Presented by Verma Media
If you’re thinking about straightening your smile this year, there are a number of options out there, including at-home solutions that make it easy and affordable as well as more traditional in-office options. With so many different brands of invisible braces on the market, what’s the best choice?
We’ve broken down some of the biggest players in this space below!
At-home invisible aligners: how it works
Before we go into your options, we want to give you a quick explanation of at-home, doctor-directed teeth straightening for mild to moderate tooth movement. The process starts with an at-home impression kit which a licensed dental professional uses to create your treatment plan. The company then sends you your aligners without you ever having to leave the house, which can be especially important during this time of social distancing.
You’ll start with the first set of aligners, which begin to move your teeth toward their final destinations as directed in the treatment plan. Throughout the course of treatment, you’ll switch to new sets of aligners that bring your teeth closer and closer to the outcome, until you finish the last set of aligners.
This differs from traditional in-office treatment where the dentist or orthodontist takes impressions or a scan of your teeth in-office. Then, throughout the course of treatment you will have in-office check-ins as directed by your doctors.
byte, the fastest at-home invisible aligners
While other at-home invisible aligner options can take six months to a year on average and in-office treatment can take up to two years, byte treatment averages just three short months. They make this possible through an FDA-cleared high frequency acceleration device called HyperByte that uses high frequency vibration (HFV) technology for safe, effective treatment. This is one of their biggest differentiators compared to other companies in this space.
HyperByte transmits micropulses through the roots of the teeth to the surrounding bone, helping prevent inaccurate tooth movement and speeding treatment by increasing overall cellular activity. With the use of HyperByte, you will change aligners every five to seven days compared to switching aligners once every two weeks, the traditional method used by other at-home aligner companies.
Additionally, byte uses what they call SmileScience where they analyze the proportions of your face to design a smile unique to your look. This is different from other aligner companies (including in-office treatment) that put your teeth through the same software program—and run the same alignment procedures—without taking your actual face into account.
At just $1895 (with a monthly payment plan option of $349 up front then $83/month for 25 months), byte is an affordable solution for people looking for straighter teeth. Not only are all plans created by a licensed orthodontist, but their customer care team is 100% U.S.-based for quick, easy access to questions throughout the course of treatment. Plus, they include premium teeth whitening treatment, a free retainer at the end of treatment, and a lifetime guarantee. If at any time after going through your byte treatment and while using your retainers your smile moves out of alignment, they will help get it back into alignment at no additional cost.
SmileDirectClub: your basic at-home invisible aligners
Similar to byte, SmileDirectClub offers affordable aligners at $1,895 with a monthly payment plan option. While their aligners include free teeth whitening, the retainer is an extra cost at the end of treatment, with no lifetime guarantee.
Without HFV technology, their treatment plans take six months on average. Instead, patients use “chewies,” small cylindrical chewing devices made of a soft spongy plastic-like material that you chew on while wearing their aligners. SmileDirectClub’s customer support is not 100% based in the U.S.
Candid Co.: at-home aligners with remote monitoring
A little pricier than other at-home options, Candid Co. aligners cost $2,400 (26% more expensive). Their aligners include free teeth whitening, but retainers at the end of treatment are extra, and there’s no lifetime guarantee.
They claim this allows them to reduce treatment time by allowing you to change aligners faster depending on the results captured during remote monitoring. Like SmileDirectClub, Candid uses chewies to seat aligners.
Invisalign: the leading in-office invisible aligners
The leading in-office option—used by both dentists and orthodontists—Invisalign costs $3,000 to $7,000 on average with treatment time averaging 12 to 18 months. With this option, you’ll be spending regular time at the dentist, especially if your treatment requires attachments (or anchors) for your aligners. The primary benefit of Invisalign is that these brackets do allow for more complicated cases beyond mild to moderate tooth movement.
Clear Correct: budget in-office invisible aligners
Another in-office option, ClearCorrect aligners cost anywhere from $2,000 to $8,000, making them a more affordable solution in some cases. They do not provide an average treatment time, though the Consumer Guide to Dentistry reports they can take from 12 to 24 months.
Fast, affordable, guaranteed
To us, the winner for treating mild to moderate malocclusion is clear: byte invisible aligners. Not only are they the fastest option, they’re one of the most affordable solutions on the market, with a lifetime guarantee.
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