Review and comparison of the top clear aligner brands

1

SmilePath

The most affordable invisible aligners brand in Australia

  • Pricing: $1624 or $90/month for Day Clear Aligners and $1734 or $96/month for NightOnly Clear Aligners
  • Average Treatment Duration: 4-6 months for Day Aligners and 6-8 months for NightOnly Aligners
  • Inclusion: Free set of retainers and teeth whitening kit
  • Plans: Clear Aligners and Nightonly Clear Aligners
  • Accepts Insurance: No

Read our full review of SmilePath Australia

Uses modernised technology to fasten up your treatment

  • Pricing: $2749 or $54.02 per fortnight for All-Day Aligners and $3399 or $66.52 per fortnight for At-Night Aligners
  • Average Treatment Duration: 4 months for All-Day Aligners and 5 months for At-Night Aligners
  • Inclusion: strongrightstrongyte, Hyperstrongyte and strongyte retainers
  • Plans: All-Day Aligners and At-Night Aligners
  • Accepts Insurance: Yes

Read our full review of Byte Australia

3

SmileDirectClub

Known as the pioneer of at-home invisible aligners, provides effective treatment and guaranteed results

  • Pricing: $2965 or make a deposit of $299 and pay $125/month
  • Average Treatment Duration: 4-6 months for SmileDirectClustrong Fulltime Aligners and 8-10 months for SmileDirectClustrong Nighttime Aligners™
  • Inclusion: Teeth whitening
  • Plans: SmileDirectClustrong Fulltime Aligners and SmileDirectClustrong Nighttime Aligners™
  • Accepts Insurance: Yes

Read our full review of SmileDirectClub Australia

4

Dr. Wondersmile

Offers in-person digital scans and get a chance to be benefitted from good quality invisible aligners

  • Pricing: $1950 or $49/week for All-Day Aligners and $2050 or $49/week for NightClear Aligners
  • Average Treatment Duration: 6 months for All-Day Aligners and 9 months NightClear Aligners
  • Plans: All-Day Aligners and NightClear Aligners
  • Accepts Insurance: No

Read our full review of Dr. Wondersmile

5

EZ Smile

The second most affordable invisible aligners brand in Australia. Provides comfortable aligners and a convenient treatment

  • Pricing: $2499 or make a deposit of $499 and pay $45 x 52 weeks
  • Average Treatment Duration: 4-8 months
  • Inclusion: Retainers
  • Plans: Clear Aligners
  • Accepts Insurance: No

Read our full review of EZ Smile

Features and Payment Options of Top Clear Aligner Brands

Invisible Aligner Brands Treatment Length Pricing Inclusion Plans Accepts Insurance
SmilePath
  • Day Aligners:4-6 months
  • NightOnly Aligners:6-8 months
  • $1624 or $90/month for Day Clear Aligners
  • $1734 or $96/month for NightOnly Clear Aligners
Free set of retainers and teeth whitening kit Clear Aligners and Nightonly Clear Aligners No
Byte
  • All-Day Aligners:4 months
  • At-Night Aligners:5 months
  • $2749 or $54.02/ per fortnight for All-Day Aligners
  • $3399 or $66.52/ per fortnight for At-Night Aligners
BrightByte, HyperByte and Byte retainers All-Day Aligners and At-Night Aligners Yes
SmileDirectClub
  • SmileDirectClub Fulltime Aligners: 4-6 months
  • SmileDirectClub Nighttime Aligners™: 8-10 months
$2965 or make a deposit of $299 and pay $125/month Teeth whitening SmileDirectClub Fulltime Aligners and SmileDirectClub Nighttime Aligners™ Yes
Dr. Wondersmile
  • All-Day Aligners: 6 months
  • NightClear Aligners: 9 months
  • $1950 or $49/week for All-Day Aligners
  • $2050 or $49/week for NightClear Aligners
All-Day Aligners and NightClear Aligners No
EZ SMILE 4-8 months $2499 or make a deposit of $499 and pay $45 x 52 weeks Retainers Clear Aligners No

What factors should be kept in mind while making a choice?

Every brand has different characteristics and we have listed a few of them for you to make up your mind about choosing the best clear aligner brand.

Pricing

Cost of clear aligners plays a huge role in selecting a brand. Generally, invisible aligner treatment is expensive in the case of in-office brands like Invisalign, as it requires you to make frequent visits to the dentist’s office throughout your treatment.

At-home clear aligner brands are cost-effective as they do not require anything else other than purchasing the aligner plan. The patients will be responsible for taking their dental impressions and can effectively manage their treatment from home. SmilePath has been termed as the most affordable brand in terms of clear aligner treatment.

With the purchase of SmilePath clear aligners, you will get the initial impression kit included in the cost of the plan. Brands like Byte and SmileDirectClub charge extra for the initial impression kit which increases the overall treatment cost.

Treatment length

Most at-home invisible aligner brands offer two kinds of aligner plans. Treatment length differs for the individual aligner plans. The average duration of treatment for Day aligners is 4-6 months which is a lot faster than traditional metal braces. Night aligners have less wear time and can take up to 8-10 months to fully align the patient’s teeth.

Treatment length can affect the total cost of your treatment. Complex cases might require more time to be fully treated, which can increase your overall treatment cost. Even with brands offering affordable clear aligners treatment, you will need to pay extra for additional aligners. Byte may not be the most affordable clear aligner plan, but it uses modern technology like HyperByte to fasten up your treatment which can minimize your treatment length.

Inclusions

Your aligner treatment does not simply depend on straightening your teeth with clear aligners. There are several other products needed to complete your treatment. At-home aligner brands have started offering these products as part of the aligner plan which saves up a lot on the total cost of the treatment.

Brands like SmilePath offer an initial impression kit as part of the aligner plan. Moreover, the aligner kit also includes a free teeth whitening kit and the first set of retainers. You will need to buy the initial impression kit separately if you are going for SmileDirectClub and Byte clear aligners. With SmileDirectClub, you will also need to purchase your first set of retainers after your aligner treatment ends, as it does not include any in the plan. Like Byte and SDC, EZ SMILE also requires you to pay for the impression kit, however, you always have the option to book a free scan.

Financing options

Brands offering at-home invisible aligners often provide several payment plans to cater to your financial needs. Financing options typically feature guaranteed approval but may require a down payment.

Additionally, some companies may offer payment plans through third-party providers, which do not require you to make a down payment.
You will need to choose the most cost-effective and budget-friendly option and to choose the best payment plan, it is recommended to consult with a customer support representative during the checkout process.

EZ SMILE offers four different financing options including a one-time payment, no deposit and interest-free and a monthly instalments option, which makes it easy for you to pay for your clear aligner treatment. SmilePath also offers four payment options, among which you can also pay every two weeks. Both brands offer payments through third-party providers like humm and zip.

Insurance

Standard health insurance typically does not cover orthodontic treatments such as traditional braces or at-home invisible aligners. Dental insurance may offer orthodontic benefits, including coverage for at-home invisible aligners. However, it depends on whether the insurance company considers invisible aligners a cosmetic treatment option.

For more information, patients can check the Insurance page on an at-home invisible aligners brand’s website. They will require them to provide the necessary information about their insurance company to determine if they have coverage. Standard health insurance plans don’t cover routine dental procedures.

Brands like Byte and SmileDirectClub accept insurance, and you can send them your insurance company’s information to check your coverage. SmilePath does not accept insurance. However, it provides you with all the necessary documents or receipts required to make an insurance claim with your provider.

Guarantee

At-home invisible aligner brands offer a treatment guarantee to ensure patients’ satisfaction. In case the patients are not happy with the results they got after completing their treatment, they will be provided with additional impression kits, new treatment plan options, and aligners either at no extra cost or a fraction of their original treatment’s cost.

SmileDirectClub offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and refunds you the full cost of your treatment if the results do not satisfy you within the first 30 days. Byte also offers a Byte Guarantee which leads them to provide additional treatment without any extra cost if your smile moves out of place after you have completed your Byte aligner treatment and worn your retainers as instructed.

Promotions

At-home invisible aligners brands offer a variety of promotions on their products. Some common types of discounts offered by these brands include referral discounts, seasonal discounts, and military discounts.

Referral discounts are typically offered to individuals who refer friends or family members. In SmilePath’s case, if you refer a friend, you will get $100 while your friend will get a discount of $25 on their purchase. Seasonal discounts are offered during certain times of the year and military discounts are available to active-duty service members or veterans. Brands like SmilePath, SDC and Byte offer military discounts.

To learn more about these promotions, it’s best to reach out to the brand’s customer support. The support agents can provide you with more information about your eligibility for the available promotions.

Support

Some of the at-home invisible aligners brands have quick customer support. The representatives are available 24/7 and you can reach out to them in case of any emergency or query. For example, misplacing your invisible aligners set can be a stressful experience, but it’s important to remember the necessary steps a patient can take to quickly replace them. The customer support representatives can guide the patient through the process and ensure that they receive their replacement aligners as soon as possible.

A little inconsistency in communication has been noticed with SDC and Byte. However, when it comes to SmilePath, they have efficient customer support. Their customer support is available 24/7 and even manually handles your orders if you need to divide your money between accounts.

Choosing your comfort

You have already been presented with a convenient choice with at-home clear aligners. Further ease in the treatment will depend upon the perks your brand is offering. SmilePath offers the most affordable aligners, which go easy on your pocket and makes aligner treatment accessible for everyone. In case, you are not comfortable making your dental impressions at home, you can book a free 3D scan with Dr. Wondersmile and EZ SMILE. Byte does not offer affordable aligners, but it offers a vibrating device called HyperByte which makes your treatment easier and quicker. SmileDirectClub provides security by offering a 30-day money-back guarantee which implies that you can get your money back if you are not satisfied with your aligner treatment within the first 30 days of your treatment.

Every brand has some perks to offer and a few limitations of its own. Teeth straightening is a serious business, and you can take your time to assess every individual quality to choose the best brand according to your satisfaction.

What do we suggest?

Based on affordable pricing and quality of treatment, we skimmed through all the available options and choose the best ones among them, to list here for your ease. Have you still not been able to make up your mind regarding a specific aligner brand? Don’t worry, we can make it convenient for you by minimizing it to the top two choices we have selected for you;

SmilePath

SmilePath offers the most affordable clear aligner treatment. It has excellent customer support which is available 24/7 and can answer your queries.

Visit the website

BYTE

Byte clear aligners might not be the most affordable in the market. However, they do shorten the treatment length with the help of HyperByte. Byte’s customer support has also been termed as efficient.

Visit the website