When researching teeth straightening treatments, you’ll want to keep an eye on your wallet and bank account, because it’s an investment. But don’t let that scare you off! At-home aligners have made orthodontic treatment much more affordable. Still, depending on your condition and the treatment you choose, you could be looking at anywhere between $1,500 and $8,000.
At-home aligner systems like byte are more affordable than traditional options (like Invisalign) because they cut out the expense of office visits. But the prices advertised on a company’s website aren’t always what you end up paying. byte’s sticker price is already pretty affordable, but there are a few factors that can alter it. In this guide, we’ll lay out everything that could contribute to your all-in treatment cost.
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Sticker Price
byte’s initial cost is $1,895, which places it right around the home aligner industry average. This price includes your full aligner treatment, an aligner case, “BrightByte” whitening treatment, your first set of aftercare retainers, and the HyperByte device, which helps shorten the average treatment time to just 3 months.
They also offer a nighttime-only treatment called byte-At-Night, which costs $2,295 due to its specialized design and premium materials.
The only piece of your treatment process this price doesn’t include is the impression kit, which is sold separately for $95.
Additional Costs
Beyond your initial payment, here are some other expenses and factors that could impact the cost of your home aligner treatment:
Impression Kit
Before they can develop an effective treatment plan and ensure it will deliver the desired results, byte’s network orthodontists need to get a look at your teeth. So, you’ll need to submit impressions of your dental arches. Their impression kit, which allows you to create these molds, costs $95 (although we’ve seen them on sale for as low as $30).
SmileDirectClub and Candid offer physical locations where you can receive free teeth scans, bypassing this cost. As a younger company, byte hasn’t yet established a physical presence.
Retainers
After your aligner treatment is complete, you will need to wear retainers to ensure that your teeth don’t shift back. You’re required to keep them in all day for the first two weeks after treatment, then overnight after that. These retainers are with you for the long haul, as most dental professionals recommend wearing them long-term.
Even though your first set is included in the initial cost, you will need to replace your retainers every six months, and each additional set costs $99. These subsequent sets aren’t included in the cost of treatment, so this is an ongoing expense you’ll need to write into your budget.
Whitening Products
byte’s $1,895 sticker price includes one bottle of “BrightByte” whitening foam, which you can pump into your aligners during your treatment. After you’ve finished your aligner plan, you can continue using BrightByte with your retainers, but additional bottles cost $20-30 each. Or, for a professional-grade whitening experience, you can purchase a Snow Whitening Kit for $149.
Refinements
What if your treatment doesn’t go quite as planned? byte won’t offer refunds after you’ve begun your treatment, but their Aligner Guarantee ensures your satisfaction with your final smile. So, if you’re dissatisfied with your results, they will re-evaluate your plan and work with you in crafting new aligners to get you back on track.
The best part? If your re-evaluation is approved, byte’s orthodontists will modify your treatment and create new aligners for free. This is assuming, of course, that you wore your aligners for the recommended 22+ hours per day and used your HyperByte device correctly during treatment.
And byte takes this a step further with their byte-for-life guarantee, which protects your smile for life. If your teeth shift out of alignment down the road, even years in the future, byte will provide additional aligners to correct it.
Discounts & Promotions
If you’re a regular bargain hunter, you might be on the lookout for byte sales and promo codes already. However, byte’s pricing is fairly consistent. They don’t often run promotional discounts like some of their competitors. Certain times of the year, like Cyber Monday and around the holidays, they will run sales on some of their products, but otherwise, you probably shouldn’t bank on any promotional price cuts.
You may find coupons from third-party sites online, and some of them might be legitimate, but you should always verify a site’s trustworthiness and reliability to avoid falling for a scam.
We stay on top of the latest byte discounts, and you can take advantage using our byte discount guide.
Financing Options
Paying the full price right off the bat might not be reasonable for your current budget, and that’s okay! byte has a financing plan called BytePay, which is available to all customers, regardless of credit score. BytePay requires a $349 down payment, but after that, you’ll only pay $83 per month for 29 months. Or, if you choose byte-At-Night treatment, it’s a $449 down payment followed by $99 monthly payments.
If you do the math, you’ll notice that this is a total of $2,756 for All-Day treatment or $3,320 for At-Night, so it’s more expensive to pay via BytePay than upfront. However, if you do use BytePay, you’ll automatically get a 5-year “Smile Protection Plan,” which provides biannual retainer replacement and two free replacements for lost or stolen retainers. In other words, the Smile Protection Plan is designed to save you money in the long-run.
What About Insurance?
Your dental insurance probably covers most (if not all) of your necessary procedures, things like cleanings, fillings, root canals, etc. The issue with clear aligner treatment is that some insurance providers will consider it a cosmetic treatment and, therefore, not eligible for coverage. This is especially true for at-home aligners which typically treat milder misalignments. So, you’ll want to consult your insurer to determine whether they offer orthodontic benefits specifically for byte’s treatment.
If your insurance company does cover orthodontia, it likely will be for part of the cost rather than the entire thing. byte cannot accept these payments directly from your insurer, but they will help you submit the necessary forms to receive reimbursement.
Alternatively, if you have a Health Savings Account (HSA) or a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), byte accepts payments from either. These tax-free funds – which may receive contributions from your employer – could be more convenient than paying out of pocket.
How Does The Cost Compare to Other Treatment Options?
byte isn’t the cheapest option out there, but it’s far from the most expensive one. The $1,895 All-Day price is right around the standard for home aligner systems, especially considering everything that’s included. For reference, in-office treatments like Invisalign often cost between $3,000 and $8,000. And specialty treatments like lingual braces can be up to $10,000, making byte a much more affordable option.
Even so, you’ll notice that other home aligner companies like AlignerCo and SnapCorrect offer lower prices. Although byte’s costs are slightly higher, they go above and beyond to ensure superior convenience and the industry’s fastest treatment times. While most home aligner treatments take an average of six months, byte only takes three, thanks to their Hyperbyte device, which moves teeth faster and ensures a better aligner fit. That, paired with their unparalleled byte-for-life guarantee, makes byte well worth the extra couple hundred dollars in our opinion.
Learn more about other at-home aligner companies in our review of the top 5 options. And for the most budget-friendly options, see our guide to the most affordable aligner treatments.
Final Thoughts
Fitting clear aligner treatment into your budget can feel like a puzzle, so cost might be one of the first and only factors you analyze. While each company has different prices, they all offer their own unique advantages, so it’s important to measure them against your own personal smile goals and financial circumstances. Choose byte and you’ll get a reasonably affordable option that doesn’t compromise on quality and achieves the market’s fastest treatment times.
While it’s tempting to choose a company solely based on price, it shouldn’t be the only factor in your decision. Clear aligner systems are multifaceted and vary not just in price, but also in effectiveness, convenience, appearance, and customer support. Look for a treatment that doesn’t just match your budget, but also delivers the results you want in the other four categories. Lay out your priorities, then measure each company against them, and soon you’ll be taking the first steps toward your ideal smile.
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