When it comes to clear aligner treatment, Byte is a great provider all around: they’re fast, affordable, reputable, and have solid customer support. But as eager as you might be to get started with treatment, it can be difficult to go in confidently if you’re fuzzy on the details.
How do I know for sure if I’m a candidate for treatment? What if I mess up my impressions? How long will it actually take to receive my aligners in the mail?
We’re here to address all these questions and more. In fact, we went through the entire process ourselves — from the impressions to the treatment preview — to help you get a realistic image of what treatment with Byte entails.
Table of Contents
An Overview of Byte: Why They're Ranked #1
Out of all the clear aligners we’ve reviewed, Byte is the #1 option we feel most comfortable recommending not only to our readers, but also to our family and friends. They scored 4.7/5 overall based on our 5 review criteria (effectiveness, affordability, convenience, appearance, and customer support) — a higher rating than any other provider.
If you decide Byte is the right treatment option for you, be sure to take advantage of this special promotion. For a limited time, they're offering their impression kit for jut $14.95. If you decide to purchase their full aligner treatment, you'll also receive $100 off plus a free BrightByte Pro LED Whitening Kit (normally goes for $249).
What to Know Before Getting Started
Before Byte’s dental team can develop your treatment plan, they need to get a look at your teeth. This way, they can accurately evaluate your condition and design custom aligners to correct it. Using the molds you make with your impression kit, these dentists and orthodontists will create a digital model of your smile.
After analyzing this model, they can determine whether or not you are a good candidate for treatment. If so, they’ll use your impressions to assist in their development of precision aligners that fit your smile perfectly.
This is why companies have high standards when it comes to your molds. Perfect aligners begin with perfect impressions. But don’t worry, with the help of this guide, you’ll be able to nail those impressions and get started with treatment right away.
Keep in mind that some conditions, like bite issues and severe crowding or spacing, are best treated with an in-office option like Invisalign or braces. If your condition is too severe for Byte’s aligners, they will refund the cost of your impression kit.
Step 1: Place Your Order
Before you do anything else, you need to get your hands on Byte’s Impression Kit.
An Impression Kit from Byte costs $95, and if that seems expensive, don’t worry. Using our exclusive discount code will drop the price of the impression kit to only $29.95 (and give you $100 off your aligner bundle if you decide to move forward with treatment).
With that in mind, let’s walk through the order process. It all starts here:
Click “Add to Cart” and you’ll be off and running. On the next page, you’ll enter your contact and shipping information.
Enter the required information and click the “Continue to Shipping” button. The next page will allow you to choose a shipping option. Byte offers free 2-day shipping, which is typically the only option.
If you’re satisfied with the shipping option, click “Continue to Payment,” and you’ll be directed to a page where you can enter your credit card information and billing address. You’re also welcome to pay via PayPal or Amazon Pay if you’d prefer.
Hit “Complete Order” and you’re good to go! Immediately after Byte processes your order, you’ll receive a confirmation email that shows the total price you paid, along with your billing and shipping addresses. If any of the information is incorrect and you need to make a change, email Byte’s customer support team at support@byteme.com.
The kit should ship shortly after, and you’ll receive another email to let you know it’s on the way.
Byte’s 2-day shipping promise is pretty accurate, so you should find the Impression Kit on your doorstep in a matter of days.
Step 2: Unbox Your Impression Kit
So, what’s included in a Byte Impression Kit? The idea of taking teeth impressions might be a foreign concept, but Byte gives you everything you need to complete the process – all inside some pretty stylish packaging. Here’s what you’ll find when you open your kit:
Impression Kit Manual: This booklet contains everything you need to know about taking accurate impressions, including step-by-step instructions, photos, and helpful tips.
Molding Putty: This is a moldable putty that will slowly harden around your teeth, creating impressions of your top and bottom dental arches. Byte provides enough putty for four total impressions – two of your top teeth and two of your bottom.
2 Top Trays and 2 Bottom Trays: These trays hold the mixed putty and fit nicely around your dental arches, acting as a guide for your impressions.
A Smile Stretcher: This handy plastic device pulls back your lips and cheeks so you can take clear photos of your teeth (also required for evaluation).
Rubber Gloves: To keep the whole process sanitary!
A Prepaid Shipping Envelope: When you’re finished with your impressions, you can package them up and send them right back.
Step 3: Take Photos of Your Teeth
Byte’s orthodontists can get a ton of information from your impressions, but since they can’t peer into your mouth, they’ll need some photos as well. They ask that you take and upload seven total photos, each at a different angle, so they can get a look at your entire smile.
This step is important to their unique SmileScience process, which guarantees a smile that fits perfectly with the rest of your facial features. First, you’ll need to take a couple of regular selfies. These are pretty straightforward.
- Front-facing with no smile
- Front-facing with a big smile
No problem at all. The next five are a bit more complicated and incorporate the Smile Stretcher. Place it on either side of your mouth with the larger tabs on the inside. This will provide a full view of your smile.
- Right side bite – Bite all the way down on your back teeth (like you would naturally) and position your camera on the right side. Make sure you can see all the way to the back two molars.
- Left side bite – This is the same as the right side photo except – you guessed it – you’ll position the camera on the left side. Again, make sure you can see all the way to the back two molars.
- Front bite – Bite down naturally and take a close-up photo from the front.
- Upper teeth – Tilt your head back until you can see the bottom surfaces of all your back teeth and take a photo of your top dental arch.
- Lower teeth – Tilt your head forward until you can see the top surfaces of all your back teeth and take a photo of your bottom dental arch.
Now you’ve got a full set of beautiful photos. Review them to make sure they’re not blurry, well-lit, and give a full look at your teeth. If everything looks good, upload them at patient.byteme.com. They’ll let you know soon after if you need to retake them.
Here are a few extra tips to help you take some great selfies:
- Make sure you’re in a well-lit space
- Use your phone’s flash to see your entire mouth
- Be careful that your lips and tongue don’t get in the way
- Sometimes, getting some help from a friend can make the process easier
Step 4: Nail Your Impressions
Alright, now it’s showtime. Even though you’ll be taking the impressions on your own, Byte gives you a fairly comprehensive set of instructions. Before you do anything else, be sure to watch this video from start to finish. It will give you a sense of the impression procedures. Refer back to this video as you go along for extra assistance.
First, make sure to brush and floss. You don’t want anything in your teeth that could interfere with the impressions! Also, you should confirm that your trays are the right size. Put an empty one in your mouth and confirm that it fits your top and bottom teeth. If so, you’re ready to go.
You’ll be taking four impressions: two of your top teeth and two of your bottom ones. The process is identical for both, so you won’t need to worry about doing anything different. The first step is mixing your putty, one of each color.
Now it’s time to get mixing. Fold the mixture over itself until it’s one solid color without any streaks. Once combined, the putty hardens quickly, so aim to finish this step in 30 seconds or less. Mix hard!
Roll the mixture into a 4-inch long cylindrical shape (the impression manual has a section to help you measure). You have 20 seconds to complete this step.
Then gently place it in one of the top trays. It should fill the entire tray, but don’t force it too much. This should only take about 10 seconds.
Use a mirror to align the tray in your mouth, then push it into place with your thumbs (don’t wiggle it!). All of your teeth should touch the bottom of the tray to ensure that your impression is deep enough. As best as you can, try to get your teeth in the middle of the putty. It should slightly overlap your gums, which will ensure that it captures your gum line as well.
Pull your upper or lower lip over the putty and tray and leave everything in place for 3.5 minutes. When time is up, use the tab to remove the tray. Voilá! You’ve got your first impression. Repeat this process with the other top and bottom trays. When you’re done, you’ll have four amazing impressions.
A couple of things to keep in mind:
- Make sure that your impressions are deep enough. You should feel the putty on both sides of all your teeth and gums, including the molars.
- The impressions should include your gum line, so the putty should overlap your gum line.
- If your putty isn’t mixed all the way, it won’t work. The mixture should be one solid color, with no streaks before you put it in the tray.
Take a look at two impressions from our kit. The one on the left might seem good, but if you look closely, it’s missing the front gum line. Alternatively, the one on the right effectively shows all the teeth, plus the gum line.
A quick warning: There will be drool involved when taking your impressions. It might not be pretty, but it’s unavoidable if you want perfect impressions. Just keep some paper towels nearby to clean up.
Want a chance to win free aligners? Post an Instagram photo of you with your impression kit, tag @byteofficial, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win.
What if I Mess Up My Impressions?
We won’t lie: taking impressions can be slightly difficult. This is why Byte gives you multiple attempts at it. Still, it might take a few tries to get it right.
Let’s say you finish your impressions and none of them look quite right. Maybe they’re too shallow. Maybe they don’t capture your gum line. Maybe your teeth moved around too much. Don’t panic! If you’re unsure whether your impression will be acceptable, send them off anyway.
Byte’s dentists and orthodontists will let you know if you need to try it again. In this case, they’ll send another kit free of charge – you’ll just need to pay for shipping. And if you’re certain that you botched them, give customer support a call or email. They’ll send you a replacement right away.
Step 5: Review Your Treatment Preview
Congratulations! You finished your Impression Kit, and Byte makes it easy to return your impressions. Just place the completed trays back in the box (no plastic bags), put that box in the included prepaid envelope, and mail it off.
When Byte receives your impressions, their first move will be to determine whether or not you’re a good candidate for treatment.
Byte has the capacity to treat a wide variety of conditions, but not everything. If you have a particularly acute case of crowding or spacing, or a bite issue like overbite/underbite, you might be better off using an in-office treatment. After evaluating your impressions and photos, a Byte representative will let you know whether or not you’re a good candidate. If not, they will refund the price of your impression kit.
But if you’re deemed a good candidate, you’re ready to go. State-licensed dentists and orthodontists will create your full treatment plan and send you a preview. This preview is an interactive 3D visualization of your smile, showing how it will look during each step of the treatment. You can watch your smile transform, step-by-step, and examine it from different angles while you decide if you’d like to continue with treatment.
Before
After
Once you submit your impressions and photos, Byte will develop your treatment plan within a week, assuming your impressions are acceptable. After they send your plan, your individual Byte advisor will follow up to clarify pricing details and see if you have any questions.
What’s Next?
At this point, you’re at a crossroads: you can either move forward with your treatment plan or back out without any consequences. If you decide to continue, Byte will manufacture your aligners and ship them to you directly. This whole process typically takes about 4 weeks. Then, once you receive your aligner bundle, your full treatment plan should only take around 3 months.
Ready To Get Started With Byte?
Byte’s standard price (including your aligners, HyperByte device, whitening, and aftercare retainers) is $1,895. You can either cover this cost upfront or enroll in a payment plan like BytePay (Byte’s in-house financing option). BytePay guarantees users 100% approval, regardless of their credit score.
If you decide Byte is the right treatment option for you, be sure to take advantage of this special promotion. For a limited time, they're offering their impression kit for jut $14.95. If you decide to purchase their full aligner treatment, you'll also receive $100 off plus a free BrightByte Pro LED Whitening Kit (normally goes for $249).
Final Thoughts
If you’ve followed all the instructions listed here, then you’ve taken your first step toward your new smile. Even though impression kits can be difficult, when you consider the fast treatment times, lower prices, and time you’ll save with Byte’s treatment, this minor inconvenience is well worth it.
With the help of this guide, you’ll have the information and confidence you need to take amazing impressions right off the bat. Then, you can look forward to the rest of the journey toward a dazzling transformed smile.
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