Candid vs. 3M Clarity Aligners: How They Actually Compare

When clear aligners hit the scene, they changed the field of orthodontics. Suddenly, adults could enjoy straighter smiles without wires and brackets — and the inconveniences that often come with them. Aligners were innovative from the start, but today, companies like 3M Clarity Aligners and Candid are two of the most popular brands.

On the surface, it might seem like Clarity and Candid offer similar products. They both administer clear aligners via in-person visits with a local dentist. But look closer — you’ll find some major differences between Candid’s hybrid of in-office and at-home care and Clarity’s traditional model. If you’re deciding between these two companies, this is your go-to guide.

Overview & Recommendation

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We think 3M Clarity Aligners and Candid both offer quality aligner services, but for mild and moderate misalignments, we like Candid just a little bit more. Why? Two reasons:

1. Hybrid Treatment: Typically, Candid only requires two dental office visits — one at the beginning and one at the end. In between, your dentist and Candid’s team will track your progress virtually via Candid’s remote monitoring system (CandidMonitoring) and request additional appointments if any issues arise. We think that’s a lot more streamlined than scheduling office visits every few weeks.
2. Affordability: Candid treatment typically costs $3,500+, while Clarity can go for anywhere between $3,000 and $8,000, often falling around $5,000. Your doctor will set the price based on the severity of your misalignment, how many office visits you need, etc. so it can vary with either option. So while Candid is often the more affordable option, it’s not always cheaper.

Is Candid Right for You?

Your ideal clear aligner treatment depends largely on your unique condition, goals, and budget. But if you’re looking for a mix of in-person care and at-home treatment, Candid could be a solid option.

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3M Clarity vs. Candid: The Basics

When it comes to size, scope, and name-brand recognition, it’s hard to match 3M. Founded in 1902, they’re a global powerhouse with their hands in a wide variety of industries. So it isn’t surprising that they also manufacture stellar orthodontic products.

3M launched the Clarity brand with Clarity Clear Braces. They added Clarity Aligners in 2018, and the current iteration — which added a new type of plastic and treatment planning methods — launched in 2021. Their aligners are newer than some competitors, but they’ve quickly gained traction because of their ability to treat a wider scope of conditions than other aligners.

Candid got its start as a remote aligner company in 2017, and they were one of the first to introduce the concept of remote monitoring, a system they call CandidMonitoring. It helped to replicate the in-office check-in experience from the comfort of home. But Candid picked up on two significant customer desires: to start treatment in person (not with an at-home impression kit) and to receive personalized oversight from the doctor of their choice.

At the start of 2022, Candid pivoted, becoming the one of first aligner companies to introduce a hybrid treatment model. Now, you kick off treatment by finding a Candid provider near you, handle the in-between with CandidMonitoring, and then return to see your doctor at the end of treatment.

3M Clarity can treat just about any misalignment you throw at it, but it also requires regular office visits with your provider throughout the average 6–24-month timeline. While reassuring, we think these routine office visits can also be inconvenient, especially if your schedule is already packed.

Candid’s model is more streamlined. Your dentist — in collaboration with Candid’s team — will oversee much of your treatment remotely. The company says this process typically takes 8.5 months, and it might cost less too. But it’s designed to correct milder cases, so it might not be a viable option for everyone.

Scope of Treatment Comparison

We think 3M Clarity and Candid are both excellent choices for adults with dental misalignments. They’ve both helped many patients straighten their teeth, and based on reviews, most love their results. But whether you prefer 3M Clarity or Candid, you have to first make sure they can treat your specific condition.

What 3M Clarity and Candid Treat

3M Clarity is proud of its wide treatment scope, and some orthodontic partners heavily promote this on their websites. Their aligners are documented treating the following conditions, whether mild or severe:

• Crowded teeth
• Gapped teeth
• Overbite
• Underbite
• Crossbite
• Open bite
• Snaggletooth
• Midline misalignment

Candid doesn’t say much about their treatable cases, but their partner dentists do. We looked at multiple Candid provider websites, and they indicate these aligners can generally address the following issues:

• Mild-to-moderate crowding
• Snaggletooth
• Mild-to-moderate spacing
• Mild-to-moderate overbite or overjet
• Underbite
• Crossbite

3M Clarity is designed for comprehensive treatment. The company makes smaller attachments than many of its competitors, allowing multiple attachments per tooth. Their software also accommodates placement on the backs of the teeth, allowing the system to direct force in different ways. It can move all the teeth, including the molars, and can expand the arch.

Candid is also able to move all teeth and expand arches. Much of this stems from their ability to include attachments like engagers, bite ramps, and pontics. It is still more limited in scope than Clarity, though, because providers typically take on cases they can address in less than nine months.

What 3M Clarity and Candid Customers Say

There are plenty of 3M Clarity patient reviews online, primarily on YouTube and TikTok. With a quick look, you’ll see that these reviews support company claims. Reviewers often show dramatic changes to their smiles, including changes to jaw position and facial balance.

Many Candid patients have posted reviews online, including some on our site. Just one problem — these reviews pre-date the CandidPro transition, so they’re for the fully remote system. As a result, they don’t accurately reflect the current scope of treatment. Hopefully, we will get CandidPro reviews soon.

Clinical Oversight

In-office aligner therapy centers on clinic visits and hands-on care. But 3M Clarity goes further than most other aligner brands, only allowing orthodontists to offer their system. This means that if you get Clarity, you’ll receive treatment from someone who has undergone special training in dentofacial orthopedics in addition to completing dental school.

On top of this, 3M encourages orthodontists to engage in continuing education specifically focused on their products, ensuring they are genuine experts and up to date on new developments. You’ll see your orthodontist every 4–10 weeks in most cases so they can evaluate your progress at regular intervals.

CandidPro is specifically marketed towards general dentists, though orthodontists can offer it, too. Candid only requires two office visits as part of their standard treatment — one to get things started and one to wrap it all up. In between, you’ll use the ScanBox to upload photos to their app every 14 days, and Candid’s AI will analyze them. If the algorithm notices something seems off, it will alert your dentist so they can figure out the next steps to take. While we are not dental professionals, we have reviewed several studies which suggest remote monitoring can be accurate enough for clinical applications and can accurately assess linear movements.

Quality of Materials

3M Clarity is interesting in that it uses two different materials, depending on the type of movement the teeth need to make. Flex is their newest plastic, made from five unique layers, resulting in flexibility.The original plastic, called Force, is stiffer. 3M Clarity notes that the two types of plastic are better at different types of movements:

• Flex is better at correcting rotations and incorrect angles.
• Force is better at expansion, torque, and raising or lowering teeth.

And the great thing is that your orthodontist doesn’t need to stick to one type of plastic for the full course of treatment. If the first aligners need to expand, they can order those in Force, then switch to Flex for things like rotation.

Candid doesn’t make their own plastic; they use Zendura tri-layer FLX. Zendura states this retains 50+% more orthodontic force over time than certain other plastics, and they’ve been a trusted source of dental-grade plastics for years, so we’re confident in the quality of their materials.

Affordability Comparison

A straighter smile comes with major benefits for your confidence and health. But those benefits rarely come cheap, and you certainly don’t want your treatment to cause major financial heartache. We think Clarity Aligners and Candid both give you a lot for your money, and Candid is often slightly less expensive, but neither is one of the more affordable options on the market.

Sticker Price

Neither Candid nor Clarity has a set price tag. That’s because your cost will vary based on the system you choose or how many aligners you need — and sometimes, both. Plus, doctors need to build their overhead costs and labor into their prices, and still make a profit. These costs can change based on your doctor’s experience, how many office visits you need, and more.

Clarity Aligners can cost between $3,000 and $8,000, although the average is around $5,000 — similar to Invisalign. Candid often costs around $3,500, but some dentists may charge more or less. And while this might make Clarity Aligners seem much more expensive, their prices can be similar to Candid when treating mild misalignments.

What About Insurance?

Orthodontic treatment is expensive — even on the affordable end of the spectrum, you are looking at $1,000+. For most people, that isn’t exactly pocket change. If you have dental insurance with orthodontic benefits, it could cover treatment or at least lower the cost.

Orthodontic benefits should apply towards Candid or 3M Clarity treatment from an in-network doctor. Just be sure to bring your insurance information to your consultation and confirm your coverage with the company. Usually, a policy will only pay for a percentage of treatment or a set lifetime limit. With the former, you’ll need to cover some of your treatment costs out of pocket. With the latter, your lifetime limit might be enough to pay the entire cost.

In addition to insurance benefits, if you have an HSA or FSA, you can potentially apply those funds toward treatment. Contact your account administrator to clarify their policies on clear aligners.

Financing Options

If your out-of-pocket costs are more than you can pay upfront, financing can make them more manageable. Billing for either treatment goes through your doctor’s office, so you’ll need to consult them on your financing options. Some offices will offer interest-free payment plans or financing that includes interest. If yours doesn’t, check out third-party financiers like CareCredit. Just know that they might require a credit check or have high interest rates.

Convenience Comparison

Between work, family, friends, and (hopefully) self-care, you might not have much free time. And you’re probably not looking to fill those rare free moments with a trip to the dentist or orthodontist. But there is more to convenience than just cutting out office visits. They might not boast the same convenience of fully remote treatments, but we think Clarity takes measures to make treatment quick and easy and Candid’s hybrid model streamlines it even further.

Getting Started

In our opinion, Clarity Aligners and Candid both make the start-up process easy. Just go to their websites and locate a local provider using their directory. At your consultation, they’ll take a digital scan and other diagnostic images and upload them to the treatment planning software. Once they’ve fine-tuned your aligner plan, you’ll get a preview of your future smile and you can decide whether you want to move forward.

Since Clarity Aligners have been available to orthodontists for years, they have more providers, so it’ll probably be easier to find a provider near you. Candid just launched their in-office program in early 2022, and while their network is growing, they don’t have nearly as many providers.

The Office Visit Trade-Off

Clarity requires two start-up visits, regular visits throughout treatment, and an appointment to wrap things up. That means you’ll see your orthodontist numerous times throughout the process, spending hours in the office and on the road.

Candid only requires two office visits: one at the beginning and another at the end. The rest of the time, you’ll submit photos of your teeth every 14 days. This model is less time-consuming, but regular office visits are essential for treating certain complex cases. If you have a severe misalignment or jaw irregularity, you might need more frequent in-person care.

How Long Does Treatment Take?

No matter which company you choose, your treatment time can vary based on a few factors. Some people see fast results because their jaw bone responds well to remodeling or because they only had minor misalignments. Others take longer because their ligaments don’t want to loosen up or they have a complex case.

That’s why Clarity Aligners can take anywhere between six and 24 months to transform your smile. According to Candid, their average treatment length is 8.5 months. This sounds like Candid is the faster option, but remember that the complex cases Clarity often treats take a lot longer.

Appearance Comparison

The main reason clear aligners’ popularity has soared since their debut is because of their invisibility. They give patients the option to trade the silver smile you get from braces for a discreet alternative. But attractiveness is subjective, so your preferences will differ from someone else’s. We think Clarity and Candid both make good-looking aligners, but there are a few subtle differences between them.

Aligner Material

3M Clarity uses two different plastics, but they look identical: ultra-clear, smooth, and matte. A clear finish lets your natural teeth show, and we think the matte finish prevents your smile from looking unnaturally shiny. However, we’d prefer the aligners had a little bit of texture. Since your enamel is porous, we think a textured finish looks more natural.

In our opinion, Candid hits all the right marks with their aligner material. They are both matte and textured — which helps them mimic the look of your enamel, making them harder for people to spot.

Aligner Cut

Clarity allows your orthodontist to choose the cut of your aligners — scalloping to hide them or overlapping the gums, which can improve their force transfer. Candid cuts their aligners straight across the top. A straight cut means the aligners overlap the gums by a few millimeters (your doctor will determine the specific amount). If you show your gums when you smile, people nearby might notice the edge. However, most people find that the edge usually remains hidden under their lips.

Supplemental Attachments

Elastics, buttons, spacers, and engagers: these supplemental attachments help aligners treat severe cases, but they also increase visibility. Clarity uses tooth-colored or clear attachments and makes them smaller than most producers — so small that your orthodontist might even place them behind your teeth, hiding them completely. Candid recently started using attachments, but they aren’t always necessary.

Patient Experience Comparison

We’ve covered all the major elements of Clarity Aligners and Candid treatments, but you can’t forget the details in between — like oversight, refinements, and modes of communication — because they can make all the difference. Good news: we think if you choose either treatment, you’re likely to have a highly supportive and individualized patient experience.

Communication Channels

Your orthodontist’s office will be your main contact during your Clarity Aligners treatment. Their communication channels will usually include phone and email, but if they have a patient portal, web chat could be an option, too. Although 3M Orthodontics has a customer support line, we’d recommend contacting your orthodontist instead. 3M’s team can answer basic questions about Clarity Aligners, but your doctor will have more specific answers about your case and smile.

Candid also gives you two points of contact: your dentist and the Candid remote care team. There is a live chat option on the CandidMonitoring app to reach out to Candid, but you’ll likely need to contact your dentist via phone or email.

Oversight

You might not like what direct oversight means for your schedule, but it’s likely you’ll love what it does for the patient experience. Choose Clarity Aligners and you’ll enjoy in-person supervision from your orthodontist every 4–10 weeks. Though the specifics vary depending on the practice you choose, we think in-person options like Clarity typically provide highly personalized care.

Candid’s oversight is mostly remote, but it’s also more frequent than Clarity’s. After your initial office visit, you’ll have virtual check-ins every 14 days. Both your dentist and Candid’s team can review these photos, and they might recommend additional office visits if they see something concerning.

Refund & Warranty Policies

Clarity Aligners and Candid both leave the refund, warranty, and refinements policies up to your orthodontist. Some will cover one set of refinements in full, others will charge extra, and others still won’t cover anything. Rarely will a dentist or orthodontist give full refunds, but many will work with you to achieve the smile you want.

Which Should You Choose?

We’re fans of Clarity and Candid. Neither company is inherently better than the other, but you might find that one is more ideal for you. So, which one is right for your smile?