Invisalign has many benefits: effective treatment, nearly invisible appliances, and no dietary or lifestyle changes. But it’s also got one big downside: its price. Most cases in Australia cost $6,000–$9,000, and there’s no guarantee the national insurance will cover it, making Invisalign a sizable investment.
Is Invisalign really worth the price? In this review, we’re diving deep into its pros and cons. By the end, you’ll know whether this is the right treatment option for you.
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Concerned About the Cost of Invisalign?
If you’re worried about Invisalign’s high price tag, you’re not alone. Fortunately, Invisalign isn’t the only clear aligner brand out there — and it’s definitely not the most affordable. If you’re interested in straightening your teeth without breaking the bank, visit our review of the 4 best Invisalign alternatives.
How Does Invisalign Work?
Invisalign can deliver the same results as braces, but it works completely differently. Both treatments direct pressure against the teeth, slowly moving them in the right direction. However, braces use brackets and archwires, and Invisalign does it with clear aligners.
The aligners exert pressure through their shape. Your first aligners are just slightly different from your current teeth positions. The next set is just slightly different from the first, and so on, making incremental shifts until treatment is complete.
Your dentist or orthodontist will take a 3D scan of your teeth, then upload it to Invisalign’s proprietary ClinCheck software. They use the software’s feedback, plus their own training and eye for orthodontics, to design a treatment plan.
Before Invisalign produces your aligners, you will see a preview of your future smile. With your approval, your doctor will send the plan to Invisalign — they’ll produce your aligners, then ship them to your doctor’s office.
You will schedule a visit to try on your first set of aligners to confirm everything looks and feels good, then your doctor will send you home with several sets — and in some cases, all the aligners in your treatment plan — plus clear instructions on how to wear them and care for them.
These instructions are typically quite simple. You need to wear your aligners for 22 hours a day, taking them out to brush, floss, eat, and drink anything other than plain water. Be sure to brush your teeth after each meal and clean your aligners in the morning and at night. Every 1–2 weeks, you’ll switch to the next set of aligners, and you’ll finish treatment in around 12–18 months.
Invisalign: The Pros and Cons
Braces and Invisalign are undoubtedly the most well-known orthodontic treatment options. However, some people are surprised to learn that there are plenty of other clear aligner options available today. Fully remote clear aligner services like Byte and SmilePath are becoming popular alternatives to traditional orthodontic treatment. They ship aligners directly to their customers’ homes, allowing people to straighten their smiles without any office visits, saving both time and money.
While Invisalign has plenty of competitors, it remains the most well-known clear aligner brand, and it can treat more complex cases than most of its competition.
But is it right for you? We’ll look at how Invisalign stacks up in five categories: effectiveness, affordability, convenience, appearance, and patient experience. But before we jump into the deep end, let’s take a quick look at the biggest pros and cons:
Pros
- It is the oldest aligner company, giving it the most experience.
- They’ve corrected more than 13 million smiles worldwide.
- It is the most widely available in-office clear aligner treatment in Australia.
- If you have a mild misalignment and want to straighten your teeth quickly, you can ask your doctor about Invisalign Express.
- You get to choose the doctor who designs your treatment.
- Invisalign can correct even severe orthodontic abnormalities, just like braces, thanks to their attachments.
Cons
- It’s one of the most expensive clear aligner treatments, comparable to the price of braces.
- Aftercare retainers are not included in the treatment price.
- With treatment times averaging 12–18 months, it is slower than at-home aligner companies.
- You must make office visits every 4–10 weeks throughout treatment, just like other in-office treatments.
Do the Pros Outweigh the Cons?
In some cases, yes. If you have a severe or complex case of misalignment, the hands-on nature of Invisalign treatment could be the right fit for you.
But if your concerns are primarily cosmetic, several more affordable clear aligners could deliver the results you’re after for a lower price. We encourage you to compare your options before making a final decision!
Invisalign Effectiveness
When you get treatment with Invisalign, you are investing in your smile. Naturally, you want to feel confident that this investment will pay off. Fortunately, Invisalign is one of the most powerful, reliable treatments available. Thanks to its consistent in-person care, top-notch materials, and supplemental attachments, Invisalign provides unrivaled effectiveness, especially when compared to fully at-home aligner options.
Invisalign can correct a wide range of severe misalignments.
That includes severe crowding and spacing, as well as bite issues like overbite and overjet. This is because your doctor can affix Invisalign’s proprietary SmartForce attachments to your teeth, empowering the aligners to exert greater force and make more complex movements. These attachments are small and tooth-colored, so they’re nearly invisible. Plus, Invisalign can incorporate standard orthodontic attachments and elastics. Dentists can only place these attachments during in-person visits, so at-home services can’t achieve the same force and level of detail.
Regular office visits ensure that your smile transformation is safe and continuously monitored.
You’ll see your dentist or orthodontist regularly throughout treatment, typically every 4–10 weeks, depending on your needs. During these visits, they will provide new aligner trays and make sure your teeth are moving as planned, which helps them catch problems while they’re still small and address them on the fly.
Certain at-home services, like Byte, employ remote monitoring systems where you’ll upload photos of your teeth for their teams to review every few weeks. That might provide some peace of mind, but it’s not as intensive as regular hands-on care.
Invisalign is the longest-standing clear aligner brand, and they’re backed by the most widely trusted manufacturer in the industry.
Align Technology, Invisalign’s manufacturer, makes some of the most effective clear aligners on the market. For more than two decades, their products have been delivering drastic smile transformations and reaping rave reviews. They are the largest clear aligner manufacturer in the world, and they’ve put a ton of research into their products, so you can rest assured that their aligners are safe and effective.
Invisalign Affordability
We each define “affordable” in our own way, based on our personal budgets. However, it’s pretty safe to say that for the average person, Invisalign’s price tag is a true financial burden. It’s far more expensive than at-home aligners, and even pricier than some of its in-office competitors. You get plenty of hands-on care, powerful treatment, and reassurance for that price, but it’s still a big commitment.
Many patients pay between $6,000 and $9,000 for Invisalign treatment.
Your dentist’s time, facilities, and equipment cost money. Since Invisalign requires regular office visits, it’s naturally much pricier than at-home alternatives. Unfortunately, Invisalign is also often more expensive than other in-office treatments like ClearCorrect. Plus, the cost doesn’t always include aftercare retainers, so you may have to pay extra for them.
Of course, your final price depends on your specific condition. Severe misalignments that require many office visits over a year or more will cost more than minor ones that only take a few months. So your price might fall outside the $6,000–$9,000 range. You won’t know until you attend your first consultation.
Only certain cases receive insurance coverage.
Depending on the corrections you are making, Invisalign may or may not qualify for Medicare coverage, and many supplemental policies won’t pay for it either. If the corrections you’re making are purely cosmetic, coverage is less likely, but if Invisalign is necessary to improve your overall oral health, your insurance might help out. If you have supplemental insurance, check with your provider to find out if they’ll provide coverage.
A financing plan can help make the price much more manageable.
Even if insurance doesn’t cover your treatment, you don’t need to pay the full cost all at once. Many dentists and orthodontists offer payment plans that let you spread out the cost of treatment over 12–18 months, or you can look at third-party financing companies. Just keep in mind that these plans usually require a down payment or credit check — or both.
Invisalign Convenience
Cost is the biggest barrier between most people and conventional orthodontic treatment. The second biggest is the time commitment. Invisalign’s regular office visits allow your dentist or orthodontist to correct a wide range of severe conditions, but they also take up your free time. Those office visits, plus longer treatment times, make it less convenient than fully remote options like Byte and SmilePath.
Getting started with Invisalign is arguably much easier than starting with most home aligners.
You will need to schedule an appointment with a dentist to begin treatment. However, unlike with home aligners, you won’t need to take any impressions or photos of your teeth yourself. Your dentist will take scans and X-rays in the office, ensuring that they are accurate. Then, they’ll send the images off to Invisalign’s lab to create your custom treatment plan. After that, you just need to schedule an appointment to pick up your aligners and begin treatment. You’ll have a chance to try on the aligners before leaving the office, and your dentist can make any necessary changes or request a new set of aligners if you aren’t happy with the fit.
Invisalign typically takes at least twelve months to deliver final results.
Most Invisalign patients need to wear their aligners for 12–18 months. This means you’ll attend a lot of office visits, and if you want to straighten your smile for a specific event, you need to get started at least a year in advance. At-home aligners typically take around six months, but that’s because they’re often used for minor misalignments, which don’t take as long to correct. Your specific timeline will depend on the severity of your condition.
The wait time to get your treatment plan prepped and aligners shipped is around four weeks.
If you’re dreaming about a dazzling new smile, you probably want to get started ASAP. Home aligner companies usually take around six weeks to process your impressions, create a treatment plan, and send out your custom aligners. Invisalign is slightly faster, producing and shipping your aligners around four weeks after your initial appointment. That’s pretty comparable to Invisalign’s in-office competition, like ClearCorrect. However, keep in mind that Invisalign ships their aligners to your dentist, not your home.
Invisalign Appearance
For most adults, one of the most important features of an orthodontic appliance is discretion. There’s nothing wrong with sporting a silver smile, but it’s something many people associate with teens and tweens — not working professionals. All clear aligners offer superior discretion when compared to braces. With that said, each brand looks slightly different, and which one you prefer depends on your particular tastes and style.
Invisalign uses textured plastic and trims their aligners to follow your gum line.
Your teeth are porous, which gives them a matte appearance. Aligners that use smooth, transparent plastic can reflect light, making your smile seem unnaturally reflective, while frosted, textured aligners (like Invisalign) better match your real teeth. However, some people like having a little extra shine in their smile and prefer smooth aligners — it all comes down to your personal preferences.
An aligner’s cut can affect its visibility too. Many companies cut theirs straight across since it generates more force. However, if you show your gums when you smile, people nearby can sometimes spot where the plastic overlaps your gums. Invisalign “scallops” their aligners to match your gum line, which makes them less noticeable.
SmartForce attachments and elastics can make Invisalign aligners more noticeable.
As we mentioned earlier, your dentist or orthodontist can enhance Invisalign’s power and precision by incorporating attachments. Although they’re tiny and tooth-colored, these attachments can make your aligners more noticeable. At-home aligner systems can’t incorporate any attachments, which makes their aligners less powerful, but also more discreet.
Take out your aligners before eating and drinking to avoid stains.
Invisalign aligners are reasonably stain-resistant, although we recommend removing them to eat or drink anything except water, especially dark beverages like coffee, tea, and red wine.
Invisalign Patient Experience
Your Invisalign journey begins with a trip to the dentist and ends with a beautiful new smile, but what happens in between? That’s where the patient experience takes form, and customer service, oversight, quality assurance, and satisfaction guarantees can all play a role. Consistent in-person care makes Invisalign treatment a lot more personalized and supportive than most alternatives, especially at-home ones that put you in touch with a remote representative instead of a doctor who knows you and your teeth intimately.
Like most other in-office clear aligner brands, Invisalign’s customer support is exceptional.
You’ll have the benefit of regularly visiting a dentist who can provide hands-on assistance if you have any concerns during treatment. Most dental offices maintain regular office hours, although most only field questions by phone — not email, webchat, or mobile app.
The quality of Invisalign’s customer service can vary, depending on the dentist you choose. But it’s always more personalized than at-home treatments, where you have to take your concerns to remote customer support representatives. Invisalign’s regular appointments might be inconvenient, but they can also be reassuring, especially if you have a dental concern in the middle of treatment.
Invisalign’s consistent oversight can help address problems mid-treatment to keep your smile on track.
With Invisalign and other in-office clear aligners, your dentist can also make minor adjustments to your aligners or wear schedule during your regular appointments. For example, if your aligners are uncomfortable or painful, your dentist might fix them on the spot. At the very least, they can contact Invisalign to request new aligners or revise your treatment plan. This type of on-the-fly adjustment isn’t an option for at-home treatments.
If you’re unhappy with your results, Invisalign might provide refinements for no extra cost.
Your smile might not be exactly where you want it at the end of your initial treatment plan. But don’t worry, your dentist can rescan your teeth and create new aligners to add the finishing touch. And if you have Invisalign’s full treatment, you won’t need to pay anything extra. It will just extend your timeline.
This is pretty standard for comprehensive in-office treatments, but it’s not guaranteed for at-home systems, which sometimes charge an extra fee for refinements.
Best Invisalign Alternatives
Invisalign is a solid choice for orthodontic treatment, but it’s not the perfect choice for everyone, whether it’s due to price, office visits, or treatment timeline. Luckily, there are plenty of alternatives.
At-home clear aligners offer some big benefits when compared to Invisalign. Although they can’t treat severe misalignments, they can correct mild-to-moderate cosmetic concerns at a fraction of the price and often in less than half the time.
Sound intriguing? Here are our picks for the top three mail-order aligner companies in Australia.
#1: Byte
Byte is our #1 choice for at-home clear aligners. They got their start in the U.S. in 2018 and have quickly curated a strong reputation for product quality, treatment speed, and reliability. Bolstered by their success in the United States, they launched in Australia in the spring of 2020.
While other mail-order aligner companies are more established, Byte’s efficiency (their treatment plans usually last 4–5 months), technology, personalized customer support, and lifetime guarantee make them a fantastic option for anyone with a mild misalignment.
#2: EZ Smile
Making clear aligner treatment work within your budget is difficult, but EZ Smile aims to make it, well, easy. Their prices are among the lowest in the industry.
And this doesn’t mean sacrificing quality to save money. EZ Smile is the first at-home aligner company to sell their products in Australia and they have consistently demonstrated a commitment to high-quality service and customer satisfaction.
#3: SmilePath
EZ Smile may offer one of the lowest price points among clear aligners, but it is SmilePath that earns the distinction of the most affordable. While they don’t offer many fancy extras, their budget-friendly prices are more than enough to make them a great value.
Their ultra-low price isn’t the only part of their appeal, either. They also offer multiple financing options to make their treatment even more affordable, as well as a nighttime-only option.
Final Thoughts
If you are interested in straightening your smile, you’ve got plenty of options. Braces and Invisalign both provide in-person oversight and powerful treatment, perfect for anyone with a severe misalignment.
However, if you need to correct your smile on a budget, want to address cosmetic issues, and are happy to do everything from home, you might be better off with mail-order aligners. Ultimately, this is a very personal decision, so take time to consider your priorities before choosing a treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Invisalign have a nighttime-only option?
No. Invisalign has not created a product line specifically meant for nighttime-only wear. While some doctors might prescribe a more flexible wear schedule, most will recommend wearing your aligners for 22+ hours per day.
Do I need to change my diet when wearing clear aligners?
No. Because you need to remove your aligners before eating or drinking anything besides plain water — then brush your teeth before replacing them — you may avoid snacking or certain drinks. However, this is a personal choice, not a necessity of treatment.
Can clear aligners break or stain?
Yes, they can, though it’s not likely if you take care of them correctly. Remove them when eating and when drinking anything besides plain water, and store them in a secure case away from heat sources, including sunlight.
Do clear aligners hurt?
They shouldn’t. However, most people experience some discomfort, primarily at the beginning of treatment. This happens because the pressure on the teeth places strain on the ligaments that hold them in place. However, it usually goes away in about a day or so. It can return when you switch aligner sets but will typically last just a few hours.
How can I know if I am a candidate for at-home aligners?
At-home clear aligners can only correct mild-to-moderate issues with crowding and spacing. The problem is that, unless you are a dental professional, you might not really know what qualifies as a mild-to-moderate gap or crowding. Luckily, most mail-order aligner companies will not penalize you if you’re not a candidate for treatment. You can get the scans or take the impressions, and if they decline to treat you, they’ll refund the money you spent.
What are some limitations of Invisalign treatment?
Invisalign is one of the most powerful clear aligner treatments, but it still can’t correct certain conditions, including:
- Problems with jaw shape or position that require surgery or headgear
- Irregular tooth shape
- Teeth that are rotated more than 20 degrees out of ideal alignment
- Gaps between the teeth that exceed 6mm
- Teeth that need to be raised or lowered
Are there age limits for using clear aligners?
It depends on the company. Invisalign has a system specifically for children called Invisalign First. It can treat children as young as six years old. Most at-home aligner companies have age limits between 12 and 16 years old, though some just specify that the patient must have all the adult teeth, save for their wisdom teeth, to qualify for treatment.
How long do you need to wear your aligners before you can see noticeable results?
Most people see noticeable changes in their alignment by their third set of aligners. That doesn’t mean you’ll get your new smile in a few weeks, just that you can tell that your teeth are shifting.
Are clear aligners safe?
Yes, clear aligners, both in-office and at-home, are safe. As with any medical or cosmetic treatment, we suggest you really do your research before settling on a specific company. This is a major purchase, so definitely treat it as such.
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