WonderSmile Review: Better Than Invisalign and SmileDirectClub?

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At-home teeth straightening services have skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years. More and more adults are choosing companies like WonderSmile as an affordable alternative to traditional braces.

WonderSmile is a safe and effective mail-order clear aligner company that makes treatment convenient with in-person clinics and a nighttime-only option. But the real question is whether they’re the right fit for your smile. That’s what we’re here to find out. We’ll walk you through every aspect of WonderSmile treatment so you can make a thoughtful and informed decision.

Is WonderSmile Legit? They Score 4.3/5 Overall

$2,690

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WonderSmile scores 4.3/5 overall based on our five review criteria (effectiveness, affordability, convenience, appearance, and customer support). This makes WonderSmile our third-highest rated home teeth alignment service (Byte is #1).

If you want a well-rounded company providing high-quality aligners at reasonable prices, WonderSmile could be the right fit for you. Their photo check-ins ensure reliable results, and they’re the only home aligner company that offers discounts for single arch treatment.

WonderSmile vs. Byte (Our #1-Ranked Provider)

We think WonderSmile is a reliable treatment option, but if you’re looking for the best value overall, Byte is difficult to beat. They’re the #1 provider we recommend not only to our readers, but also to our family and friends.

Byte’s aligners are slightly more expensive, but they make up for it with superior speed. Using HyperByte vibration technology, Byte ensures treatment that’s twice as fast (and significantly more comfortable). For a more detailed look at Byte, check out our in-depth review below.

Learn More About Byte

What Is WonderSmile?

Boasting numerous locations across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the U.K., WonderSmile has an extensive international reach. They ship personalized, Invisalign-esque aligners directly to your doorstep, which lets you shift your teeth from home. These aligners are invisible and perfectly match the contours of your teeth, so you can wear them out confidently in public. And the best part? After your initial teeth scan appointment, WonderSmile doesn’t require any office visits. Instead, their dentists and orthodontists will design and monitor your treatment remotely.

WonderSmile is part of a crop of new teledentistry services like Byte and EZ Smile, so they’re not the only option out there. However, their multiple wear schedules and payment options, along with their affordable prices, make them a popular choice.

Like other home-based clear aligner products, WonderSmile is primarily a cosmetic treatment. Their aligners are designed specifically to correct mild-to-moderate cases of spacing and crowding issues, along with some minor bite conditions. If your case is severe, you may see better results from a treatment plan managed in-person by a dentist, like braces or Invisalign.

How Does WonderSmile Work?

The dental and orthodontics team can’t shift your teeth if they can’t see them, so getting a teeth scan is the first step. WonderSmile has multiple clinics in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland (plus more locations on the way). Schedule an appointment with the clinic nearest you to get started. During this 15-minute visit, a “WonderSmile Consultant” will perform an intraoral scan of your teeth, then send it off to the dental team for analysis. If you would rather skip the office visit, you can make impressions of your own teeth at home using their DIY mold-making kit.

WonderSmile’s dentists and orthodontists will evaluate your smile and determine whether or not you’re a good candidate for treatment. If so, they’ll create a digital preview showing how your teeth will move during treatment. If everything looks good, let them know and they’ll begin production on your aligners. But if you have reservations, there’s no obligation to continue. Throughout your treatment, you’ll need to send images of your teeth to your assigned dentist so that they can ensure you’re progressing as anticipated.

WonderSmile Pros & Cons

Before you decide to move forward with WonderSmile treatment, it’s a good idea to weigh the benefits and drawbacks to make sure it’s the right fit for you. We’ve sifted through the details of WonderSmile’s service offerings and compiled a list of the most important pros & cons to keep in mind:

Effectiveness

Orthodontic treatment is an investment, so you don’t want to dive in without being sure that it can deliver the results you’re after. In this section, we’ll go over what type of results you can expect from WonderSmile treatment.

Generally, home aligners are only effective for mild and moderate cases of crowding and spacing, and WonderSmile is no different. If you have a more severe condition, like a jaw misalignment, you’re probably better off going with an in-office treatment like Invisalign. But if you’re a good candidate for WonderSmile, you’ll receive a full treatment preview and outstanding care from their dental team.

To ensure patient safety and great results, WonderSmile with licensed dentists and orthodontists to create your treatment plan.

When you start a new orthodontic treatment, you likely want to know who’s pulling the strings. Why? Because teeth straightening is a delicate process and the person overseeing your care can have a big influence on its outcome.

Like most of their competitors, WonderSmile uses mixed dental teams consisting of both dentists and orthodontists. While you might not know who exactly designs your aligners, you can rest assured that your aligners will be implemented by a qualified professional with plenty of experience.

By requiring regular photo check-ins, WonderSmile ensures that your treatment will stay on track.

Every month throughout your treatment, you’ll send photos of your teeth to WonderSmile’s dental team. This way, they can make sure that your teeth are moving as expected and adjust your timeline if necessary. Plus, it will give you the peace of mind that licensed professionals are with you every step of the way.

Believe it or not, other mail-order clear aligner services don’t require similar check-ins, so after you receive your aligners, you’re more or less on your own.

It’s unclear who manufactures WonderSmile aligners.

Product and material quality are just as important as the person directing your treatment. Even a perfect treatment plan can fall short if the products are faulty or ineffective. This is why some at-home clear aligner companies promote their partnerships with established, widely-trusted manufacturers. However, we couldn’t find who produces WonderSmile’s products – they might outsource their production, or they might create them in-house.

Because WonderSmile doesn’t reveal where and how their aligners are manufactured, it’s hard to evaluate their product quality. The results we’ve seen in online reviews would suggest that they have a consistent and reliable manufacturer, but we can’t say for sure.

WonderSmile aligners are cut straight across (rather than trimmed to match the gumline), making them more powerful.

Some companies trim their aligners to match your gum line while others, like WonderSmile, cut them straight across the top. There are advantages to each method.

When applying in-office clear aligner treatments (like Invisalign), dentists often place attachments on the teeth, holding the aligners in place. This is why Invisalign trays stay in place, even though they’re trimmed to follow the gumline.

Since these attachments must be installed by a dentist, fully-remote treatments like WonderSmile can’t use them. This might seem like a drawback, but in some ways, it’s actually an advantage. Straight-cut aligners use the gums as an anchor to apply up to 4x more force, no attachments necessary. However, we will note that most people prefer the appearance of scalloped aligners that match your gumline because there isn’t any plastic covering your gums. This area is a subjective decision you’ll need to make between increased effectiveness and superior appearance.

Affordability

Historically, the high price tag for braces and Invisalign has made teeth alignment a substantial financial burden. Making matters worse, health insurers seldom cover this type of cosmetic treatment, and dental insurance will typically reimburse just a small fraction of the cost.

One of the primary reasons adults love home aligners is their relative affordability. Invisalign might cost you $4,500-9,000, but WonderSmile treatment costs much less. If you’re a good candidate, you can potentially save thousands of dollars by going with WonderSmile.

The total cost of a WonderSmile aligner kit is $2,690 (or $2,760 for NightClear treatment), which is a bit higher than average for mail-order clear aligners.

This sticker price covers the cost of your teeth scan or at-home molds, treatment plan, clear aligners, and monthly oversight. It does not, however, cover your aftercare retainers, which you’ll need to purchase separately for $99.

We should also note that WonderSmile will only cover the cost of your teeth impressions if you end up purchasing aligners. They will simply take it out of your total treatment price. If you decide against purchasing their aligners, WonderSmile won’t refund the $80 fee for in-office scanning or the $45 fee for DIY at-home molds (unless they determine you’re not a candidate for treatment).

WonderSmile offers financing plans that don’t require a credit check, so every customer qualifies.

Don’t have a spare $2,690 lying around? Not many do. But don’t worry, WonderSmile offers payment plans to make their treatment more accessible. And they don’t require a credit check either, so you’ll qualify even if you have a less-than-stellar credit score. 

Here’s how it works: you pay a 20% down payment (around $538 for standard treatment and $552 for NightClear) and then split the rest between 12 monthly payments. You can register for a payment plan when you confirm your treatment plan and sign on for treatment.

If you only need treatment on one arch, you’ll get a discount.

Some people only have crowding/spacing in their top or bottom teeth. If WonderSmile determines that you only need treatment for one arch (and it won’t affect your bite), you’ll get $500 off your treatment. This is only possible for a small number of cases, but it’s still a possibility, and $500 is a significant discount.

Convenience

Aside from the cost, one of the biggest barriers to pursuing a more comfortable smile is the time commitment of traditional orthodontics. Let’s face it: you’re busy. On top of sport and study, there’s that wild social life you’re trying to maintain. And when you find a precious bit of free time, you probably don’t want to spend it at the dentist’s office. If you choose home aligners, you won’t have to.

WonderSmile and other home aligner companies cut office visits completely out of the equation, so you can spend your free time doing what you want. After your initial teeth scan, you won’t have to step foot in a dentist or orthodontist’s office for your entire WonderSmile treatment — and if you choose their at-home DIY mold-making kit, you won’t even need to visit a dental professional at all. And you’ll likely see your final results in 6-9 months, compared to Invisalign’s 12-month timeline and the average 18 months that braces require.

When it comes to convenience, WonderSmile steals the show from both braces and Invisalign. However, among the popular at-home clear aligner companies, there are some differences that make certain brands stand out as more or less user-friendly.

Our convenience rating is measured by startup difficulty, shipping time, and average treatment duration.

WonderSmile clinics make it super easy to get your treatment started, but it’s nice to have an impression kit option too.

Most at-home teeth straightening companies sell impression kits that allow customers to make moulds of their teeth at home. Remote teams of dentists and orthodontists then use these moulds to evaluate your smile and create your treatment plan. So the moulds have to be very accurate, which isn’t easy if you’ve never used an impression kit before.

If you would rather have a professional scan your teeth, you can visit a clinic where a trained consultant will take their teeth scans – a faster, simpler, and more precise process. If you live near a WonderSmile clinic, this is a much more preferable option. However, if you don’t live near a clinic (they’re mainly confined to large cities), you’ll either need to travel to the nearest one or opt for the at-home kits.

Currently, WonderSmile has clinics in Sydney, Newcastle, Parramatta, Melbourne, Chadstone, Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane City. But they also have plans to expand, so there might be more locations in the near future.

Photo check-ins improve WonderSmile’s effectiveness but take a bit more work.

As we mentioned earlier, you’ll need to send photos of your teeth to WonderSmile’s dental and orthodontic team each month so that they can monitor your progress. This helps keep your treatment on track, but it also requires a little more work on your end. That said, taking and sending a few photos each month is a small price to pay for more reliable treatment, so it’s worth it. Just make sure you don’t forget!

Start to finish, treatment takes 6-9 months on average.

From the day you insert your first aligner until you see your ideal smile in the mirror will be around six months. And if you choose the NightClear option, it’s more like nine. Of course, this assumes that you follow your treatment plan diligently and wear your aligners for at least 22 hours per day (or ten hours per night for NightClear).

A six-month timeline is fairly average for home aligner treatment, so WonderSmile is just as fast as most other options.

Teeth whitening is not included as part of your treatment.

Some at-home clear aligner companies will throw in free whitening products when you purchase aligners so you can straighten and whiten your smile simultaneously. WonderSmile, however, does not. If you’d like to make your teeth sparkle, you’ll need to get whitening products on your own. Be sure to confirm that the whitening you get is compatible with your aligners. Some contain chemicals that can damage them!

Appearance

When it comes to teeth straightening treatments, most adults agree: the less visible, the better. They don’t want to attend business meetings, dates, or special occasions sporting visible metal brackets. Clear aligner products pride themselves on being far more discreet than braces. For this reason, all clear aligners tend to excel aesthetically, and WonderSmile is no exception.

That said, not all clear aligners are created equal in terms of appearance. While they’re all made from transparent, BPA-free plastic, variations in manufacturing processes cause each brand to look slightly different.

WonderSmile aligners can be slightly more visible than the alternatives.

WonderSmile believes clear aligners should be 100% transparent, which is a logical conclusion. After all, you want them to be invisible, right? So, their aligners are completely clear instead of slightly textured or “frosted” like SmileDirectClub or Invisalign. It might seem counterintuitive, but textured aligners are often less visible than smooth, clear ones because they better match the natural surfaces of your teeth.

Your teeth are porous and appear matte rather than completely smooth, so smooth aligners can make them seem artificially shiny. But everyone has a different style and some people actually like the way these shiny aligners make their teeth “gleam.”

In the “Effectiveness” section, we mentioned that WonderSmile’s aligners are cut straight across at the top (rather than scalloped to follow the gum line), which affects their appearance and effectiveness. Since they partially cover the gums, others may be able to see where your aligners and gums overlap. Even so, most customers don’t find straight-cut aligners to be more noticeable than scalloped ones.

You’ll want to take out your aligners before eating & drinking to avoid stains.

All clear aligners are susceptible to food and beverage stains — that’s why it’s important to remove them before eating or drinking anything besides water. Our current understanding is that WonderSmile aligners are reasonably stain-resistant, although we certainly wouldn’t recommend drinking coffee, red wine, or other dark liquids while wearing them.

Customer Friendliness

Orthodontic treatment is expensive, and you only have one set of teeth. It’s important to feel completely confident that your treatment provider will treat you right and have your back if anything goes wrong.

WonderSmile has hundreds of customer reviews available online, and they maintain very high average scores. It’s clear that the vast majority of WonderSmile customers receive prompt and friendly service, and they have the online customer feedback to back it up.

WonderSmile has a top-notch customer reputation, with near-perfect average review scores and hundreds of reviews on reputable websites.

Nearly all of the online reviews we found were from satisfied customers. WonderSmile customers frequently praise the high quality and excellent responsiveness of WonderSmile’s support team. The only negative reviews we were able to find were all about WonderSmile taking longer than they’d like to issue a refund after determining that a potential customer was not a good fit for treatment.

They’re available via phone and email, and they appear to frequently engage with customers on social media too.

WonderSmile’s dental team will evaluate your smile on a regular basis.

During your treatment, you’ll need to submit monthly photos of your teeth. But these don’t just go into a digital file somewhere – WonderSmile’s dentists and orthodontists review them to make sure that your teeth are moving as planned. This can help to prevent customer service issues before they occur.

WonderSmile doesn’t have any warranties or guarantees on your treatment results.

Even after reading positive online reviews, you might have that nagging thought at the back of your mind: what if it doesn’t work? It’s a common concern and, unfortunately, WonderSmile doesn’t have much of a return or refund policy on your aligners.

If you’re not a good candidate for treatment, they’ll refund your teeth scan or at-home mold fee, and if you receive broken or faulty products, they’ll refund those as well. But if you get to the end of your treatment and are unhappy with your results, they don’t offer refunds.

What Are WonderSmile Customers Saying?

When we review a company like WonderSmile, we start by digging through customer reviews to understand common issues and concerns.

We found hundreds of reviews for WonderSmile’s services, and it’s obvious from flipping through them that their customers are usually thrilled with their results. Customers are often pleased with their results and smile transformations, as well as WonderSmile’s product quality and teeth scan process.

A few reviewers, however, reported delayed refunds for people they deem not to be candidates for alignment. It appears that these experiences are the exception, not the rule, but also show that WonderSmile could be more consistent with their refund process.

WonderSmile vs. Invisalign

WonderSmile’s regular oversight goes a long way, but they still can’t match the effectiveness of Invisalign and other in-office treatments. Invisalign requires regular office visits, during which a dentist/orthodontist can adjust your aligner plan and implement attachments (like buttons and elastics) that induce more powerful tooth and jaw movements.

But this added effectiveness comes at a higher price, and Invisalign customers often pay thousands more than they would for at-home clear aligners. Still, if you have a bite misalignment or more severe crowding or spacing, Invisalign might be a better option.

WonderSmile vs. Other At-Home Clear Aligners

While WonderSmile is a great clear aligner company, there are other at-home and in-office options to consider. Invisalign is the primary in-office option, and while it’s more expensive than at-home clear aligners, it allows dentists to add special appliances and achieve more advanced teeth movements. There are also several other at-home teeth straightening options worth exploring, especially if you want the shortest treatment time or a quick treatment start.

Byte vs. WonderSmile

Byte stands out for their innovation. They offer a treatment plan that takes only three months, thanks to their HyperByte device, which uses gentle vibrations to reduce discomfort and provide a better fitting aligner. They don’t have any retail stores yet, but if a short treatment time is a priority, Byte may be a good option.

Find out more about Byte in our complete review.

SmileDirectClub vs. WonderSmile

SmileDirectClub stands out as the largest and most popular at-home clear aligner brand. They have quite a few retail locations, which makes it easier to get started, depending on where you live. Plus, they’re the most experienced home aligner company, having transformed more than 1 million smiles so far

Get to know SmileDirectClub a little better in our comprehensive review.