There are quite a few options for at-home teeth alignment in Australia today, and two are Byte and Dr. Wondersmile. Both companies deliver aligner treatment directly to your home and make small tooth shifts.
But they’re far from identical. Each has unique advantages and drawbacks, and this comparison review will cover all the most important ones. By the end, you’ll have all the info you need to decide if Dr. Wondersmile or Byte is the right choice for your smile.
They’ve since resurfaced under the name Dr. Wondersmile and promised to continue serving their customers. However, given their previous struggles to deliver treatment and their poor communication regarding their shutdown, we’d still encourage readers to consider a different provider at this time.
Table of Contents
Overview and Recommendation: Byte Wins
For a while, Dr. Wondersmile was a legitimate competitor for Byte, providing similar products, services, and results. However, in the wake of their sudden shutdown and subsequent reopening, we think they’re a much riskier choice. But even before all that happened, we preferred Byte for three primary reasons.
- The HyperByte Device: There’s evidence that the gentle micropulses from high-frequency vibration devices like the HyperByte can reduce discomfort and encourage faster dental shifts for some customers. Byte includes the HyperByte in the cost of every treatment plan.
- Exceptional Customer Support: Byte assigns each customer a personal advisor, who can answer questions and concerns throughout the treatment process. Plus, once you’re done with treatment, their Byte-for-Life guarantee protects your smile forever.
- Free Retainers: Byte includes your first set of aftercare retainers for free, while Dr. Wondersmile charges $99 per set.
Is Byte Right for You?
Byte is our top overall pick for at-home teeth alignment in Australia, while Dr. Wondersmile is no longer included in our rankings due to recent issues customers have had with unfulfilled orders. Choosing a teeth-straightening treatment is an incredibly personal decision, based on your dental and financial circumstances, but Byte’s efficiency and stellar customer support make them a solid option.
After considering their effectiveness, affordability, convenience, appearance, and customer experience, we think they’re a great choice for anyone with a mild-to-moderate misalignment.
Effectiveness Comparison
Neither Dr. Wondersmile nor Byte require any in-person appointments with a dentist or orthodontist. That might make them more convenient, but it also means they can’t correct severe misalignments like Invisalign or ClearCorrect can. Even so, they’ve both traditionally used high-quality materials. Byte typically delivers stunning results for people looking for cosmetic dental shifts, and while it’s possible that Dr. Wondersmile can too, the way they left so many customers hanging in early 2022 makes us wary.
Byte Effectiveness
Dr. WonderSmile Effectiveness
- Uses a mixed team of dentists and orthodontists.
- Backed by Dentsply Sirona, a widely respected dental supplies manufacturer.
- Recommends photo check-ins every two weeks, but doesn’t require them.
- Cuts aligners straight across the gums, increasing their power.
- Works solely with orthodontists to design and direct treatment.
- Manufactures their FDA-approved products in the USA and Germany.
- Monthly photo check-ins keep you on track.
- Cuts aligners straight across the gums, increasing their power.
Provider Network
Byte uses a team of dentists and orthodontists who design treatments in tandem, while Dr. Wondersmile says they only use orthodontists. General dentists have extensive knowledge about dental health, and they’re certainly qualified to design and implement clear aligners. However, orthodontists spend multiple years in specialized postgraduate training for dentofacial adjustments. If Dr. Wondersmile has truly resumed operations, you’ll have a highly specialized professional designing your treatment, as long as their new management decides to keep the orthodontist-only network.
Manufacturing Quality
Some companies openly disclose who manufactures their aligners, but that isn’t the case with Dr. Wondersmile. Their website just says their products are FDA-approved and manufactured in the USA and Germany. We can confirm that they use BPA-free plastic with no phthalates, and we’ve seen very few complaints regarding the quality or consistency of their aligners.
In late 2020, Byte was acquired by Dentsply Sirona, a reputable dental manufacturing company that makes cleaning instruments, scanning machines, retainers, and virtually any other dental equipment you can imagine. So you can be sure that Byte’s products are trustworthy and well-designed.
Clinical Oversight
In-person clear aligner treatments like Invisalign typically involve office visits every 4–6 weeks, and certain at-home aligner services have attempted to replicate this oversight with remote monitoring. Dr. Wondersmile requires every customer to upload monthly photos of their teeth so their team can make sure everything is progressing as planned. If not, they can adjust your treatment plan accordingly. But like the dental team, we don’t know if this will change with the company’s new management.
Byte recommends that every customer use the My Byte app to upload photos of their teeth every two weeks, but they only require it for people with certain conditions. If you choose to complete every suggested upload, you’ll have some pretty robust oversight. If not, you won’t have any.
Aligner Cut
Dr. Wondersmile and Byte both cut their aligners straight across your gums, which empowers the aligners to exert more force on your gums, increasing their effectiveness. The other option is to “scallop” the aligners to match each customer’s unique gum line. This method is somewhat less noticeable because there isn’t any plastic covering your gums, but it’s less effective than a straight cut.
Affordability Comparison
At-home aligners have skyrocketed in popularity in part because they’re a lot cheaper than traditional orthodontics, often costing thousands less than Invisalign or braces. However, pricing models vary between companies, and even though Dr. Wondersmile’s lower prices might look enticing, know that some customers paid the full price in 2022 and didn’t receive any aligners or refunds.
Byte Affordability
Dr. WonderSmile Affordability
- $2,749 sticker price ($3,399 for night-only aligners).
- Includes one set of retainers.
- Includes a whitening kit.
- Their impression kit costs $95.
- They have multiple financing options through Humm, but these might require a credit check.
- $1,950 sticker price ($2,050 for night-only aligners).
- Charges an extra $99 per set of retainers.
- Charges an extra $149 for whitening kits.
- Doesn’t sell impression kits, but their in-person dental scans are free.
- Financing requires a down payment and a credit check.
Sticker Price
If you glance at both companies’ websites, you’ll notice that Dr. Wondersmile has lower prices. They charge $1,950 for standard treatment, compared to Byte’s $2,749, and $2,050 for their nighttime-only option, while Byte At-Night costs $3,399. However, even though Dr. Wondersmile seems like they’re still accepting appointments at their clinics, many customers who paid for treatment in 2022 didn’t receive any aligners or refunds — so those lower prices come with a risk.
Plus, the sticker price isn’t your only treatment expense. Byte makes up some of the difference in sticker prices because they include one set of aftercare retainers, while Dr. Wondersmile once charged $99 per set, but doesn’t sell them anymore.
The other noteworthy difference is that Byte charges $95 for your impression kit, which they will refund if they determine that you’re not a suitable candidate for treatment. Dr. Wondersmile used to charge $99 for their impression kits, but they no longer sell them. It seems like the only way to get started now is to schedule a free appointment at one of their clinics.
Just keep in mind: Dr. Wondersmile’s price has changed almost as much as their customer responsiveness recently, so even though their price is lower than Byte’s right now, it might not stay that way.
Payment Plan Options
Most people don’t have thousands of dollars sitting around waiting for an excuse to be spent. That’s why both Byte and Dr. Wondersmile offer financing options to help make their products accessible to a wide range of customers.
Byte’s rates depend on whether you choose their All-Day or At-Night plan, and whether you want their protection plan. The All-Day plan includes fortnightly payments of $54.02 for 24 months, while the At-Night plan requires fortnightly payments of $66.52 for 24 months.
Dr. Wondersmile only has one payment plan, called WonderPay. It requires a credit check, plus you’ll need to pay a minimum 20% deposit ($390 for All-Day aligners and $410 for NightClear). Then, you’ll make monthly payments of at least $208 ($215 for NightClear) — or fortnightly payments of $103 or $108 — until you reach the full amount.
Free Extras
Everybody loves a good bonus item, and you’ll often find that at-home alignment companies will include extras to give you more bang for your buck. For instance, Byte includes your first set of retainers and a whitening kit at no extra charge. It’s a welcome addition to your alignment package, especially when you consider that Dr. Wondersmile charges $149 for their whitening kit and no longer sells retainers.
Convenience Comparison
At-home aligner treatments never require you to set foot in a dentist’s or orthodontist’s office, so they’re all more convenient than traditional options, which include appointments every 4–6 weeks. And among all the home aligner competition, Byte is one of the easiest, smoothest, and most streamlined treatments.
Dr. Wondersmile has traditionally gone above and beyond to make treatment easy for their customers too. That said, their new management may or may not decide to continue prioritizing convenience.
Byte Convenience
Dr. Wondersmile Convenience
- No office locations in Australia, so you must use an at-home impression kit.
- Byte advertises average treatment plan lengths of 4–5 months (or 5–6 for Byte At-Night).
- Byte At-Night only requires ten consecutive hours of daily wear.
- They used to have 20 office locations across Australia for teeth scans, but now they have four.
- Dr. Wondersmile claims their average treatment time is six months (nine for NightClear aligners).
- Their NightClear option only requires ten consecutive hours of daily wear.
Getting Started
Before you can begin any teeth-straightening treatment, your care team needs high-quality images of your teeth, which they’ll use to assess your smile. However, this step looks different depending on which treatment you choose.
Dr. Wondersmile used to give customers a choice of creating molds at home with an impression kit or visiting one of their 20 retail locations across Australia, where a professional would complete a scan. However, they no longer sell impression kits, and it appears, after their hiatus, that they only have four office locations left. With Byte, you only have the option to make your own molds, as they have no retail locations available.
Treatment Time
Byte says their average treatment time is just 4–5 months, while Dr. Wondersmile typically takes around six (or nine for their nighttime plan). Six months is pretty standard for at-home aligners, but your treatment might take longer or shorter depending on the severity of your misalignment. The more complex the case, the longer it takes to correct.
These timelines are much shorter than in-office options, which often take 12–18 months. Just remember that Invisalign and braces take longer because they take on more severe misalignments, while at-home aligners stick to milder cases.
Nighttime-Only Option
For some people, wearing clear aligners for 22 hours per day is no big deal. However, if you’re frequently on the go, with lots of important meetings and outings, you might not want to have your aligners in all day. That’s why both Byte and Dr. Wondersmile offer nighttime-only alignment plans, which only require ten consecutive hours of daily wear.
Since you’ll wear your aligners for less time each day, it slightly extends the overall treatment timeline. Byte advertises an average treatment plan length of 5–6 months for their At-Night option, while Dr. Wondersmile’s NightClear option takes roughly nine months.
Appearance Comparison
No matter which company you choose, clear aligners are always less visible than braces. That said, you’ll find some subtle differences between aligners from different companies. Appearance is pretty subjective, since everyone has unique tastes and styles, so which look best are up to you and your personal preferences. Byte and Dr. Wondersmile make pretty similar aligners, although there’s a chance Dr. Wondersmile’s design could change with all of their management shifts.
Byte Appearance
Dr. WonderSmile Appearance
- Uses smooth, transparent, shiny plastic.
- Cuts their aligners straight across, so they overlap the gums.
- Cannot incorporate attachments.
- The material is reasonably stain-resistant.
- Uses smooth, transparent, shiny plastic.
- Cuts their aligners straight across, so they overlap the gums.
- Cannot incorporate attachments.
- The material is reasonably stain-resistant.
Aligner Material
Your “clear” aligners may or may not be 100% clear. Some companies — including Byte and Dr. Wondersmile — use transparent plastic, while some other competitors use frosted, textured material. And this frosted, textured plastic is actually less visible.
That’s because completely clear aligners gleam when light hits them, which can make your teeth seem artificially shiny. Your teeth naturally have a matte finish, so frosted plastic actually does a better job of replicating the appearance of your real teeth. However, some people prefer shiny aligners because they like a little extra gleam in their smile.
Straight Cut vs. Scalloped
We briefly discussed this in the “Effectiveness” comparison, but we’ll mention once again that both Dr. Wondersmile and Byte cut their aligners straight across the gums, allowing them to exert more force on your teeth compared to aligners that match your gum line.
The downside is that straight-cut aligners are also slightly more noticeable since people around you might notice where they overlap the gums.
Attachments
In-person treatments like Invisalign can correct severe misalignments in part because they let dentists place attachments on your teeth. These give the aligners more leverage and power, but also make them more visible. Since dentists affix attachments during office visits, Byte and Dr. Wondersmile can’t use them. That might decrease their effectiveness, but it also means you won’t have any extra hardware in your mouth.
Stain Resistance
Dr. Wondersmile and Byte’s aligners are somewhat stain-resistant, but we wouldn’t take our chances. You shouldn’t eat or drink anything other than water while wearing them — you wouldn’t want to get stuck wearing stained aligners until it’s time for your next set.
Customer Experience Comparison
When you choose at-home aligner treatment, you’ll be working directly with the company, not a specific dentist like you would with Invisalign. So you want a company who will treat you right — provide helpful answers, address your concerns, and deliver on their promises.
In-office treatment is the gold standard for customer care, since you’ll have face-to-face interactions with dentists and staff who know you personally. It’s tough for remote services to match that individualization, and both companies have occasionally fallen short. Especially Dr. Wondersmile, who stopped responding to customers in early 2022, and hasn’t yet regained the kind of quality customer service they once provided.
Byte Customer Experience
Dr. WonderSmile Customer Experience
- You can contact them by phone, email, Facebook Messenger, and mobile app.
- Provides each customer with a personal Byte advisor to answer questions.
- Receives consistently positive customer reviews.
- Will create refinement aligners if your results don’t match your treatment preview.
- The Byte for Life Guarantee ensures your smile forever.
- Only offers support via an online form, and may respond on social media.
- Received excellent customer reviews up until 2022.
- Will provide refinements if your results don’t match your treatment preview.
- They say their Treatment Guarantee will fix any shifts your teeth make within a year of completing treatment — but customers say they didn’t honor it during their shutdown in 2022.
Support Options
If any issues arise during treatment, you’ll probably want answers ASAP, so it’s nice that both companies give you multiple avenues of communication. You can contact either by phone, email, or social media. You can also contact Byte’s customer support team through their My Byte app. Regardless of how you choose to reach out, their support reps always respond quickly in our experience.
Dr. Wondersmile only has a contact form you can fill out on their website, and we’ve also seen them respond to customers on social media since rebranding. However, since they temporarily closed in 2022, many customers have said the company has been inaccessible.
Responsiveness and Helpfulness
We tracked down hundreds of customer reviews for both Byte and Dr. Wondersmile. The vast majority are positive and back up our own experiences with their customer support teams. However, Dr. Wondersmile’s reviews have skewed almost entirely negative since spring 2022, with many customers not receiving their aligners or retainers and lots of complaints about the company no longer responding to communication.
Byte has also started to receive more negative reviews in the last year, though the complaints are fairly different from the ones Dr. Wondersmile is getting. Most negative reviews center on slow communication and results not matching their treatment previews, but positive customer comments drastically outnumber them.
Satisfaction Guarantee
Byte will refund your impression kit or teeth scan if they determine you’re not a suitable candidate for treatment. Plus, both companies will provide refinement aligners if your end results don’t match your treatment preview, assuming you followed your aligner plan and completed all your required check-ins.
But they don’t stop there. They also each guarantee your results after treatment. Let’s say you finish treatment and wear your retainers as directed, but one year later, your teeth shift. Either company will craft new aligners to shift them back. Two years? New aligners. Ten years? You guessed it. The Byte-for-Life Guarantee promise refinements if your teeth ever shift, provided you purchase replacement retainers twice per year and wear them as prescribed.
Dr. Wondersmile’s Treatment Guarantee isn’t as extensive. It lasts for one year after you complete treatment, and in that time, the company says they’ll fix any unwanted dental shifts. However, customers said the company wasn’t honoring their guarantee during their shutdown, and they’ve yet to prove that they will keep it going after reopening.
Company Backgrounds
Byte Company Background
Dr. WonderSmile Company Background
- Founded in the US in 2018, expanded to Australia in 2020.
- Quickly gained popularity thanks to their innovative technology and excellent customer service.
- Currently one of the home aligner industry’s most established companies.
- Founded in 2016 in Australia.
- Flexible treatment options for a wide variety of alignment issues.
- Based in Australia, but has expanded across the globe.
- Shut down in 2022 before reopening and rebranding several months later.
Founded in 2018 in the US, Byte has taken impressive steps in reducing treatment times and prioritizing customer service. Co-founder and Chief Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jon Marashi has a star-studded portfolio of A-list patients, but started Byte to bring his Hollywood-tested treatments to the mainstream. They’re making waves with their innovative technology and exemplary customer support, and have quickly become one of the industry’s top competitors. They made their first foray into international markets in 2020 by expanding to Australia.
Dr. Wondersmile started selling aligners in 2016, so they’ve got a longer track record in Australia than Byte does. Over following years, they grew into one of the country’s most popular at-home aligner companies, and they’ve brought their treatment to numerous locations across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the U.K. Most of these international branches closed for several months in 2022, but Dr. Wondersmile says they’ve resumed operations in all of them except the U.K.
Which Home Teeth Aligner Should You Use?
Dr. Wondersmile and Byte have similar products, procedures, and results, but even before Dr. Wondersmile’s 2022 shutdown debacle, we thought Byte was a better choice for most people. Not only do they provide valuable extras like the HyperByte and maintain a longer satisfaction guarantee, but they’re currently operating as usual, while Dr. Wondersmile is attempting to make a comeback from a months-long closure that left many customers without treatment or refunds.
If you were considering Dr. Wondersmile, we’d recommend steering clear — at least until they’ve proven that they’ve truly resumed their services.
We Recommend Byte for Most Users
Even if Dr. Wondersmile’s reopening is successful, Byte’s efficiency, multiple financing plans, and exemplary customer support make them a better option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Byte or Dr. WonderSmile?
We think Byte is the superior service. They incorporate innovative technology in their treatment, offer a lifetime guarantee, and have a more personalized customer support model. Plus, Dr. Wondersmile left many customers hanging when they closed their doors in 2022, and even though they’ve supposedly reopened, we think they’re a risky choice.
How do I get started with Byte or Dr. WonderSmile?
With Byte, you start the process by purchasing an impression kit and using it to make molds of your teeth. Dr. Wondersmile isn’t currently selling impression kits, and they only have four clinics in Australia where you can get teeth scans.
What are customers saying about Byte and Dr. WonderSmile?
Dr. Wondersmile and Byte each have hundreds of customer reviews available on third-party websites. Byte maintains outstanding average ratings (though there has been an uptick in complaints) while Dr. Wondersmile saw theirs take a nosedive in 2022.
What is the most effective clear aligner company?
It’s tough to beat the power and versatility of in-office options like Invisalign and ClearCorrect. With hands-on care and orthodontic attachments, a dentist can use them to treat severe misalignments and even bite issues.
How do I know which option is right for me?
We recommend carefully examining each company’s effectiveness, affordability, convenience, appearance, and customer support. By evaluating each one’s performance in these categories, you can find the company that best suits your needs and budget.
What is the cheapest home aligner company?
SmilePath charges just $1,674, making them the most affordable home aligner company in Australia today.
Will home aligners work for me?
It all depends on your specific alignment issues. Home aligner companies can only fix moderate crowding and spacing problems, but anything beyond that will probably require traditional orthodontics.
How do Byte and Dr. WonderSmile compare to Invisalign?
These three companies all use clear aligners to straighten your teeth. However, Invisalign requires frequent in-person visits to a dental professional and costs much more than either Byte or Dr. Wondersmile.
That said, Invisalign can fix a much wider variety of alignment problems than any at-home aligner company, because your dentist or orthodontist can use attachments to generate more significant alignment shifts.
How long does home aligner treatment take?
Most companies take around six months to straighten most typical alignment issues. However, your specific timeline depends on the severity of your misalignment. The more complex your case, the longer it will take to correct.
What other companies should I consider?
We think that SmileDirectClub and SmilePath are worth considering. SmileDirectClub has much more experience than any competitor, and SmilePath has the lowest prices for teeth alignment in Australia. EZ Smile is also an intriguing option — they’re an Australian-owned company that pairs impressive pricing with an extensive refund policy.
How much do home aligners cost?
This all depends on which company you choose. If you go with SmilePath, you could spend as little as $1,674 (or even less, if you find a discount or rebate coupon). On the other end of the spectrum, SmileDirectClub costs $2,965.
Does insurance cover home aligners?
Rarely. Most insurers consider teeth alignment a cosmetic treatment, so they do not cover it. Of course, it never hurts to check with your provider.
Are home aligners safe?
Yes. We understand that the concept of aligning your teeth at home might sound daunting, but it’s perfectly safe. You will still be using an alignment plan created by qualified dental professionals, and you can always contact customer support if you have questions or concerns.
Do home aligners hurt?
Some people mention minor discomfort when first switching to a new set of aligners. Other than that, you will probably experience very little pain or discomfort at all throughout the entire alignment process.