![Candid vs. AlignerCo: An Honest Comparison](https://smileprep.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/AlignerCo-vs-Candid-1000x563.png)
On the surface, Candid and AlignerCo have a lot in common. Both companies offer convenient clear aligner treatment, and both are more affordable than traditional options like Invisalign and braces. But when you dig a bit deeper, there are actually some major differences between them.
We’re here to help you decipher these differences and determine the features you value most. In this comparison review, we’ll take you on an in-depth tour of Candid’s hybrid in-person/at-home care and AlignerCo’s completely remote service, providing all the information you need to choose the best clear aligner treatment for you.
Table of Contents
Overview and Recommendation
Two Great Companies, but Candid Gets Our Vote
AlignerCo is the most affordable option out there, but price is just one aspect of home aligner treatment. By incorporating in-person care and intensive remote oversight, we think Candid goes above and beyond to ensure personalized, top-quality care.
Why do we rank Candid higher than AlignerCo? Two reasons:
- Premium Treatment: Unlike AlignerCo, Candid treatment is administered by a local dentist who stays involved from start to finish. Although the process typically only requires two dental office visits, your dentist can track your progress virtually thanks to Candid’s remote monitoring system (CandidMonitoring) and request additional appointments with you if any issues arise. AlignerCo requires that you submit photos of your teeth every two weeks, but they don’t give you special equipment or involve a local dentist in the review process.
- Two-Fold Support: Between your local dentist and Candid’s support team (accessible seven days a week via the Candid app), Candid treatment comes with an abundance of support all along the way. By all accounts, AlignerCo’s support team is helpful and responsive, but we think it’s tough to deliver a truly personalized experience without ever meeting your patient. During Candid treatment, you’ll have access to a dentist who has personally examined your teeth, plus a remote team who has reviewed your regular check-ins.
All that said, there’s a lot to like about AlignerCo too, especially when it comes to cost. Their standard price of $995 makes them the most affordable brand we reviewed.
But this decision isn’t just about money. It’s also about your safety and well-being, and in our opinion, in-person care makes for a more intensive, comprehensive treatment.
Our Review Methodology
Smile Prep’s reviews are prepared and presented from the perspective of a well-informed consumer. Our starting point for all of our reviews is a careful survey of a company’s marketing claims and available third party customer reviews. We rely on the accuracy of company claims and do not independently verify them. Our reviews use this information to help our readers get information about the available options in a centralized location. You can learn more about our review process by checking out our publishing principles.
Scope of Treatment Comparison
Candid and AlignerCo are two companies that straighten smiles — but one difference between them is which misalignments they can correct. Both options are more limited than fully in-office systems, but Candid can address some slightly more complex issues.
Candid Treatment Scope
AlignerCo Treatment Scope
- Treats cosmetic issues and mild-to-moderate bite concerns.
- Can incorporate attachments and IPR.
- Can shift any teeth, including molars.
- Requires virtual check-ins using the ScanBox and CandidApp every 14 days.
- Treats mild-to-moderate cosmetic concerns.
- Mostly moves the front 6–8 teeth in either arch.
- Can’t incorporate attachments and IPR.
- Requires bi-weekly photo check-ins.
What Candid and AlignerCo Treat
Candid doesn’t say much on their site about what they can and cannot treat. However, their partner dentists often do. While some dental partners advertise a wider scope than others, most say Candid can treat the following:
- Mild-to-moderate crowding
- Snaggletooth
- Mild-to-moderate spacing
- Mild-to-moderate overbite or overjet
- Underbite
- Crossbite
Since Candid is a hybrid option, your dentist will see you in person to begin treatment, and can schedule additional office visits as needed. That direct oversight means Candid can include attachments like engagers, bite ramps, and pontics. Their planning software also accounts for IPR (interproximal reduction) — the removal of a small amount of enamel to make room between the teeth. Candid also says they can move all the teeth, molars included, and even expand the arch.
How does AlignerCo compare? Since it is a fully remote treatment, it is naturally more limited. According to their website, they can typically address the following issues:
- Mild-to-moderate crowding
- Mild-to-moderate spacing
- Mild-to-moderate overbite or overjet
- Limited underbite
- Localized crossbite
An AlignerCo representative told us they generally focus on the frontmost 6–8 teeth in either arch. And since there are no office visits, they can’t use attachments.
What Candid and AlignerCo Customers Say
We found reviews for both Candid and AlignerCo customers who received treatment for crowding and spacing. Fewer customers reported getting treatment for bite issues, although some did with each company. However, many of Candid’s customer reviews came from before they implemented their CandidPro hybrid model, so we’d recommend taking them with a grain of salt.
Clinical Oversight
Office visits are crucial to traditional orthodontics. You see the doctor around every 4–10 weeks to check on progress, alter attachments, or adjust the treatment schedule. In our opinion, remote oversight can’t necessarily match what you get in an office, but we think Candid comes pretty close. You’ll use their ScanBox to take detailed photos of your smile every 14 days and upload them via their app. Candid’s AI analyzes your images and contacts your dentist if anything seems off. Studies identified by our non-dentist editorial team have shown that this type of oversight can be accurate enough for clinical applications.
AlignerCo also has remote check-ins every 14 days through the AlignerTracker app. They don’t have a special scanning tool or AI analysis at this time, though, so it isn’t quite as comprehensive as Candid’s system.
Quality of Materials
Aligners get the majority of their strength from their plastic. Candid uses Zendura tri-layer FLX plastic, which Zendura states retains 50+% more orthodontic force over time than some other materials.
AlignerCo gets their plastics from Raintree Essix. These premium plastics have been used in various aligners since 2005, meaning they have a long track record of success.
Affordability Comparison
The first thing many adults check when considering clear aligner treatment is their budget. This is where AlignerCo shines, offering the lowest prices of all the companies we reviewed.
Considering the quality of their treatment model and the hands-on care you’ll receive, we think Candid is often a great value. AlignerCo is a consistent favorite for anyone on a tight budget. However, affordability isn’t one-dimensional. Make sure to also look beyond price tags to consider financing options and other perks.
Candid Affordability
AlignerCo Affordability
- $3,500+ on average, depending on your dentist’s location.
- Price includes office visits, plus the CandidMonitoring service and equipment.
- Aftercare retainers cost $99.
- You can typically enroll in a financing plan through your dentist’s office or third-party companies.
- $995 sticker price
- Initial payment includes one set of aftercare retainers.
- The sticker price also includes your impression kit.
- Multiple financing options — one requires a soft credit check, the other requires a down payment.
Sticker Price
AlignerCo’s standard pricing beats the rest of the companies we reviewed by a long shot. Their listed price is $995 (or $1,195 for their NightOnly aligners), which is several hundred dollars cheaper than the industry average. This upfront cost includes your aligners, impression kit, and one set of aftercare retainers.
Each individual dentist can set their own rates for Candid, so there’s not an overarching sticker price. And since you’ll be paying for your dentist’s time in the office and via remote monitoring, that price is usually $3,500 or more. It can vary based on your dentist’s location, and it’s still usually cheaper than Invisalign, but it’s almost always going to be pricier than AlignerCo and every other at-home aligner service.
There’s no impression kit necessary because your dentist will take teeth scans to start your Candid treatment, but you’ll still need to pay $99 for aftercare retainers.
Payment Plans
Initial cost isn’t everything, though. Most people don’t have $900–$3,500 of cash in their pocket, so financing is an important part of aligner treatment affordability. You should be able to enroll in a payment plan for either option, but they have very different procedures.
AlignerCo has two different in-house financing options. Their SmileFlex plan requires a soft credit check and if you qualify, it’s twelve monthly payments of $83. If you’re not as confident in your credit score, you can enroll in their SmileFlex Easy plan, since there’s no credit check and everyone qualifies. It includes a $335 down payment followed by six monthly payments of $135.
You won’t be paying Candid directly for your treatment — you’ll be paying your dentist. The good news is that some dental offices offer payment plans, and even if yours doesn’t, they can probably point you toward a good third-party financing company. If you’re interested in financing your Candid aligners, discuss your options with your dentist.
With either option, you can break the total cost into manageable chunks, although AlignerCo might be better if you’re not confident in your credit score. Either way, most payment plans include interest, so it’s worth it to pay upfront anyway if you can make the finances work!
Free Extras
When you receive your Candid aligner package, it will include free whitening foam, plus the ScanBox device and their remote monitoring service.
AlignerCo throws in a free whitening kit as well, plus they include one set of aftercare retainers in your sticker price, which normally costs $215.
Convenience Comparison
Just the elimination of office visits makes AlignerCo an inherently convenient treatment. And while their convenience is just average compared to other at-home services, they’ve taken steps to help make your treatment simpler and easier. We think Candid is more streamlined than other treatments that incorporate in-person care, like Invisalign, but in our opinion, AlignerCo’s fully remote care and nighttime-only plan are tough to beat.
Candid Convenience
AlignerCo Convenience
- Has a network of 800+ dentist partners who will kick off your treatment during an office visit.
- Takes 3–4 weeks to design, produce, and ship your aligners.
- Does not offer a nighttime-only option, only the full-time, 22+ hour/day schedule.
- Says their average treatment time is 8.5 months.
- Does not offer in-person teeth scans, so customers will need to use the impression kit.
- Takes around five weeks to design, produce, and ship your aligners.
- Offers a nighttime-only option that requires aligner use for only ten hours per day.
- Claims their average treatment time is around 4–6 months.
Getting Started
To get started with any clear aligner treatment, you need to submit images of your teeth. But how you get those images can vary significantly.
Choose AlignerCo and you’ll need to purchase an impression kit and use it to create molds of your teeth. You can complete this kit entirely from home, but you need to make perfect impressions to create well-fitting aligners, and that’s not always easy. If you nail them on the first try, it’s a pretty convenient process. If you don’t, it can be a bit frustrating, and you might need to order additional kits.
The first step for Candid is scheduling an office visit with one of their network providers, who will determine if you’re a good candidate, scan your teeth, and take X-rays. While it might mean taking a couple of hours off work, this in-person appointment ensures that Candid gets accurate dental images and lets you meet face-to-face with the dentist who will be involved throughout the process.
After that, you’ll upload photos of your teeth to the CandidApp every 14 days. That gives you another task to remember, but it also allows your dentist and Candid’s team to address complications before they become serious, which could save time and money in the long run.
The only potential issue with Candid’s model is that it’s only available to people who live near one of their 800+ dentist partners. They’re working to expand that network, but for now, if you can’t find one of their dentists nearby, you’ll need to look into other options.
Turnaround Times
After submitting impressions or visiting your dentist, it’s time to play the waiting game. Creating a full treatment plan isn’t necessarily a quick process. It requires the dentist or orthodontist to examine your teeth, decide the best course of action, then craft an entire series of aligners that will achieve your desired outcome.
So, don’t expect to find aligners waiting in your mailbox two days later. On average, Candid says it takes 1–2 weeks to develop a treatment plan for your dentist and three more to manufacture and ship your aligners. That’s similar to most in-office aligners and faster than many at-home ones. AlignerCo is pretty similar — they say it takes two weeks to create your treatment plan, then three more to manufacture and ship your aligners.
Treatment Timeline
A brand new smile is exciting, but it also takes time. How much time? That depends on your specific condition and the treatment you choose. Candid says their average aligner plan is 8.5 months long, although your dentist will give you a more accurate timeframe. AlignerCo says their standard treatment often takes 4–6 months, though if you opt for their NightOnly treatment that extends to 6–8 months.
Of course, either option will have certain cases that may take longer or shorter. You won’t know for sure until your Candid provider or AlignerCo’s team has a chance to analyze your smile.
Nighttime-Only Treatment Option?
Think about your life with aligners, wearing them 22+ hours per day, only removing them to eat and drink, switching to a new set every week. Sound reasonable? Great! But if you don’t think you could work this commitment into your schedule, a nighttime-only like AlignerCo’s NightOnly plan could be the right move for you.
On this plan, you’ll wear each set of aligners for ten hours per day instead of the usual 22, and switch to the next set after two weeks instead of one. Of course, this extends AlignerCo’s overall timeline, but some people like having a flexible option if you don’t think an all-day schedule will work for you.
Like comprehensive in-office options, Candid doesn’t currently offer a nighttime-only plan. Your dentist will determine your wear schedule, but they’ll most likely advise you to wear your aligners for 22+ hours per day.
Appearance Comparison
Glance over the websites of various clear aligner companies and you’ll find some claiming to have the “best looking” or “most invisible” aligners, and each for different reasons. This is because aligner aesthetics is a largely subjective category and every customer has their own preferences. As you examine Candid and AlignerCo aligners, consider your own preferences to help you decide which brand you’ll find better looking.
Candid Appearance
AlignerCo Appearance
- Uses a frosted, textured plastic.
- Uses straight-cut aligners that slightly overlap your gums.
- Doesn’t always incorporate attachments.
- Reasonably stain-resistant.
- Uses a smooth, translucent, shiny plastic.
- Scallops their aligners to match your gum line.
- Doesn’t incorporate attachments.
- Reasonably stain-resistant.
Aligner Material
Examine Candid and AlignerCo aligners side-by-side and the first thing you’ll notice is a difference in material. Candid aligners have a frosted, textured appearance while AlignerCo’s are smooth and translucent.
AlignerCo’s website claims that their aligners are clearer than the competition, and they’re certainly translucent. You might think that this would make them less noticeable, but we’re not so sure. Your teeth are porous, so their surfaces are naturally matte. Therefore, we think aligners with a matte appearance (like Candid’s) look more natural, while translucent, smooth aligners can make your teeth look artificially shiny.
That said, aesthetic preferences vary from person to person, and some customers actually prefer translucent aligners, which they say make their smile “gleam.”
Aligner Cut
Candid cuts their aligners straight across the top, which may improve their force transfer, but we think also makes them slightly more visible. In close quarters, someone could potentially see where the aligner overlaps your gums. Aligners cut to match your gum line, like AlignerCo’s, are less visible, but it’s up to you whether this advantage is worth the slightly reduced power.
Stain Resistance
Clear aligners are typically susceptible to certain stains, so we would not recommend drinking colored beverages while wearing them.
Attachments
In some cases, fully in-person treatments like Invisalign and ClearCorrect will include small attachments affixed to the surfaces of the teeth, which help their aligners exert more force. While these attachments can improve aligners’ control and range of tooth movements, they can also make the aligners more noticeable.
AlignerCo doesn’t include attachments on any of their aligners. Candid allows for them, but they won’t be needed in all cases.
Patient Experience Comparison
Treatment scope, affordability, convenience, appearance — they don’t mean much if the company or dentist behind your treatment doesn’t take care of you. And when it comes to patient experience, we think in-person care is king.
The combination of face-to-face and remote oversight you’ll receive with Candid puts its patient experience much closer to what you’d get from traditional orthodontic treatments than at-home services. AlignerCo’s support team appears to be responsive and friendly. Even so, we think it’s difficult for a remote support team to deliver the same personalization and intensive oversight.
Candid Patient Experience
AlignerCo Patient Experience
- Offers numerous support platforms, including video chat and their mobile app, in addition to your dentist’s office.
- Provides check-ins every 14 days via CandidMonitoring.
- Has received excellent customer reviews.
- Your dentist can potentially provide assistance if you’re not satisfied with your results.
- Provides standard support options, including email, phone, and webchat.
- Requires you to send photos of your teeth via email every 14 days.
- Many customers praise their customer support, but they’ve received some negative feedback too.
- You can request a refinement if you’re not happy with your results, but you might need to pay extra.
Support Options
Candid’s patient support is two-fold. Your dentist will provide treatment, and you’ll also have near-constant access to the Candid remote care team, who can answer your questions and bring your dentist into the loop if necessary.
CandidMonitoring gives your dentist and Candid’s team the chance to review photos of your teeth every 14 days and address any issues as they arise. If anything comes up between check-ins, we think the most convenient way to contact their team is via live chat on the CandidApp. However, service representatives are also available by phone, chat, and email every day (including weekends) from 9am to 7pm.
AlignerCo doesn’t have the same broad array of support channels, but their representatives are available via email, phone, and webchat from 9am to 6pm EST, seven days a week. They also require you to submit photos every 14 days through the AlignerTracker app.
Responsiveness & Helpfulness
To gain a more comprehensive view of the customer experience, we dug into online reviews for both companies, and both appear to have very satisfied customers.
Many AlignerCo reviewers have had only good things to say about their customer support team. We tested out their webchat and received a response almost immediately. Plus, they’ll respond to all email inquiries within 24 hours. However, some customers have reported frustration with having to go back and forth with their representatives to get helpful answers.
In our opinion, even the best remote support can’t match the level of personalization and in-depth care you’ll receive from a dentist’s office. Not only does Candid include the personal touch of a dentist, but their support team also appears extremely responsive to customer requests for help or support, and we’ve encountered very few complaints in this department.
Satisfaction Guarantee
Let’s say you get to the end of your treatment and aren’t 100% satisfied with what you see. Then what? First, know that if you follow your wear schedule and treatment plan exactly, there’s an extremely good chance that you’ll get the results you want. But occasionally teeth simply don’t move as expected.
If you followed your treatment plan but aren’t completely satisfied, AlignerCo lets you request refinement aligners, but they cost an extra $200.
If you’re deemed ineligible for Candid treatment, you might receive a refund for what you’ve paid so far, but it’s ultimately up to your dentist. If you aren’t satisfied with the way your teeth are progressing, contact your dentist. The benefit of having a local professional in the loop is that they can potentially bring you back to the office for another examination and come up with an appropriate solution.
AlignerCo provides a full refund for any expenses incurred if you’re not approved as a candidate for treatment. But if you’re approved and you agree to treatment, they won’t accept returns or issue refunds. If your dentist determines you’re not eligible for Candid treatment, they may give a refund as well, but it depends on the individual dentist.
Company Backgrounds
Candid Company Background
AlignerCo Company Background
- Founded in 2017.
- Has grown to become one of the industry’s largest clear aligner producers.
- Made a name for themselves through high-quality products and excellent customer service.
- Founded in 2019.
- Found their niche as the most affordable home aligner option.
- Still small, but has a growing customer base.
Even though they just hit the market in 2017, Candid has experienced a rapid ascent in the home aligner industry. They’re currently one of the largest clear aligner providers and they’re still growing.
They began by developing an at-home treatment similar to AlignerCo’s current model, and they showed a dedication to top-quality products and support. Their treatment took off, transforming thousands of smiles over a few years, and they’ve kept up that quality-focused mindset with their hybrid CandidPro model. In our opinion, Candid has continued to deliver quality treatment by having local dentists administer every treatment plan and implementing a robust remote monitoring system.
AlignerCo entered the scene in 2019 but counters their relative inexperience with incredibly affordable prices — the lowest in the industry. Most impressively, they haven’t sacrificed product quality to achieve these low prices. Customers have flocked to AlignerCo for their cost-effectiveness, and according to their reviews, many end up satisfied with their results.
What Are Candid Patients Saying?
When we review a company like AlignerCo or Candid, we start by digging through online user reviews to understand the common issues customers face, and how the company handles them. Here’s how these two treatments stack up.
Candid
The CandidPro model is so new that online reviews are virtually non-existent, so it’s tough to get a fully formed view of their patient experience. That said, Candid’s fully remote option long inspired rave customer reviews, which speaks to the quality of their results and patient support.
Candid has numerous honest and straightforward online reviewers who don’t appear to be sponsored by the company. The general sentiment from these reviews is that patients feel satisfied and valued.
Most patients had very few issues with their clear aligners and expressed excitement about starting and continuing their treatment. In cases where something went wrong, Candid took care of it efficiently and inspired satisfaction in the outcome.
In addition to the unbiased Candid reviews we’ve collected from our readers, we encourage you to check out the video reviews below to get a look at what real patients have to say. (Keep in mind that these are reviews of Candid’s old fully remote service, not the new CandidPro hybrid model).
![](https://smileprep.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Jesse-Video-Review-300x225.jpeg)
![](https://smileprep.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Giti-Video-Review-300x225.jpeg)
AlignerCo
As we mentioned earlier, AlignerCo is a relatively new company. They don’t yet have a ton of customer reviews and testimonials, so it’s tough to develop a fully-formed view. But through diligent research, we were able to find a handful of reviews that feel honest and authentic, not sponsored by the company.
Based on these reviews, AlignerCo customers generally feel good about their experience. Many customers initially considered AlignerCo for the price, but ended up loving their results. Some reviewers reported delays in their treatment process and frustrating customer support experiences, but most of the company’s reviews are positive.
But again, this is based on a small sample size of reviews. As they continue to grow, they’ll accumulate more and we’ll get a more complete picture of their customer experience.
Take a look at these video reviews submitted by our readers for an unbiased look at what real customers have to say about AlignerCo.
![AlignerCo Video Review](https://smileprep.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/AlignerCo-Video-Review-300x225.jpeg)
![AlignerCo Video Review](https://smileprep.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Tori-Ann-Video-Review-300x225.jpeg)
Which Home Teeth Aligner Should You Use?
Candid and AlignerCo have a lot in common, but their differences are where you want to focus when making a final decision. If you’re still not sure which clear aligner treatment to choose, let’s look at a couple of scenarios that might help you choose the best option for your teeth.
Consider Candid if You Are:
Seeking the reassurance that comes from in-person care, paired with the ease of at-home treatment.
Consider AlignerCo if You Are:
Searching for the lowest prices available along with reliable products and solid customer service, and don’t mind working with a newer company.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get started with Candid or AlignerCo?
To begin your AlignerCo treatment, you need to first submit molds of your teeth using an impression kit. Their dental team will use these molds to determine your candidacy and design your aligners. Every Candid patient begins their treatment by visiting one of their 800+ network dentists, who will provide an initial consultation and teeth scans. This dentist remains involved throughout the entire process.
What are patients saying about Candid and AlignerCo?
The new CandidPro model has next to no reviews online, but Candid’s old at-home aligner treatment has a ton of online reviews from real patients, and a large majority of them are positive. Many appreciate Candid’s consistent clinical oversight and support. As a newer company, AlignerCo has a lot fewer reviews, but customers generally love their low prices and personalized customer service.
What is the clear aligner option with the widest treatment scope?
It’s tough to contend with Invisalign. As a comprehensive in-office treatment that can incorporate orthodontic attachments, their aligners can handle just about any condition, no matter how severe. Other in-office options — like ClearCorrect, SureSmile, and 3M Clarity Aligners — can treat just as much.
What is the cheapest clear aligner option?
AlignerCo. At just $995, their price beats every competitor we’ve reviewed by at least several hundred dollars, and sometimes they run promotions that drop it even lower. And if you can’t pay that up front, you can jump on a financing plan, regardless of your credit score. Check out our complete AlignerCo review for more info, or find other great-value options in our guide to the most affordable home aligners.
How do I know which option is right for me?
We recommend looking at five things: treatment scope, affordability, convenience, appearance, and customer experience. It’s all about finding the one that fits with your priorities, timeline, and budget.
Will home aligners work for me?
It depends on your condition. Since home aligners don’t require office visits and in-person oversight, they can’t treat severe conditions like most jaw misalignments. If you have a mild or moderate case of crowding or spacing, you’re probably a good fit, though.
How do Candid and AlignerCo compare to Invisalign?
Both treatments use a series of clear aligners to shift your teeth. Invisalign is capable of treating almost any misalignment over the course of 12–18 months and requires office visits around every 4–10 weeks. Candid is also administered in person by a dentist, but part of your treatment will take place at home, where you’ll complete virtual check-ins.
AlignerCo is a completely at-home service, so a team of dentists and orthodontists will develop your aligner plan remotely, then ship them to you. Both Candid and AlignerCo have a smaller range of treatable cases than Invisalign. Take a look at our Candid vs. Invisalign and AlignerCo vs. Invisalign guides for a deeper analysis.
How long does clear aligner treatment take?
If you choose a fully in-office treatment like Invisalign or ClearCorrect, it typically takes 12–18 months, although that’s often because those aligners are used for more complex dental and jaw shifts. As a hybrid model that incorporates both in-office and at-home components, Candid says their average treatment wraps up in 8.5 months, while services that don’t require any in-person care like AlignerCo and SmileDirectClub typically advertise an average treatment plan length of 4–6 months. Your timeline could be shorter or longer, though, depending on your condition’s severity and how consistently you wear your aligners.
What other companies should I consider?
If you want the hands-on touch of a local dentist — or you’re worried about the severity of your misalignment — go with Invisalign or ClearCorrect. For at-home options, Byte, SmileDirectClub, and NewSmile are all worth a look. Each one has its own advantages. Byte uses cutting edge technology to make their treatment highly efficient, SmileDirectClub has the most experience and brand power, and NewSmile is an up-and-coming company with affordable prices and quality aligners. Read through our guide to the top five home aligner companies for more on each option.
How much do at-home clear aligners cost?
They go for around $900–$2,000, depending on which company you choose. AlignerCo, for example, has cut out the bells and whistles to provide treatment at just $995, while the industry average is around $1,900. Candid’s hybrid model often costs $3,500+, which is still slightly less than the average costs of Invisalign or braces.
Does insurance cover home aligners?
Sometimes, but not often. Many insurance providers don’t cover cosmetic treatments, which can include home aligners. If your plan includes orthodontic benefits, though, you might receive partial reimbursement. The only way to know for sure is to contact your provider directly.
Are home aligners safe?
At-home clear aligner treatment plans are always designed and/or approved by a licensed dentist or orthodontist — as long as you’re buying from a legitimate clear aligner service.
The main concern regarding the safety of fully-remote clear aligner treatment is the lack of face-to-face care. Since you won’t be seeing a dentist in-person during treatment, you won’t receive the same level of support that you’d get with traditional in-office aligners like Invisalign or ClearCorrect. That said, a recent NIH-funded survey found the majority of at-home aligner customers were satisfied with their results, and only 6.6% experienced side effects necessitating a visit to their local dentist.
Read our guide to safe home teeth straightening treatment for more information.
Do clear aligners hurt?
When you switch to a new aligner set every two weeks, you might experience some discomfort for the first day or two, but after that, you’ll hardly notice them.
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