
Candid has mastered the art of remote clinical oversight. With CandidMonitoring, they’ve created the most robust remote monitoring service of any clear aligner company — one that bolsters their in-person care with clinical check-ins every two weeks.
Your treatment is administered and overseen by a local dentist, but you won’t need to make office visits every few weeks like you would with Invisalign. Instead, CandidMonitoring lets your dentist collaborate with Candid to regularly evaluate your progress and keep you on track every step of the way. In this guide, we’ll explain what exactly CandidMonitoring is, how it works, and if it’s worth the cost.
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What is CandidMonitoring?
In many ways, Candid is just like traditional clear aligner brands like Invisalign — treatment is prescribed and overseen by a local dentist. The main difference between Candid and Invisalign lies in the CandidMonitoring system.
Using a unique remote monitoring device and a mobile app, you’re able to send photo updates to your provider so they can track your progress remotely throughout the treatment process. This eliminates the need for the monthly in-person office visits required with traditional clear aligner treatment, and allows for more frequent feedback, since Candid requests these photo check-ins every 14 days.
All in all, CandidMonitoring delivers an experience that’s significantly more streamlined than traditional clear aligner options like Invisalign, but more hands-on than fully-remote services like Byte and SmileDirectClub.
How To Use The Candid App
Candid has done their best to make remote monitoring as simple as possible for both you and your dentist. To get started, download the Candid app. You’ll receive push notifications when it’s time to upload new photos of your smile (about every 14 days), so you won’t have to worry about forgetting. Candid has made the process relatively simple, but it’s best to take your photos in front of a mirror so you can better see what you’re doing.
You’ll also receive a cheek retractor as well as a ScanBox. The cheek retractor does exactly what its name implies — it gets those pesky cheeks out of the way for your photos. The ScanBox is a container that holds your phone and helps you photograph your teeth at the correct angles. Once you’ve taken all the photos you need, you’ll simply upload them to the Candid app!
Both your dentist and Candid’s team will have access to these photos, so they can ensure treatment is going as planned and recommend additional office visits if necessary.
How Much Attention Are You Really Getting?
Consider other in-office clear aligner brands like Invisalign and ClearCorrect. They require in-person appointments every 4-6 weeks for the duration of your treatment. These office visits give your dentist a chance to physically evaluate your smile and make adjustments to your aligner plan, but they’re also much less frequent than Candid’s photo check-ins.
For every one office visit you make with Invisalign, you would’ve had two or three remote check-ins with Candid. That means more consistent opportunities to catch potential issues in their early stages, giving you not just more streamlined care, but greater peace of mind.
When it comes to purely at-home aligners, a few companies have implemented remote monitoring services, yet none of them are as robust as Candid’s. AlignerCo, for example, also requires you to submit photos every 14 days — but they don’t provide special equipment, a mobile app, or a local dentist who can request additional office visits.
SmileDirectClub’s check-ins are every 90 days, far less frequent than Candid. And Byte only requires you to regularly submit photos if you have certain conditions.
However, while your dentist will be involved for the full length of your treatment, it’s important to understand that CandidMonitoring check-ins aren’t necessarily a direct dialogue.
When you submit photos through the CandidApp, they’ll go to your dentist and Candid’s specially trained support team, who will ensure your treatment is on track and determine whether you’re ready to move to the next set of aligners. You won’t be conversing with your dentist each time, but if you have any questions for Candid, the app has a live chat feature, and their care team is available seven days a week.
Is CandidMonitoring Worth the Price?
We think that Candid’s unique hybrid treatment model is worth their $3,500+ price, and CandidMonitoring is certainly a part of that. While certain alternatives boast lower prices, none of them offer the same combination of hands-on care and intensive clinical oversight, so Candid is a great value for the money.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re confident Candid is the right treatment option for you, visit their website to schedule an appointment with a CandidPro doctor near you. Or, if you’d like to compare your other options, check out our review of the 5 best clear aligners available.
What Are Customers Saying About CandidMonitoring?
The “CandidPro” model is so new that online reviews are virtually non-existent. That said, Candid’s old fully remote option long inspired rave customer reviews, which speaks to the quality of their results and customer support. Patients often speak to the simplicity of the CandidMonitoring procedures and speak highly of Candid’s care team.
How intimately your dentist is involved in this review process is ultimately up to them. They will have access to every photo you upload to the CandidApp. They might review and provide feedback on each one, or they might leave the review process to the Candid team and only step in if any issues arise.
Some patients might be disappointed that the CandidMonitoring platform doesn’t provide real-time conversations with your dentist, and this would certainly make it even more robust. But you can be confident that, if Candid or your dentist spots any serious concerns in your photos, they’ll bring you back to the office for further examination.
How Does Candid’s Remote Monitoring Compare to Other Brands?
Candid is ahead of the pack in terms of streamlining the remote monitoring experience, but they are far from the only company that incorporates routine oversight.
Just as each company has their own unique draw, each company offers a way to monitor your smile progress. Fully in-office treatments bring you back to the office every few weeks, while fully at-home options request that you submit photos every so often.
Candid’s hybrid model simplified the remote monitoring process with their Candid app, which sends you push notifications when they’d like you to send new photos. Candid has also made this process more convenient by including more equipment to help take your photos. They go the extra mile by including a ScanBox, and they’re the only service we reviewed that effectively intertwines in-person treatment with remote oversight.
Here’s an overview of these various brands’ approaches to keeping tabs on your smile:
How frequently you submit photos | Where you upload your photos | Who reviews the photos | Tools included | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Candid | About every 14 days | Candid App | Your dentist and Candid’s support team | Cheek retractor, ScanBox |
Invisalign | Every 4-6 weeks | Dentist or orthodontist’s office | Your dentist or orthodontist | None |
ClearCorrect | Every 4-6 weeks | Dentist or orthodontist’s office | Your dentist or orthodontist | None |
Byte | About every 14 days (only required in certain cases) | Team of dentists and orthodontists | Cheek retractor | |
SmileDirectClub | Every 90 days | SmileDirectClub account | Assigned dentist or orthodontist | Cheek retractor |
AlignerCo | Every 14 days | Dental team | Cheek retractor |
Final Thoughts
Candid’s remote monitoring system is changing the clear aligner industry. In tandem with in-person care from a local dentist, CandidMonitoring delivers advanced clinical oversight throughout the treatment process.
The Candid app sends your photos directly to their support team so that nothing gets lost in the shuffle. Teeth can occasionally be stubborn or unpredictable, so this oversight can help your overall treatment time—since Candid and your dentist can catch any hiccups early on.
CandidMonitoring extends the attentiveness and expertise of Candid’s treatment even further, placing their remote monitoring ahead of any competitor in the industry. If oversight, convenience, and expertise are at the top of your wish list for at-home clear aligner care, then Candid may be just the right fit for you.
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