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If you’ve been bothered by the appearance of your teeth, you’ve probably heard of invisible braces. These clear aligners are worn during the day and when you sleep at night to gradually straighten your teeth.
As they are clear and discrete, they offer a convenient solution for correcting certain teeth problems.
They can straighten the appearance of crooked or crowded teeth, reduce noticeable gaps in teeth, and sometimes correct underbite or overbite.
Traditional orthodontic treatment has the downside that it is expensive and time-consuming. Fixed braces can also be uncomfortable and unsightly to have on your teeth.
So if you want to avoid regular orthodontist appointments or wearing noticeable metal braces for many years, it can be worth looking at clear aligners as a solution for you.
Here we look at two leading providers of clear aligners, Smile Direct Club and Invisalign, to see what the key differences are between them.
What are Smile Direct Club and Invisalign?
Smile Direct Club and Invisalign are two of the biggest providers of invisible braces.
They correct teeth alignment issues like crooked teeth by providing a course of clear aligners.
Made from BPA-free plastic, each aligner gradually shifts your teeth into a straighter position when worn consistently.
Smile Direct Club is a predominantly cosmetic treatment. Their aligners can treat mild to moderate teeth alignment issues, like crookedness or spacing and crowding issues.
Their invisible aligners look and feel similar to Invisalign’s, but the treatment is conducted completely from home.
Smile Direct Club uses licensed dentists who create your treatment plan, then monitor your progress remotely.
Invisalign, while more expensive, is a more supervised service. Their treatment requires regular in-office appointments with a dentist to track your progress and make any necessary adjustments.
Invisalign can also be suitable for more severe misalignment issues and issues like overbite or underbite.
Smile Direct Club vs Invisalign: Comparison Table
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 |
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| Wearing time | Faster treatment: 22 hours per day. Slower treatment: 10 hours at night. |
20-22 hours per day (worn day and night). |
| Treatment Time | Day and night aligners: 4-6 months. Night-only aligners: 10 months. |
Day and night aligners: 12-18 months. |
| Price | $1950 or $89 a month. | $6000 on average. (Ranges $3000-$7000) |
| Impression Kit Cost | $59 | N/A |
| Insurance Coverage | UnitedHealthCare Aetna Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Empire BlueCross Cover up to 50%. |
Cigna Delta Dental Humana Aetna USAA Dental Partial cost coverage. |
| Monthly Visits Required? | No | Yes |
| Materials | BPA-free plastic. | BPA-free plastic. |
| Guarantee | Potential free continued aligners if requested within 30 days of completing treatment. | 5 year guarantee on full packages. |
| Orthodontist Oversight | Remote monitoring. | Regular in-person check ups with your orthodontist. |
| Teeth modelling | At-home teeth impression kit, or get a free 3D scan in a SmileShop. | 3D digital scanner in dentist’s office |
| Extras | Free whitening treatment included with aligners. | None |
| Refund policy | Refunds accepted if within 30 days of receiving your impression kit/aligners. | Refunds for health issues only e.g. allergies to tray. |
| External reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars from a total of 16,223 reviews on one independent website. | 4.4 out of 5 stars from a total of 149 reviews across two independent websites. |
| Special Offers | $25 impression kit for a limited time: Smile Direct Club | Contact consultant for pricing: Invisalign |
Why is Invisalign more expensive than Smile Direct Club?
Treatment with Invisalign includes regular dental check-ups. In-person dentist appointments make up a large part of Invisalign’s price.
Dentists may also add their own mark up to the aligners’ initial cost, which is then passed onto customers. Some reports claim this increases the price by as much as 3 times.
At-home treatments like Smile Direct Club avoid these mark-ups and instead provide remote monitoring of treatments by licensed dentists. This keeps costs low and is a key benefit of at-home aligner treatments.
$25 impression kit for a limited time: Smile Direct Club
What conditions can invisible braces help with?
Invisible braces work best for mild to moderate teeth alignment issues.
They can help with crooked teeth, teeth with gaps, mild overbite or underbite, and crowded teeth.
Smile Direct Club Review
Smile Direct Club was founded in 2014 with the goal of creating dental care solutions that were both convenient and affordable for everyone.
They felt that the main reasons people avoided dental treatments were because they were either too expensive or too time-consuming to begin.
Today they have helped over a million people improve their teeth; they have hundreds of registered dentists and orthodontists on their team and a network of over 1,000 partner dental office locations.
$25 impression kit for a limited time: Smile Direct Club
What are the benefits of Smile Direct Club?
Affordable Plans
Smile Direct Club is one of the more affordable options for invisible aligners, making them more accessible for those on a budget. Treatments cost $1,950 or $89 a month.
Convenience
You can set up your treatment from the comfort of your own home, or you can go for an in-person scan (which is offered for free).
After the treatment has been created for you, your customized aligners are delivered to your door.
Licensed dentists and orthodontists review your plan remotely, so there is no need to attend regular appointments. You can track your progress online.
Flexibility
You can choose a treatment plan to suit your lifestyle. They offer their standard Clear Aligners, which need to be worn for 22 hours a day. These work within 4-6 months.
For those who don’t want to commit to 22 hours of daily wear, Smile Direct Club offers Nighttime Clear Aligners.
These aligners are only worn for 10 hours at night while you sleep, so they are an even more discreet way to straighten your teeth.
However with this plan, total treatment time takes a little longer (around 10 months).
Treatment Time
Smile Direct Club aligners work faster than traditional braces.
How long does it take Smile Direct Club to straighten teeth?
On average, your Smile Direct Club treatments take around 6 months to complete. If you’re using their Nighttime Aligners, this goes up to about 10 months.
The exact duration depends on the extent of the treatment, so you won’t have an accurate sense of your treatment time until after your dental scan or impression has been analyzed.
How does Smile Direct Club work?
Getting set up with Smile Direct Club is straightforward. These are the main steps:
Take a Mold of Your Teeth
Order an at-home impression kit to create a mold of your teeth.
At-home impression kits cost $59 (currently on offer for $29).
The kit provides a guide on how to create a 3D impression of your teeth to send back to Smile Direct Club.
Alternatively, if you live near a SmileShop, you can also make an appointment for a dental scan which is offered for free.
If it turns out that you are not suitable for treatment, Smile Direct Club will refund the cost of your impression kit.
Licensed dentists create your custom treatment plan
If you are suitable for Smile Direct Club treatment, your treatment plan will then be created.
Your invisible aligners will be designed, manufactured, and sent to your door.
Wear your aligners
Within 4-5 weeks, your invisible aligners will arrive.
You’ll then need to wear them for at least 22 hours per day with the Clear Aligner plan – or 10 hours per night with the Nighttime Aligner plan.
Your teeth will gradually shift into the desired position over the course of your treatment.
It is normal to experience mild discomfort or soreness as your teeth and gums get used to the aligners, which shouldn’t last longer than a few days.
The majority of Smile Direct Club treatments are completed within 6 months, which is quicker than the average 12-18 months required by Invisalign and traditional braces.
Smile Direct Club’s Nighttime Aligners take around 10 months because the aligners are worn for less time each day.
Maintain your results
When your treatment is complete, you’ll need to wear retainers to maintain your results. A retainer is not included in the price of your treatment.
It can be purchased from Smile Direct Club for $99 and should be replaced around every 6 months.
Special Offer Smile Direct Club
$25 impression kit (free after rebate). Click below and use code SDC2021:
Impression kit reduced from $59 for a limited time.
How much is Smile Direct Club per month?
If you opt for a one-off payment, Smile Direct Club costs only $1,950 for both their Clear Aligner and Nighttime Aligner treatments.
You can also pay monthly with SmilePay. After a $250 down payment, you pay only $85 per month for 24 months, amounting to a total of $2,386.
Their Nighttime Clear Aligner treatment is the same price, allowing you to choose the option best for your lifestyle without being influenced by price.
Note that the price doesn’t include the at-home impression kit you will need at the start and your retainer, which you will need to use once you complete treatment.
Smile Direct Club Customer Reviews
Smile Direct Club scored 4.8 out of 5 stars from a total of 16,223 reviews on Trustpilot.
Customers loved how easy and straightforward it was to get started with Smile Direct. The staff in the SmileShop – where customers went for their initial scan – were reported to be friendly and professional. Any questions or concerns they had were answered promptly.
There were a few users who weren’t happy with the final results or who found the treatment painful.
However, most customers were thrilled with the customer service from Smile Direct and were grateful to have found an affordable and hassle-free dental treatment.
This is what a few new customers had to say:
Does Smile Direct Club really work?
Smile Direct Club does work and is an effective way to straighten teeth. Their treatments are discrete and affordable and can achieve results within a short space of time.
Tens of thousands of customers claim to have achieved a better smile as a result of their service.
Smile Direct Club is best for mild to moderate teeth alignment issues, and they provide courses at a fraction of the price of traditional braces or Invisalign.
For any more serious teeth alignment concerns, it is better to discuss your particular case with an orthodontist. They can help to determine the most suitable treatment for you.
Alternatively, if you go ahead with Smile Direct Club and purchase their at-home kit, you can take a mold of your teeth and apply for their treatment. If your case ends up being unsuitable, they will refund you the cost of the kit.
Smile Direct Club also feature before and after shots of their happy customers:
$25 impression kit for a limited time: Smile Direct Club
Special Offer Smile Direct Club
$25 impression kit (free after rebate). Click below and use code SDC2021:
Impression kit reduced from $59 for a limited time.
Invisalign Review
What are the benefits of Invisalign?
Like Smile Direct Club, Invisalign uses clear aligners to straighten teeth, providing a discrete and convenient option.
The main difference is that you can only receive Invisalign treatments through a licensed dentist or orthodontist. This gives you the benefit of knowing that your chosen dentist has created your treatment.
However, it does add significantly to the cost of the treatment. And you will have to attend regular dental appointments for 1-2 years until the course is completed.
How does Invisalign work?
Take the Invisalign Smile Assessment on their website
Before you make any appointments, you can answer a few quick questions on the Invisalign website to find out if their treatment is right for you.
Visit an Invisalign-trained dentist for a suitability assessment
If you decide to give it a go, make an appointment with an Invisalign-trained dentist or orthodontist. They will take a precise 3D digital scan of your teeth in order to create your custom treatment plan.
Receive and wear your custom-made invisible aligners
You will be notified when your aligners are ready to be picked up from your dentist’s office. Before you begin to wear them, your dentist will ensure that your aligners fit properly, let you know what to expect from your treatment, and answer any questions you might have.
You will need to wear your aligners for 20-22 hours per day for the best results. You will need to wear each set of aligners for one to two weeks, as detailed by your dentist in your treatment plan.
Regular in-person check-ups with your dentist to monitor progress
You will likely have in-office check-ups every six to eight weeks to monitor your progress and pick up the next set of aligners.
The average treatment time for adults is 12-18 months, but the total treatment time will vary depending on the extent of the treatment.
Do you have to wear a retainer forever after Invisalign?
As with all teeth straightening, you will need to wear a retainer at night afterward to maintain your results.
After about a year, however, you can reduce the amount of time you wear the retainer.
Once you complete your Invisalign treatment, your doctor will recommend a retainer-wearing plan for you.
How expensive is Invisalign?
Invisalign say that their treatment can cost anywhere from $3000-$7000. The average cost of Invisalign treatment is approximately $6000.
The exact price of Invisalign is determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the extent of treatment required.
Is Invisalign cheaper than braces?
Traditional metal braces usually cost $2000-$6000, so Invisalign falls within a similar price range. Sometimes they can even be more expensive.
The benefits of Invisalign would be the way they look compared to traditional braces, and the convenience of being able to remove the clear aligners to eat and drink.
Invisalign Customer Reviews
Invisalign has plenty of positive reviews. They scored an average of 4.4 out of 5 stars from a total of 149 reviews across 2 independent platforms (Best Company and Consumer Affairs).
Many customers were satisfied with their results, though some said the treatment took longer than they expected.
Does Invisalign really work?
Overall, Invisalign is an effective solution for many teeth alignment problems, such as crooked teeth, overbite, and underbite. Invisalign is effective for some more severe problems that other invisible aligner companies are not able to treat.
Invisalign might fail or take longer to work if patients forget to wear their aligners or don’t wear them for long enough.
How are invisible braces different from traditional braces?
Invisible aligners look very different, but they work on teeth in a similar way to traditional wire braces.
The treatment begins with a first set of aligners that are molded specifically for your teeth.
The course is then split into stages, with a different aligner provided for each stage. You switch from one aligner to the next every two weeks or so. Each new aligner moves the teeth gradually into a straighter position.
While you wear them, they will use controlled force to gradually shift your teeth into a straighter position.
These are the main differences between invisible braces and traditional ones:
Materials
Traditional braces are made from metal or ceramic. The braces are glued to your teeth and tied together with small rubber bands.
Invisible braces are made of BPA-free clear plastic. For this reason, invisible braces can be removed often for eating and drinking. Traditional braces cannot.
Invisible braces are also less likely to irritate your cheeks and gums like metal braces often do.
Maintenance
The ability to remove invisible braces also makes them easier to maintain. With traditional braces, cleaning around them is a complex task.
With invisible braces, you just need to remove them and rinse them with water.
Appearance
The patient can choose the colour of their metal braces based on their preferences, but the braces will still be very noticeable.
As the name suggests, invisible braces are not meant to be visible. They are clear and more difficult to notice.
Cost
The cost of invisible braces is very varied, but DIY at-home companies like Smile Direct Club or Byte are much cheaper than traditional braces.
Invisalign is similarly priced to traditional braces as they include regular visits to the dentist as part of the service. Dentists may also mark up the price of the aligners.
Dentist Appointments
Traditional braces are monitored entirely by your dentist, who will check and adjust your wires at least once a month.
Invisalign follows a similar in-person approach, however, Smile Direct Club is monitored remotely. You will not need to attend any in-person appointments.
Effectiveness
Invisible braces are usually only suitable for mild to moderate teeth alignment issues. Traditional braces are effective for more complex dental issues.
Treatment Time
Invisible braces like Smile Direct Club are known for working faster than traditional braces. Because they must be removed and reinserted, how consistently they are worn is a large factor in how well they work.
Are invisible braces safe?
All brands of invisible braces claim to provide the necessary level of monitoring to make them safe. When used correctly, with no complications arising, invisible braces are safe.
However, if complications do occur, having an at-home treatment can pose certain problems as you don’t have any in-office appointments. If this happens, it’s advised to contact the provider or to see a dentist for advice.
Invisalign includes regular in-office appointments throughout their treatment. This is safer because your dentist will adjust your treatment plan when necessary throughout the course of your treatment, as well as looking out for signs of gum disease or cavities.
If safety is a big concern, you may be better off speaking to your dentist about treatment options. That way, you will have more face-to-face guidance and support.
Is Smile Direct or Invisalign Better?
Depending on your needs and priorities, one company could work better for you than the other.
Smile Direct Club is better for people looking for an affordable and quick treatment for mild teeth misalignment, with no time-consuming appointments.
Treatments times are significantly shorter at 4-6 months for all-day aligner options. Prices are also much lower than those of Invisalign.
Invisalign is better for those who want the reassurance of in-person appointments. It is more expensive, and their treatment takes longer, but you have a dentist there to check for any complications that may occur.
Invisalign may therefore be better for more serious cases of teeth and jaw misalignment. They have some supplemental attachments that go with some of their treatments. So if you have more complex teeth alignment issues, Invisalign could be better for you.
Otherwise, Smile Direct Club provides a convenient, discrete, and affordable option to straighten teeth with a minimum of hassle and effort.
Special Offer Smile Direct Club
$25 impression kit (free after rebate). Click below and use code SDC2021:
Impression kit reduced from $59 for a limited time.
Smile Direct Club FAQs
What happens if I lose my Smile Direct Aligners?
You might be advised to wear your previous set of aligners or to move onto the next set. If you need a replacement aligner, Smile Direct Club will send the first set to you free of charge. For subsequent aligner replacements, you could be charged $99, depending on the circumstances.
Is Smile Direct Club FDA approved?
Smile Direct Club state that they are compliant with FDA regulations.
Is Smile Direct Club dangerous?
No Smile Direct Club is not considered to be dangerous. All at-home invisible aligner treatments have potential risks because of the lack of one to one supervision. However, most customers who complete the treatment correctly do not encounter any complications.
Can Smile Direct Club ruin my teeth?
No Smile Direct Club should not ruin your teeth. If you encounter any complications, you should get in touch with Smile Direct Club or visit your dentist for advice.
How do I cancel my Smile Direct Club?
You can cancel your Smile Direct Club by calling their customer service helpline and requesting cancellation or a refund where applicable.
Can Smile Direct Club cause receding gums?
It is unlikely that aligners are linked to gum recession. However, if you are concerned about this or have a history of gum disease, you should seek advice from your orthodontist before beginning any treatment.
What happens if I stop paying Smile Direct Club?
Your credit score may be affected, so you should contact Smile Direct Club to discuss cancellation options before you stop paying.
Special Offer Smile Direct Club
$25 impression kit (free after rebate). Click below and use code SDC2021:
Impression kit reduced from $59 for a limited time.
Invisalign FAQs
Can Invisalign make your teeth fall out?
Not exactly – any kind of orthodontic treatment could result in lost teeth if you had a pre-existing untreated disease. No dentist or orthodontist should begin Invisalign treatment in such circumstances.
How long do teeth stay loose after Invisalign?
Around 9-12 months. This is how long it takes for your body to build up bone to stabilize your teeth after undergoing teeth straightening treatments.
Can Invisalign damage gums?
If your gums are healthy before you begin treatment, Invisalign will not directly cause gum damage.
Does Invisalign weaken enamel?
It can do, because the aligners are covering your teeth most of the time. When less oxygen reaches your teeth, they become more vulnerable to the effects of the acid in what you eat and drink.
