AlignerCo Canada Review: Better Than SmileDirectClub?

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Traditional orthodontic treatment is expensive. Between the office visits, the products, and the face-time with your orthodontist, you can end up with a hefty bill. That’s why home aligners are so appealing. They offer clear aligner treatment at a significantly lower price point. And AlignerCo’s prices are the lowest of the low.

AlignerCo is a beacon of hope for budget-strapped buyers. They have the industry’s lowest prices and quality products too. But how do they stack up against other home aligner companies? That’s what we’re here to discuss.

AlignerCo: Lowest Prices in the Industry

$1,635

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AlignerCo is the most affordable home aligner company in Canada. They might not offer all the bells & whistles that some other providers do, but they still provide top-quality products and results.

Bottom line: if you’re looking for an affordable and reliable clear aligner service, AlignerCo is tough to beat. At $1,635, their price point rings in at nearly $1,000 less than the industry average.

What is AlignerCo?

As far as home aligner companies go, AlignerCo is pretty young. They launched in May 2019 in the U.S. and Canada, and even though they haven’t used marketing blitzes like SmileDirectClub, they’ve generated some buzz by offering exceptionally low prices, quickly making a name for themselves as the industry’s most affordable service.

AlignerCo not only has the most affordable price tag on the market at $1,635, but they also provide convenient financing plans for their customized treatment.

AlignerCo designs custom clear aligners and delivers them to your home, where you administer treatment yourself. The biggest difference between AlignerCo and competitors like SmileDirectClub is the price point. But their cheap prices don’t mean you’ll get a cheap product. AlignerCo doesn’t sacrifice safety and high-quality treatment, so you can be confident in the care you’ll receive.

Like other home aligner treatments, AlignerCo primarily treats mild and moderate cases of crowding and spacing. They can also correct certain cases of overjet, overbite, crossbite, and reverse bite, but it depends on the specific condition. If you have a severe misalignment, or one that involves complex tooth and jaw movements, you might look at in-office treatments like Invisalign instead.

Pros & Cons of AlignerCo

AlignerCo’s prices are so attractive that it’s easy to ignore everything else. And while the price is a big part of your decision, there are other aspects to consider, both positive and negative.

We’ve done our research, traversed the Internet in search of AlignerCo details and reviews. And from that pile of information, we’ve come up with a list of pros and cons:

Effectiveness

Prices don’t matter, though, unless a treatment can deliver the results you want. Can AlignerCo? Based on their processes and past results, we think so.

Remember that AlignerCo is intended for mild and moderate cases of crowding or spacing, so it can’t treat severe conditions like Invisalign and other in-office options can. However, if you’re just looking to make cosmetic adjustments, AlignerCo is a solid choice.

AlignerCo uses a mixed team of orthodontists and general dentists to create and oversee their treatment plans.

AlignerCo’s website says that your treatment “will be reviewed, planned, and approved by a dental expert who is experienced in aligner treatment.” Who is this dental expert behind your care? Maybe a dentist or maybe an orthodontist — AlignerCo’s team contains both. Each one is qualified and knowledgeable, but orthodontists have another level of teeth straightening specialization. They spend years of postgraduate training studying how to move teeth.

Unfortunately, you don’t get to choose the specific doctor who designs and oversees your aligners, and you won’t speak with them directly. But you can be confident that you’ll have an expert behind your treatment.

You can submit regular photo progress reports to ensure that your treatment stays on track, but this isn’t required. 

Every two weeks throughout your AlignerCo treatment, you can upload photos of your teeth. Their dental team can then provide feedback on your progress and address any issues they spot. It’s not a dialogue with your assigned dentist, so it might not be as robust as in-office oversight, but it still helps to keep your treatment on track and ensure its effectiveness.

AlignerCo uses plastics from RaintreeEssix to manufacture their aligners.

Part two of your treatment quality tandem is the products themselves, the plastic trays that shift your teeth into position. Where does your provider get their materials? Where are the aligners produced? Both valid questions, and ones that can help determine your treatment’s effectiveness.

Quality materials mean quality products. AlignerCo creates durable and effective aligners by partnering with RaintreeEssix, whose premium plastics have been a staple in the clear aligner industry since 2005. This ensures that your aligners will be sturdy and long-lasting, able to achieve the results you were promised.

By trimming their aligners to match your gum line, AlignerCo sacrifices some of their power.

Aligner companies have two options for how to cut their trays. They can “scallop” each one to match the customer’s gum line or cut them straight across, overlapping the gums. A scalloped cut is less visible, but a straight cut can leverage the gums to direct more force on the teeth. So even though AlignerCo’s cut helps their aligners blend it, it might make them slightly less effective.

Affordability

This is AlignerCo’s bread and butter. Home aligners are almost always cheaper than traditional orthodontics like braces and Invisalign (which can cost $3,000–8,000), but AlignerCo is especially affordable. Their prices are easily the lowest in the industry, nearly $1,000 less than the competition.

Combine that with accessible financing and you’ve got an orthodontic treatment that won’t dig you a financial hole.

AlignerCo’s $1,635 sticker price beats the industry average by several hundred dollars, making them the most affordable option.

On average, home aligner treatment is $2,000–2,500, which is already more affordable than traditional orthodontics. But AlignerCo doesn’t stop there. Their full treatment costs just $1,635, making them the most affordable option you’ll find. And they’ll occasionally run promotions that drop that price even lower.

The $1,635 aligner package includes the cost of your impression kit ($75 sold separately) and your first set of aftercare retainers, which other companies sell for around $100. If you choose their NightOnly treatment, it costs $1,735 instead. They also include free whitening when you skip the financing and buy their aligner packages outright.

To make treatment costs more manageable, AlignerCo offers financing with no credit check.

AlignerCo might be affordable, but $1,635 isn’t pocket change. If you can’t pay it all at once, no problem. AlignerCo’s SmileFlex Easy payment plan lets you divide that expense into smaller chunks.

Everyone qualifies for SmileFlex Easy because there’s no credit check involved. So if you want it, you’ve got it. You will, however, need to make a $395 down payment. After that, it’s six monthly payments of $246. With this plan, you end up paying slightly more: $1,871 total. So, if you can pay the entire $1,635 right off the bat, you’ll save a couple hundred dollars. Their regular SmileFlex plan includes twelve monthly payments of $137 but requires a credit check.

The NightOnly financing plan is similar. It requires a $485 down payment followed by six monthly payments of $250. Their regular NightFlex plan is twelve monthly payments of $145 but requires a credit check to qualify.

Convenience

Your time is just as valuable as your money. Adults with packed schedules can have a hard time with Invisalign’s regular office visits — another reason home aligners are so appealing. They deliver treatment directly to your doorstep, completely eliminating office visits. Plus, they’re often faster than traditional orthodontics, correcting minor conditions in around six months, while in-office treatments often take 12–18 or more.

This streamlined treatment means that AlignerCo is unquestionably more convenient than in-office treatments. When compared to other top-rated home aligner products, however, they’re just average.

AlignerCo offers fewer “startup” options than other leading brands.

The initial decision to pursue home aligner treatment is exciting. But when it’s time to take the first step, that excitement can quickly dissipate. Impression kits are a great way to start treatment from home, but they’re not the easiest to use. And for AlignerCo customers, they’re the only option.

Other companies have physical locations where trained employees administer quick, easy, and free teeth scans instead of an impression kit. But as a young company, AlignerCo doesn’t. They offer video calls where a representative can walk you through the impression process, but some customers still find it tricky and need multiple kits to get it right. The video calls are a nice touch, but it would be great to see AlignerCo establish retail locations too.

From impressions to full aligner kit, you can expect to wait five weeks.

So, you took perfect impressions. We knew you could do it. After you mail them back to AlignerCo, they’ll determine if you’re eligible for treatment. If so, they’ll design a digital model of how your teeth will look at each stage of treatment called a Smile Projection. This takes around two weeks. Once you review and approve the treatment plan, it takes another three weeks to manufacture and ship your aligners.

All in all, you’re looking at five weeks before that first aligner is in your mouth. This timeline is pretty similar to other companies, but potentially a little slower.

Start to finish, your treatment will take 4–6 months.

To be fair, your treatment timeline mostly depends on your condition’s severity. Significant cases of crowding and spacing simply take longer to treat. But in general, your AlignerCo treatment will take between four and six months. That’s pretty average for an at-home aligner company.

This average timeline assumes, however, that you follow your prescribed treatment guidelines and consistently wear your aligners for 22+ hours per day (or ten hours for NightOnly treatment). If you fail to follow AlignerCo’s wear instructions, your treatment will likely take longer.

Instead of wearing your aligners all day, you can opt for their NightOnly plan and wear them for ten hours overnight.

A 22-hour daytime wear schedule isn’t ideal for everyone. It means you have to wear your aligners to work, school, and other public places, plus remove and replace them every time you eat or drink. NightOnly aligners only require ten consecutive hours of daily wear, typically while you sleep. They cost slightly more ($1,735) and take longer (6–8 months on average), but they’re a much more convenient option.

AlignerCo doesn’t include whitening in their full aligner package.

One reason they can offer such low prices is that their treatment package doesn’t contain any frills or extras. Some companies include free whitening products with their aligners, but AlignerCo doesn’t. But we think their affordability is totally worth the sacrifice.

Appearance

Metal brackets and wires aren’t visually appealing. That’s why, when clear aligners first came out, adults flocked to them. They’re discreet, removable, and hardly noticeable in social settings. It’s easy to think that all clear aligners look the same, but there are small differences and design and manufacturing that can distinguish them. What makes an aligner look good is often a personal judgment call, as different people have different tastes.

Like other companies, AlignerCo makes a pretty inconspicuous aligner, although we think that they’re not quite as discreet as they could be.

AlignerCo claims their aligners are the “clearest in quality.”

This is a bold claim, and they do have pretty transparent aligners. Contrary to what you might think, however, smooth, clear aligners can sometimes be more noticeable. How? Consider your teeth. They’re naturally porous and matte, so smooth aligners can make them seem artificially reflective. Companies that make textured aligners do a better job of mimicking your natural teeth surfaces.

That said, appearance is a subjective category because it relies on your unique likes and dislikes. Some people prefer textured aligners, while others like the way translucent ones make their teeth gleam.

They trim each aligner to match your unique gum line.

As we mentioned in the Effectiveness section, straight-cut aligners slightly cover your gums and people might notice this overlap in close quarters. Aligners that are scalloped to match your gum line won’t have this overlap, so they’re a little more discreet.

Choose NightOnly treatment and you won’t even need to wear your aligners in public.

While invisible aligners are very discreet, they still aren’t 100% invisible. From up close, others may notice that you’re wearing clear trays. Moreover, it’s common for aligners to cause a slight lisp, especially for the first few days after changing to new trays. If you want to avoid wearing your AlignerCo aligners during the day, NightOnly treatment lets you do just that.

You only need to wear NightOnly aligners for ten consecutive hours per day, so you only need to have them in after dinner and while you sleep. This could be a perfect option for anyone who feels uncomfortable wearing aligners in public or who doesn’t like removing them to eat and drink.

You should take out your aligners before eating and drinking to avoid stains.

All clear aligners are susceptible to stains from food and beverages — that’s why it’s important to remove them before eating or drinking anything other than plain water. AlignerCo aligners are reasonably resistant to staining, although we certainly wouldn’t recommend drinking coffee or red wine while wearing them.

Customer Experience

Remote orthodontic care offers a fairly different experience than in-person treatment. You won’t have an office to visit or call if you have questions, and most of your communication will come from customer support representatives. While AlignerCo’s remote support doesn’t provide the same personalized care you’ll get from a dentist’s office, many customers still report a highly satisfying experience, although we think there’s still a little room for improvement.

As a smaller company, AlignerCo’s customer support appears attentive and responsive.

One advantage of being a newer, growing company is the ability to give each customer personal attention. In their reviews, customers constantly praise AlignerCo’s service team, noting quick response times and helpful representatives.

They’re available via phone, email, or webchat. We tested out their webchat and received answers to our questions almost immediately. And AlignerCo says that they’ll respond to email inquiries within 24 hours.

If you’re having trouble with your impression kit, they also offer video chat support to guide you through the process.

AlignerCo maintains fairly standard return and refund policies.

If you submit your teeth impressions and AlignerCo determines that you’re not a suitable candidate for treatment, they’ll refund the kit’s cost and any money you pre-paid for your aligners. But after you’ve been approved and begin treatment, they don’t provide refunds.

However, they still want to make sure that you’re 100% satisfied with your results, so if your smile doesn’t turn out as you expected, you can request a re-evaluation, which (if approved) would make you eligible for additional aligners. A refinement to your original treatment plan costs an extra $250.

As long as you’re disciplined in following your aligner wear guidelines (22+ hours per day), you should see the desired results.

What are AlignerCo Customers Saying?

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

Based on these third-party reviews, it’s evident that AlignerCo customers generally feel positive about their experience. Many customers initially considered AlignerCo for the price, but ended up loving their results and customer service experience. They often praise company representatives by name, showing AlignerCo’s personalized care.

The few customers who posted negative reviews seemed to have issues with the impression kit and occasional shipping delays. And some others expressed disappointment with their results. However, AlignerCo’s positive reviews far outweigh the negative ones.

AlignerCo vs. Invisalign

The main difference between at-home clear aligners like AlignerCo and in-office ones like Invisalign is price. Invisalign is, on average, about four times as expensive. That said, there’s another important difference to keep in mind: Invisalign can correct much more severe cases of misalignment than AlignerCo.

With Invisalign, you’ll receive hands-on care. This means your dentist can incorporate elastics and other attachments to achieve more advanced and intricate teeth movements. Unfortunately, this isn’t possible with AlignerCo.

For severe cases of crowding, spacing, or bite issues, you just can’t beat in-person treatment. But if you’re simply looking to correct a mild-to-moderate dental misalignment, an affordable at-home provider like AlignerCo can produce the results you’re after.

AlignerCo vs. Other At-Home Clear Aligners

While AlignerCo is a reputable and affordable brand, there are a few other home teeth straightening companies worth considering before settling on one. Let’s see how AlignerCo stacks up compared to some other top-ranked home teeth aligners:

AlignerCo vs. SmileDirectClub

SmileDirectClub stands out as the largest and most popular at-home clear aligner brand. They also offer retail locations that provide free teeth scans, which makes it easier to get the ball rolling, depending on where you live. Plus, they have an extensive refund policy and put a lifetime warranty on your smile. They’ve transformed over 1.5 million smiles so far, making them the most experienced home aligner company on the market.

AlignerCo isn’t as experienced or convenient, but their price point can’t be beat. But if you prioritize proven results and a long track record of success, check out SmileDirectClub.

AlignerCo vs. NewSmile

AlignerCo is the king of low prices, but NewSmile is hot on their trail. Their $1,899 sticker price and occasional discounts make them an incredibly budget friendly option. And like AlignerCo, they offer nighttime treatment and accessible financing plans that can make your teeth-straightening process a lot easier.

When it comes to treatment start up, NewSmile has AlignerCo beat. NewSmile has several partner clinics where you can get a quick and easy dental scan to begin your treatment.