SureSmile vs. Byte Clear Aligners: Which Is a Better Value?

Clear aligners revolutionized the world of orthodontics, and while they were innovative from the start, every new provider has brought new ideas to the table, from attachments for more complex shifts to convenient at-home treatment. SureSmile and Byte are both major players in this wave of clear aligner trailblazers, and they’ve both transformed thousands of smiles.

At first glance, these two treatments might look similar. They each provide clear aligners that incrementally shift your teeth into a perfectly straight smile. But their procedures and products are actually fairly different. So, which one is best for achieving your unique smile goals? Let’s find out!

Overview & Recommendation: Byte Wins

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Two Great Options, But Byte Comes Out on Top.

We think SureSmile and Byte both offer high-quality aligner treatment, but in our opinion, Byte is the better fit for most customers. Why? Three reasons:

1. Affordability: Byte isn’t the cheapest clear aligner on the market. However, they’re more affordable than SureSmile in almost all cases and, in our estimate, represent a better value too. You get a lot for the price, and that can make you feel a lot better about spending nearly $2,000.
2. Treatment Efficiency: Byte says their average treatment plan length is just 4–5 months, compared to SureSmile’s 6–18-month timeframe. However, this is often because at-home treatments like Byte only take on milder cases. Both companies offer high-frequency vibration devices, which some studies suggest might encourage faster dental shifts.
3. Byte For Life Guarantee: Byte’s guarantee promises they’ll maintain your new smile forever. If your teeth ever shift after treatment — and you’ve used their retainers as directed — they’ll create new aligners for free.

Is Byte Right for You?

Your unique condition, goals, and budget determine which clear aligner treatment is best for you. But for anyone with a mild or moderate misalignment, we think Byte is an excellent option.

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Company Overviews

SureSmile is one of the biggest in-office competitors to Invisalign. And like Invisalign, a dentist will administer the entire treatment in person, incorporating special attachments when necessary, SureSmile can treat all classes of malocclusions, matching the industry giant in many categories.

SureSmile got its start in 1998, creating a special archwire that helped make lingual braces more effective. Then, in 2007, they branched out into clear aligners. Over the years, they’ve fine-tuned these aligners, all while maintaining relatively low prices.

Byte is a younger company. Cosmetic dentist Dr. Jon Marashi had previously crafted some of Hollywood’s most recognizable smiles, but in 2018 he launched Byte with the goal of delivering teeth-straightening treatment straight to patients’ homes. Since then, they’ve vaulted to the top of the industry, becoming one of its most well-established producers. Because it doesn’t involve any hands-on care, Byte cannot treat as many cases as SureSmile, but it also costs less.

Scope of Treatment Comparison

We think SureSmile and Byte are two excellent aligner systems, and combined, they’ve given hundreds of thousands of people more confidence in their smiles. But just because they’ve worked for others doesn’t mean they can straighten your teeth — it all depends on your specific misalignment. Although there is some overlap between the two companies, SureSmile has a significantly wider scope of treatment.

What SureSmile and Byte Can Treat

According to Dentsply Sirona, the makers of SureSmile, their aligners can address a wide variety of conditions, including class I, II, and III malocclusions. Among the issues they treat are:

• Crowded teeth
• Gapped teeth
• Overbite
• Underbite
• Crossbite
• Open bite

Byte’s abilities are a bit more limited. According to the company, their aligners can treat:

• Mild-to-moderate crowding
• Mild-to-moderate spacing
• Some cases of overbite
• Some midline misalignment cases

As is evident above, SureSmile is designed to treat a greater variety of orthodontic conditions, as well as those that are more severe. However, you also have to consider which teeth the aligners can move.

Many at-home clear aligner companies say their treatments aren’t intended to move the molars. Every case is different, but typically, these treatments will focus instead on the front 6–8 teeth.

SureSmile can move any teeth, depending on the complexity of the misalignment, although many clear aligners aren’t good at raising and lowering teeth, or moving teeth that are too small or pointed. This versatility stems from the system’s in-person oversight and use of attachments, which studies suggest can improve tooth movement. SureSmile also lets your doctor decide on the trim of your aligners, which they can use to help improve aligner retentiveness.

What SureSmile and Byte Customers Say

SureSmile has a few patient testimonials on their website. However, it’s easier to find more and unbiased reviews on YouTube. There, we found many individuals supporting SureSmile’s claims regarding its scope of treatment, including some who had complex misalignments and reported satisfaction with their results.

Of the customers who have sent us their Byte experiences, most used the system for crowding, spacing, and dental overbite. A few used it for things like crossbite and underbite, but not many. Interestingly, customers with more complex cases usually awarded fewer stars, while people with simple cases typically gave 4 or 5 stars.

Clinical Oversight

In-office aligners center on hands-on treatment with in-person oversight. SureSmile is no exception. Providers usually require that their patients come in for office visits every 4–10 weeks. At these appointments, they can apply or modify attachments, adjust your treatment plan, and catch small problems before they escalate.

Byte offers check-ins through their My Byte app. However, they’re only required for cases that they think need extra oversight. Even if they don’t require it, you can choose to check in once a month just to feel a bit more confident in the process.

Quality of Materials and Supplemental Technology

SureSmile uses Essix ACE — a trusted dental plastic from a well-known manufacturer. ACE is better than most plastics on the market. In 2020, Byte was acquired by Dentsply Sirona, the same company that owns SureSmile. While Byte doesn’t disclose the details of its plastics, we trust that Dentsply Sirona would use high-quality materials, as they do with SureSmile.

Both SureSmile and Byte also come with the option of using a high-frequency device, which they claim may reduce discomfort. While we are not dental professionals, our team has also reviewed studies that show devices like this might help encourage faster dental shifts. Byte automatically includes their device (the HyperByte) in the treatment bundle, while not all SureSmile providers offer their VPro.

Affordability Comparison

Straight smiles come with boosted confidence, reduced jaw pain, and better oral health. But these benefits shouldn’t come at the expense of your financial well-being. We think SureSmile offers a reasonable value, but Byte is typically more cost-effective, since it doesn’t include any office visits or hands-on care.

Sticker Price

SureSmile, like most in-office treatments, doesn’t have a set sticker price. They have two options: SureSmile Complete and SureSmile Select. The Complete plan provides all the aligners you need for three years, and as of spring 2022, it also includes a teeth whitening kit and an aligner seating tool.

The Complete plan typically costs between $4,000 and $6,000, depending on your dentist’s rates. Select lets you pay per aligner and usually falls into the $2,000–$4,000 range, depending on how many aligners you need and how your dentist prices their SureSmile treatment. However, not every provider offers both plans — and when they do, you probably won’t get to pick between them. Instead, your dentist will decide which is best for your misalignment.

Byte’s price is firm. No matter how many aligners you need, their All-Day treatment is $2,199 and Byte-At-Night is $2,599. This price includes the HyperByte device, whitening foam, and your first set of aftercare retainers. SureSmile’s Select plan might come close to Byte’s price for certain patients, but we think Byte is the better value for most people.

What About Insurance?

If your dental insurance includes orthodontic benefits, you could receive partial coverage for SureSmile, assuming you select an in-network doctor. Bring your insurance information to your consultation so your doctor’s billing department can verify coverage.

Some insurance providers won’t cover Byte because it’s a remote treatment, but more and more insurers are becoming open to it. If your provider offers Byte coverage, you will need to pay for it up front and then apply for reimbursement. Just let Byte’s customer support know and they’ll handle the paperwork for you.

Don’t forget about your HSA or FSA, if you have one. You can often apply those funds to clear aligner therapy, but you should confirm with your account administrator.

Financing Options

Even affordable clear aligner systems cost thousands of dollars — more than many of us can pay all at once. Financing plans break that price into chunks that can more easily fit your budget.

SureSmile itself doesn’t offer any plans, since billing goes through your dentist’s office. Fortunately, many dental offices have their own financing plans, or they can at least recommend a reliable third-party financing company. Just know that many third-party financiers require credit checks to qualify and include interest in their plans. If financing is important to you, be sure to ask your dentist about your options.

Byte has an in-house financing option called BytePay — and you only have to pass a soft credit check to qualify. The payment plan for all-day treatment requires a $249 down payment, and you’ll pay $70/month for 36 months after that. Byte At-Night is slightly more expensive — a $299 down payment followed by 36 monthly payments of $84.

Retainers

After any orthodontic treatment, you’ll need to wear retainers for the rest of your life to keep your teeth from shifting back — first all day long, then just overnight. Both companies make clear retainers you’ll need to replace periodically.

As we mentioned, Byte includes one set for free, but charges $129 for every replacement. However, the Byte Protection Plan provides five years’ worth of retainers for $749. Instead of placing individual orders twice per year, Byte will ship your replacements automatically. You’ll get ten sets in total, so you’ll pay around $75 per set instead of $129.

Each dentist sets their own prices for SureSmile’s retainers, but in-office plastic retainers typically cost $100–$400 per set. That’s more expensive than Byte, but SureSmile says each set will last around one year, so you’ll have to replace them less often.

Convenience Comparison

Every day is a juggling act of work, family, social obligations, and (we hope) a little self-care. When you catch a rare moment of free time, you don’t want to fill it with a dental visit. Byte allows you to complete your treatment entirely from home and offers flexible wear schedules, making it less time-consuming than SureSmile.

Getting Started

The pros and cons of in-person treatment are mostly subjective — your opinion will depend on your priorities and the severity of your case. But we think in-person care is almost universally more convenient when you’re first getting started. Most at-home companies have limited or no in-person locations where you can receive dental scans, so you need to create molds of your teeth at home.

With SureSmile, your doctor trades the goopy impressions for digital scans and handles the entire process for you. They may also take X-rays and additional diagnostics to provide more precise treatment and answer all your burning questions.

Byte doesn’t have any in-person locations, so you must use their impression kit and ship the molds back to the company. Creating impressions of your teeth isn’t a walk in the park, so we suggest you hop on YouTube and watch some tutorials before you dive in.

The Office Visit Trade-Off

Choose SureSmile and you’ll make office visits around once every 4–10 weeks — or more frequently if your dentist requires it. This oversight plays an essential role in your treatment, keeping it on track, allowing for adjustments, and helping you get the best possible outcome. If you have a complex misalignment, this regular hands-on care is essential. If you don’t, though, office visits probably aren’t how you want to spend your free time. That’s why adults with milder misalignments often prefer Byte and other at-home clear aligner services, which eliminate office visits entirely.

How Long Does Treatment Take?

Usually, at-home aligners report shorter treatment lengths than in-office treatments — an average of six months from start to finish vs. 12–18. SureSmile closes this gap a bit. They claim their treatment timelines are 40% shorter than braces and that the average is just 12 months.

To compare, Byte says their average all-day treatment plan length is around 4–5 months, or 5–6 months for nighttime-only treatment.

What About Nighttime-Only Treatment?

You should remove your clear aligners whenever you eat or drink anything besides water. If you have a major coffee habit, snack a lot, or just don’t want to take time to clean your aligners and teeth multiple times throughout the day, they can feel pretty inconvenient.

Nighttime-only aligners, like the Byte At-Night plan, let you skip this hassle. You put them in after your last meal of the day and keep them in for at least ten continuous hours. SureSmile doesn’t have a nighttime-only plan. Sometimes, dentists will create an adjusted wear schedule, but SureSmile recommends wearing your aligners for 20–22 hours per day.

Appearance Comparison

One of the biggest draws for clear aligners is that they are practically invisible. If you’re hesitant to fill your mouth with brackets and wires, or don’t feel like braces fit your lifestyle, you can go for clear aligners instead. SureSmile and Byte look similar, but a few aesthetic differences separate the two.

Aligner Material

SureSmile uses a slightly textured plastic with a shiny, clear finish. This gives them a bit of a gleam that, in our opinion, contrasts with your teeth’s natural matte surfaces. However, the texturing is designed to mimic your enamel and look more natural. Byte’s plastic has the same shine, but it’s not textured, so we think they can look artificially smooth and shiny. However, some people like having a smile that “gleams,” so it depends on your preferences.

Aligner Cut

Some providers trim their aligners to match your gum line, which makes them less powerful, but also less visible. Straight-cut aligners overlap your gums, so even though they can exert more force, they might be more noticeable.

Byte uses a straight cut, which may improve their force transfer, according to this 2022 study. However, people near you might be able to spot the place where the aligners overlap your gums. SureSmile lets your doctor choose the cut that will work best for your smile, and they’ll cater it to your condition.

Supplemental Attachments

Supplemental attachments — like elastics, buttons, spacers, and engagers — help improve orthodontic tooth movement and correct a wider scope of misalignments. But that extra hardware also makes them more noticeable. If your dentist applies attachments for your SureSmile treatment, you can get them in clear or tooth-colored versions to minimize visibility. As a fully remote treatment, Byte can’t incorporate any attachments, so their aligners will maintain their low profile.

Patient Experience Comparison

Now you’ve got a wealth of knowledge about SureSmile and Byte, from product design to treatment timelines. But what about the little details in between? Things like customer support and guarantees have a big impact on your overall experience. Though we think Byte has cultivated a caring, supportive patient journey, it’s hard for a remote company to match the personalization and intensiveness of in-person care.

Communication Channels

Not everyone is excited to call a customer support line, even if it pertains to their health. With SureSmile, your main point of contact will be your dentist’s office — people who know you and your teeth personally. Pretty much every office will field phone calls during regular business hours, and often on weekends too. Some will have alternative options, like email, text, and even web chat via their patient portal, but it depends on the office.

Byte’s customer support representatives are available by phone, email, text, and webchat from 7:00 am to 5:00 PT, seven days a week. You can also reach out on social media, but their responses aren’t quite as fast. Plus, the My Byte app lets you track your progress, upload photos of your teeth, and contact customer support. Keep in mind that Byte will assign you your own Byte advisor to help you get started and choose the payment option that works best for you.

Oversight

There’s always a tiny chance that something might go awry. Maybe your teeth don’t move as expected, or you might forget to wear your aligners every day. With regular oversight, your dentist will catch problems early before they can derail your treatment.

SureSmile providers often require office visits every 4–10 weeks, although your dentist might want to make them more or less frequent, depending on your condition and preferences. During these appointments, your dentist will examine your smile, check your aligners, and identify any issues. They might even notice that your teeth are progressing faster than expected and alter your wear schedule accordingly.

You can reach out to Byte’s support team throughout treatment, but this doesn’t replicate clinical oversight. If you have certain conditions, they’ll ask you to submit photos of your teeth regularly so they can monitor your progress, but it’s not the same as receiving hands-on care. If something goes wrong, Byte will make it right, but the process might take longer than simply going to see your dentist.

Refund & Warranty Policies

While it isn’t common, you might reach the end of your treatment and not see the results you were expecting. If you’re on SureSmile’s Complete plan, you get as many aligners as you need for three years, so your dentist can provide a refinement at no extra cost. If you have the Select plan, you’ll need to pay for more aligners, but how much depends on your dentist.

Byte doesn’t offer refunds, but they will work with you to make things right. Additionally, they back their results with a lifetime guarantee; if your teeth ever shift through no fault of your own, they’ll send you an impression kit and make you more aligners. To maintain eligibility for this guarantee, you need to purchase new retainers once a year and wear them as directed.

Which Should You Choose?

We think SureSmile and Byte both deliver high-quality aligner treatment. However, each one has unique strengths and excels at treating different cases, so choose your treatment based on your specific needs and goals.