Candid Review: Better Than Invisalign and SmileDirectClub?

Visit Website

Historically, the only way to transform your smile was to get braces or Invisalign from your dentist, but that’s no longer the case. Today, clear aligner brands like Candid are designed to make achieving your ideal smile both affordable and convenient.

Candid stands out for their personalized clinical oversight throughout treatment with a unique hybrid model that incorporates in-person and remote care. But is Candid the right fit for you? In this review, we’ll walk you through everything you should know before deciding whether to move forward with treatment.

What Is Candid?

Candid is a clear aligner company based in New York City that partners with dentists around the country to provide a hybrid treatment that involves both in-person care and remote monitoring. Their aligners look and feel similar to Invisalign — they are made from clear plastic and fit snugly over your teeth, much less visible than traditional braces.

Candid began as a completely remote clear aligner service. They’ve since evolved into a hybrid treatment that requires an initial consultation with a local dentist, who collaborates with Candid’s team and remains involved as you complete your treatment. However, much of Candid treatment still takes place at home thanks to their unique remote monitoring system, CandidMonitoring. CandidMonitoring allows you to submit biweekly scans of your teeth to your dentist and the Candid team from the comfort of your home.

Candid has a network of 800+ dentists across the US, and it’s constantly expanding. Because Candid treatment now requires in-person dental appointments, it’s only available to people who live near a dentist in Candid’s network.

What Is CandidMonitoring?

There are three main components to the CandidMonitoring system: the ScanBox device, a cheek retractor, and a mobile app.

The first step to getting started with CandidMonitoring is to download the Candid app from the App Store or Google Play Store and sign in to your Candid portal. Every 14 days, the app will notify you that it’s time to submit new photos of your teeth for review.

Just sign into the Candid app and hit “Take Scan,” connect your phone to the front of the ScanBox, use a cheek retractor to reveal your full smile, and hold the device over your mouth. The app will take photos of your teeth and upload them for review. Using artificial intelligence and human analysis, your dentist and Candid’s team will collaborate to review your photos, ensure you’re on track, and alter your wear schedule if necessary. If any issues arise, they might suggest scheduling additional office visits.

Studies have shown that remote monitoring using technology like this can be effective enough for clinical applications, providing an accurate assessment of linear tooth movement.

Our Review of Candid Clear Aligners

Although CandidPro is a relatively untested model with few reviews at this point, Candid has a long history of satisfied customers who they’ve treated 100% remotely over the years. We’re hopeful that this new hybrid service will allow Candid to truly offer the best of both worlds.

Overall, we scored Candid 4.29/5 based on our five review criteria (scope of treatment, affordability, convenience, appearance, and customer experience). Further down this page we cover each of these criteria in depth. However, before diving into the details, here is a quick summary of key pros and cons:

Scope of Treatment

Candid is an interesting aligner company, blending elements of remote and in-office treatment. As a result, their scope of treatment extends beyond what at-home aligner companies offer, but doesn’t quite match that of most fully in-office treatments, like Invisalign. So, what exactly can Candid treat?

Candid itself does not state what conditions it can or cannot address. However, their partner dentists claim it can treat mild-to-moderate alignment issues.

Based on a look at multiple Candid dental partner websites, their aligners can address the following conditions:

• Mild-to-Moderate Crowding: Crowding is when the teeth are too close together, or in some cases, even overlap each other. The greater the overlap, the more severe the crowding.
• Snaggletooth: Teeth that are rotated in their sockets, which often accompany crowding. Candid can make small rotations to correct snaggletooth.
• Mild-to-Moderate Spacing: Also called gapping, this is when the teeth are too far apart. It isn’t clear how large of gaps Candid can close, but at-home aligner companies can typically address ones that are 3 mm or less. In-office aligners that use attachments can handle larger gaps, and Candid might be able to as well.
• Mild-to-Moderate Overbite or Overjet: This is when the upper teeth protrude outward. In mild-to-moderate cases, this should be dental in nature (i.e., not involving the jawbone), meaning Candid can treat them.
• Underbite: This is when the bottom teeth extend beyond the top teeth. Candid can correct underbites that don’t require jaw modification.
• Crossbite: This is when some upper teeth sit inside the lower teeth, creating a mixed bite. Candid can correct this if it doesn’t require jaw changes.

Candid can move all the teeth and supplement their aligners with IPR and attachments.

Some at-home aligner companies say they focus on the front 6–8 teeth in either arch. Others claim they also move the molars when needed, but in practice, they don’t seem to take on many cases that require it. Candid can move all the teeth, including the molars, and even expand the arch when necessary.

While attachments aren’t always required for effective tooth movement, they can improve aligner retention and tooth movement. Candid can incorporate things like engagers, bite ramps, and pontics, plus their planning software accounts for IPR (interproximal reduction) — the removal of a small amount of enamel to make room between the teeth. None of this is available with fully remote treatment.

Just keep in mind that it is more limited than most other in-office treatments. Since it is hybrid, you don’t have frequent office visits — in fact, you might not have any in-person visits between getting your aligners and moving on to retainers. Candid is also designed to wrap up treatment in fewer than twelve months. If you have an especially complex misalignment, you’ll probably need a more intensive option, such as braces or Invisalign.

To determine if Candid can treat your specific misalignment, you need to schedule a consultation with one of their dental partners.

You can spend days researching Candid and other customers’ results, but there’s only one way to know if their aligners can achieve the results you need: schedule an in-person assessment with a Candid provider. All Candid partners are licensed dental professionals who have received specific training. Together with Candid’s team, they can determine if the aligners can handle your misalignment.

Keep in mind that their 30-second survey isn’t an official examination. No matter which answers you give, they’ll direct you to schedule an appointment with a provider near you. So while you shouldn’t let this get your hopes up, it can be a convenient way to locate a dentist offering Candid.

Candid treatment is designed by licensed orthodontists based on the diagnostics your dentist submits.

This means that every case receives insight from an orthodontist — a genuine expert in dentofacial orthopedics — and the dentist you choose.

This is paired with Candid’s AI, which helps evaluate your smile with each check-in. When you use their app and ScanBox every 14 days to upload photos of your smile, their AI will all take a look. If anything seems off, it’ll alert your dentist, who can provide feedback, request additional monitoring, or have you set up an in-person appointment.

Candid manufactures their aligners in-house in Silicon Valley using high-quality, BPA-free thermoplastic.

Candid used to partner with ClearCorrect, a reputable dental manufacturer that uses a high-quality, BPA-free plastic material called Zendura FLX. However, they recently moved their manufacturing in-house.

They still use Zendura’s tri-layer FLX plastic, which Zendura claims retains 50+% more orthodontic force over time than some other materials — and this study confirms that increased force retention. Plus, Candid tells us that in-house manufacturing has given them the control necessary to deliver the sophisticated dental shifts they promise.

Affordability

Candid’s hybrid treatment falls between in-office and at-home clear aligners in pretty much every aspect — including cost. Their aligners often cost less than Invisalign and ClearCorrect, but because you’re receiving hands-on care and regular oversight, they’re pricier than fully remote options. All things considered, they still present a great value, but there are a few more affordable options on the market.

The total cost of Candid treatment is usually $3,500 or more, depending on your provider.

This price includes everything you’ll need from start to finish — your office visits, treatment plan, aligners, CandidMonitoring equipment, and whitening foam. The sticker price might be intimidating, but considering what’s included, we think it’s still a decent value.

Candid’s price varies based on the location of your provider, but will likely cost at least $3,500, and potentially much more if you live in a part of the country where the cost of living is high. While this is typically 30% less than Invisalign, if you’re looking for the most budget-friendly clear aligner option on the market, you’ll be better off with a purely remote service instead.

Patients can enroll in payment plans through their dentist’s office.

For many people, paying $3,500 all at once is a long shot. Fortunately, you probably won’t have to. Many dentist’s offices offer financing plans to help make the cost of treatment more manageable. The terms vary depending on the dentist, so you’ll want to contact the office for details on their options.

Insurance coverage and HSA or FSA accounts can help pay for your treatment.

Since a local dentist provides your Candid service, you may receive insurance coverage if your plan includes orthodontic benefits. Some providers consider clear aligner treatment cosmetic and refuse to cover it, especially if it’s correcting a mild misalignment. But others will provide partial coverage. The only way to know for sure is by contacting your insurance provider.

If you have a Health Savings Account (HSA) or a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), your dentist’s office may accept payments from either. These tax-free funds — which may receive contributions from your employer — could be more convenient than paying out of pocket.

Convenience

Aside from cost, one of the biggest barriers to pursuing a more comfortable smile is the time commitment of traditional orthodontics. When the daily grind is running you ragged, repeated dentist visits aren’t exactly convenient. And taking time off from work each month for your appointments isn’t ideal either.

Even though Candid treatment involves at least one office visit, we think they’ve effectively streamlined the rest of the process, without sacrificing clinical oversight. In our opinion, it’s still not quite as easy as having a company like Byte or SmileDirectClub deliver everything directly to your home, but we’d still consider it more convenient than Invisalign’s regular office visits.

If you live near one of Candid’s network providers, it’s easy to get started.

Many people find that the hardest part of clear aligner treatment is taking the first step. Fortunately, some customers say getting started with Candid is quick and painless. You’ll simply book an appointment with a local provider. During this appointment, they’ll take scans, photos, and X-rays of your teeth and submit them to Candid.

Most fully remote aligner services typically have customers purchase an impression kit and create molds of their teeth from home, which can be tricky and require multiple tries. Having a dentist take your teeth scans in person mostly eliminates that potential for errors and any frustration that might come with it.

If you haven’t had dental X-rays in a while, you should get them before any clear aligner treatment to help ensure safe, effective teeth movements. Candid builds these X-rays into the startup process, so you won’t have to make a separate appointment.

If you don’t live near a network provider, however, you’ll either have to travel for your appointment or go with a different treatment option.

CandidMonitoring’s virtual check-ins were designed to provide more convenient oversight than in-person options.

More comprehensive in-person treatments like Invisalign involve office visits around every 4–10 weeks throughout treatment. These appointments can be time-consuming and require you to take time off of work or school. But Candid replaces them with virtual check-ins. Aside from your initial Candid office visit and one wrap-up appointment at the end, you’ll complete the rest of your treatment remotely, submitting photos of your teeth every two weeks for evaluation. Some customers say it’s a quicker, easier process, and one that studies indicate can accurately track your tooth movements.

If your case is especially complex, or if you run into issues during treatment that require hands-on care, your dentist may suggest additional in-person appointments. However, you’ll still have far fewer appointments than with traditional clear aligner treatments like Invisalign.

Some at-home options incorporate remote oversight as well, but in our opinion, none are as robust as CandidMonitoring. AlignerCo, for example, takes place via email instead of a specialized mobile app, and SmileDirectClub only requires check-ins every 90 days.

Expect to wait around six weeks before beginning treatment.

After you complete your initial office visit, Candid usually takes 1–2 weeks to prepare your treatment plan. After receiving and approving your treatment plan, Candid will take another 3–4 weeks to produce and ship your aligners. So, if you commit to treatment during your initial consultation, you’ll be wearing your aligner within 1–2 months.

Start to finish, Candid says their treatment takes 8.5 months on average.

As long as you’re using your aligners properly and wearing them at least 22 hours per day — and you don’t have a particularly severe case — you can expect the process to last about 8.5 months. Of course, your treatment plan length depends entirely on the complexity of your misalignment. Minor fixes take less time to correct than major ones.

Candid doesn’t offer nighttime-only treatment.

Fully remote clear aligner services often offer two different treatment schedules: all-day and nighttime-only. However, Candid is intended for all-day treatment only. There may be a small amount of leeway here, but your dentist will most likely require you to wear your Candid aligners for at least 22 hours per day, removing them only to eat, drink, and brush.

Nighttime-only aligners are increasing in popularity because of their added convenience. Since you don’t wear them during the day, you don’t have to worry about lisping, taking them out to eat, or any other daily maintenance involved in wearing aligners for 22 hours per day. Because Candid treatment requires all-day wear, we think it’s a bit less convenient than options like Byte and SmileDirectClub.

Appearance

When it comes to teeth straightening treatments, most adults agree: the less visible, the better. They often 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 Candid is no exception.

That said, they’re not all identical. While they’re all made from transparent, BPA-free plastic, variations in manufacturing processes cause each brand to look slightly different.

Candid uses a frosted plastic in their aligners, giving them a matte appearance.

Candid’s aligners are made from tri-layer Zendura FLX plastic, a matte plastic material that appears frosted. Many people think frosted aligners look more natural than smooth ones. Teeth are naturally porous — which is why coffee and red wine can stain them — and these pores give a matte appearance.

Candid’s frosted plastic mimics this matte look, while smooth aligners are more reflective which, in our opinion, can make teeth look unnaturally shiny. That said, some people prefer this extra-shiny look — it all comes down to your personal preferences.

Candid aligners may incorporate attachments, which can make them more visible.

As we already mentioned, Candid treatment rarely uses attachments, but they give dentists the option, allowing them to potentially treat more complex misalignments. While these attachments help induce more complex shifts, they also make the aligners more noticeable.

Candid cuts their aligners straight across the top instead of trimming them to match the gum line.

The company says that even without attachments, their aligners can achieve significant power thanks to their cut and manufacturing precision. As we mentioned earlier, Candid aligners are cut straight across at the top (rather than scalloped to follow the gumline), which may help make them more retentive, but also slightly more visible.

Since they partially cover the gums, others might spot where the aligners end when you smile. Even so, most people don’t find straight-cut aligners to be more noticeable than scalloped ones.

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

Many clear aligners are susceptible to staining — that’s why it’s important to remove them before eating or drinking anything besides water. Zendura FLX plastic has three separate layers. The inner layer is flexible, making them comfortable to wear, while the outer layer is firm and resists staining.

Still, we certainly wouldn’t recommend drinking coffee, red wine, or other dark liquids while wearing them.

Patient Experience

Dental 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 any issues arise.

Though the quality of support varies across Candid’s partnered dentists, we think in-person options typically offer highly personalized care. Even though your dentist will be the one administering your treatment, Candid also gives you access to their support team.

You get the expertise of the local dentist, backed by remote support features.

Candid’s patient support is two-fold. Your dentist will provide the service, and you’ll also have near-constant access to the Candid remote care team, who can answer your questions and bring your dentist into the loop if necessary.

The most convenient way to contact their team is via live chat on the CandidApp. However, service representatives are also available by phone and email every day (including weekends) from 9am–7pm.

If you ask us, Candid’s dual support provides a more personalized experience than you’d get from 100% remote representatives, although it’s just a bit less intensive than the consistent hands-on care you’ll receive from Invisalign.

Your dentist and Candid’s team will be involved in your entire treatment via CandidMonitoring.

With the implementation of CandidMonitoring, your dentist and Candid’s team will collaborate to keep you on track, monitoring your progress via uploaded photos every two weeks or so. This gives you assurance that your treatment is progressing as planned.

Though Candid plans your entire treatment up front, teeth don’t always move as expected. If their team or your dentist notices any issues in your regular check-ins, they may recommend going in for another office visit.

Your dentist can assist if you’re not completely satisfied with your smile.

Your dentist and Candid’s clinical team will carefully plot out how your teeth will move, and if you follow your treatment plan, there’s a very good chance that you’ll get the smile you wanted.

But if your teeth don’t move exactly as expected, contact your dentist. The benefit of having a local dentist in the loop is that they can bring you back to the office for another examination and come up with an appropriate solution.

What Are Candid Patients Saying?

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

Unfortunately, the “CandidPro” model is so new that it has very few customer reviews. Candid’s fully remote treatment option long inspired solid reviews, which speaks to the quality of their results and support.

That said, recently they’ve accrued some reviews from customers disappointed with their results, the refinement process, and their responsiveness. These reviews, however, appear to be from patients who began with Candid’s old fully remote model and just recently wrapped up their aligner plans. Still, the general sentiment from patients who’ve shared their experiences with us is that they feel satisfied and valued. Often, they chose Candid because they appreciated having consistent remote oversight throughout their treatment.

For a realistic look at the Candid patient experience, check out the unbiased Candid reviews we’ve gathered from our readers who have completed treatment, or some of the video reviews they’ve submitted at various stages of the treatment process. (Keep in mind that these are reviews of Candid’s old fully remote treatment offering, not the new CandidPro hybrid model.)

Candid vs. Other Clear Aligners

While se think Candid 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 there are several fully remote aligner options worth exploring too, especially if you want the shortest treatment time or lower prices.

Invisalign vs. Candid

Candid requires one office visit, followed by remote check-ins every two weeks or so. Invisalign, on the other hand, is fully in-person, so you’ll need to schedule office visits every 4–10 weeks.

Invisalign’s aligners can incorporate tiny SmartForce attachments — small square attachments affixed to the front of the teeth — giving them the power to correct more severe dental and jaw misalignments. Candid gives their dentists the option to incorporate similar attachments, although the company says their treatments use them fairly infrequently. Keep in mind, however, that every attachment added to your aligners also makes them less discreet.

Invisalign typically takes 12–18 months to achieve its final results and can cost $5,000 or more. With an 8.5-month average treatment time and fewer office visits, Candid is slightly less expensive: prices typically start around $3,500. With either company, your price depends largely on your specific condition and your provider’s rates.

Byte vs. Candid

Since they were founded in 2018, Byte quickly gained popularity for a few important reasons. First off, they say their average treatment plan lasts just 4–5 months for their standard All-Day treatment. But Byte also offers At-Night treatment, which they say has an average treatment plan length of 5–6 months and requires only ten hours of daily wear.

Byte’s All-Day plan is $1,999, and their At-Night aligners go for $2,399 because they use thicker, grind-resistant plastic. Either way, that’s a lot less than Candid’s $3,500+ price tag. Byte doesn’t incorporate any office visits, and while they recommend virtual check-ins for every patient, they only require them in certain cases. However, we think Byte treatment can still be a solid solution for people with mild-to-moderate misalignments looking for an efficient, fully remote treatment plan.

SmileDirectClub vs. Candid

SmileDirectClub stands out as the largest and most experienced at-home clear aligner brand, having transformed over two million smiles so far. Like Candid, they partner with dental practices nationwide, where you can kick off your treatment with an in-person appointment. However, unlike Candid, the local dentist does not stay involved throughout the entire treatment process.

SmileDirectClub charges $2,250 for clear aligner treatment — much less than Candid. And just like Byte, SmileDirectClub’s aligners can only treat mild-to-moderate cases of crowding and spacing. They’re not as comprehensive as Candid’s holistic treatment plans.

Conclusion

It’s natural to feel cautious about the idea of remote orthodontic treatment. That’s why Candid’s hybrid model could be an intriguing option for anyone who wants to combine the quality of in-person care with the convenience of virtual check-ins.