily through orthodontic specialists, rather than broadly to general dentists. That fits a specialty practice where treatment is always directed by an orthodontist.

Why we chose Spark

We're a specialty practice — every case is planned and directed by one of our doctors, both of whom are Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics. Spark fits how we like to work. Approver's tooth-by-tooth control lets us drive the plan rather than accept a software default, and pairing it with the 3D CBCT scan we already take at every consultation means we can see exactly where the roots sit before we move a single tooth.

We'll be honest about the trade-off: Invisalign has been on the market since the late 1990s and held a patent until about a decade ago. Since then, many aligner companies have entered the market. Spark, launched in 2019, is the newer challenger. We started using Spark in 2020 and compared results and patient experience. A few years ago, we decided Spark was our aligner of choice because of the superior results we were seeing and improved esthetics for patients due to less staining of the aligner. For the mild-to-moderate and aesthetics-focused cases that make up most adult clear-aligner treatment, Spark — in the hands of a specialist directing the plan — is what we reach for.

"An aligner is only a tool — the results will highly depend on the proficiency of the provider delivering the treatment."

— Dr. Thais Booms, Beyond Braces

Who Spark is a good fit for

Adults who want a clear, removable option and will reliably wear the trays
Motivated children and teens whose families are confident about compliance
Mild-to-moderate crowding and spacing — Spark's sweet spot
Relapse cases — adults whose teeth shifted after earlier treatment
Many complex cases too, often with rubber bands incorporated into the plan — we'll tell you honestly if a case is better suited to braces

What Spark costs

At Giannetti & Booms, Spark falls in the same cost range as braces — we do not charge a clear-aligner upcharge. Comprehensive treatment typically falls in the $6,000–$8,000 range, depending on case complexity.

Cost & Payment

HSA and FSA funds, most dental insurance with orthodontic benefits, and in-house interest-free payment plans can all be applied. For the full breakdown, see our honest 2026 cost guide for Sacramento.

Comparing your options? Read Braces vs Invisalign — and where Spark fits.

The bottom line

Spark is a modern clear aligner system we chose for the planning control it gives us as specialists. But the most important factor in any clear-aligner result isn't the brand on the box — it's the orthodontist directing the treatment. At your complimentary consultation, we capture a 3D scan and a 3D CBCT scan, show you a simulation of your expected result, and give you an honest recommendation at our Davis or Sacramento office.

Frequently Asked Questions

Spark is a clear aligner system made by Ormco that straightens teeth using a series of custom-made, removable clear trays. Launched in 2019, Spark is offered primarily through orthodontic specialists. Each tray moves the teeth a small amount; you progress through the series until treatment is complete. At Giannetti & Booms, Spark is the clear aligner system we use.

Is Spark as good as Invisalign?

Yes — in our opinion, it is better. Both are effective clear aligner systems. Invisalign has the longer track record and the larger case dataset, especially for the most complex cases. Spark is a newer system with a polished, scalloped edge design and planning software (Approver) that gives the orthodontist fine, tooth-by-tooth control and — with a CBCT scan — the ability to visualize root position. The difference that matters most is not the brand but the orthodontist directing the treatment.

Why does my orthodontist use Spark instead of Invisalign?

Many orthodontists choose Spark for the degree of control its Approver software provides: the ability to program tooth movement and attachments tooth-by-tooth rather than accept an algorithm's defaults, and to visualize roots within the bone using a CBCT scan. Spark is also offered primarily through orthodontic specialists, which fits a specialty practice. At Giannetti & Booms, both doctors are Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics and chose Spark deliberately.

How is Spark different from Invisalign in design?

Spark trays are made from Ormco's TruGEN and TruGEN XR thermoplastic and are laser-trimmed with scalloped, polished edges designed to follow the contour of the gumline. Invisalign uses SmartTrack thermoplastic with a historically straighter-cut edge. Both move teeth through a series of trays plus bonded attachments; the differences are in material engineering and edge design.

How long does Spark treatment take?

Spark clear aligner treatment typically takes 12 to 24 months, depending on the complexity of the case and how consistently the aligners are worn. Aligners must be worn 20 to 22 hours a day to stay on track. We give a realistic timeline at your complimentary consultation based on your actual 3D scan.

How much do Spark aligners cost in Sacramento?

At Giannetti & Booms, Spark falls in the same cost range as braces — we do not charge a clear-aligner upcharge. Comprehensive treatment typically falls in the $6,000–$8,000 range, depending on case complexity. HSA and FSA funds, most dental insurance with orthodontic benefits, and in-house interest-free payment plans can all be applied.

Are Spark aligners removable?

Yes. Spark aligners are removable — you take them out to eat, brush, and floss, then put them back in. This is a convenience over braces, but it also means results depend on wearing them consistently, 20 to 22 hours a day. Patients who aren't confident they'll keep the trays in may do better with braces, which are never removed.

Can Spark treat complex cases or only minor ones?

Spark can treat very complex cases as long as the orthodontist recommends it as a treatment modality. It handles mild-to-moderate cases very well and is increasingly used for more complex treatment, often with rubber bands incorporated into the plan. The limiting factor is rarely the aligner — it is the planning and the provider.