ClearCorrect is one of the biggest and most compelling Invisalign alternatives on the market. Founded in the US in 2009, they produce powerful clear aligners using top-of-the-line materials — and aim to be more affordable than Invisalign too.
In this review, we’ll deep dive into the facts about ClearCorrect — covering everything from its prices to its customer support — to help you decide if it’s the right treatment option for you.
Table of Contents
How Does ClearCorrect Work?
No matter which company manufactures your clear aligners, the mechanics behind them are the same. Your doctor starts the process by taking digital or physical impressions of your teeth. Then, they use those images to determine the ideal placement of your teeth — the final step of treatment.
Each aligner is a step on the journey from Point A to Point B. Each aligner’s shape places pressure on the teeth. The first aligners in the series are slightly different from the current position of your teeth, generating force and encouraging movement. After 1–3 weeks, your teeth will have moved to fit the shape of the aligners, so you move on to the next in your series. This continues until your teeth are in their ideal positions.
After you finish your aligner sequence, you’ll need to wear retainers. These hold your teeth in place, since realigned teeth often want to migrate back to their original positions.
Is ClearCorrect a Good Option? Our Perspective.
ClearCorrect is a high-quality clear aligner treatment. It has a long history of success and approval from multiple regulatory agencies around the globe, including the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. and the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia.
ClearCorrect is a solid, well-rounded treatment option and is great for many patients. However, it isn’t right for everyone. Here is a quick look at the pros and cons of ClearCorrect.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Cheaper than Invisalign in most cases. | Uses straight-cut aligners, which can increase their visibility. |
Includes robust in-person oversight. | It is a younger company than Invisalign and has fewer customers. |
Treatment plans are flexible and customized to your needs. | It can be hard to find a provider. |
Can treat a wide range of misalignments. | The required office visits might disrupt your schedule. |
Aligners are frosted and textured, allowing them to blend into the teeth. |
Want To Compare Your Options?
ClearCorrect is an excellent treatment option, but there are plenty of other options. At-home clear aligner services like Straight Teeth Direct offer a convenient and affordable alternative to traditional aligner treatments. Visit our review of the 5 best at-home clear aligner services in the UK to compare your options.
Effectiveness
With any significant purchase, you want to ensure it can deliver on its promises. This is doubly true for purchases that could impact your health. So, can ClearCorrect deliver the results you want?
Scope of Treatment
When it first launched, ClearCorrect was primarily a cosmetic treatment, able to make small corrections related to crowding and spacing. However, over the years, the company has improved the materials it uses in its aligners and changed the cut along the top ridge, allowing the system to correct more significant misalignments.
Currently, ClearCorrect can address the following alignment concerns:
- Crowding
- Spacing
- Crossbite
- Edge-to-edge bite
- Excessive overbite
- Open bite
- Midline shift
- Deep bite
In cases where the aligners alone cannot generate the force needed, dentists can add engagers and other attachments.
Manufacturer Quality
With any product, the manufacturer plays a key role in quality. And with medical products, manufacturing details can influence effectiveness too. Many clear aligner companies partner with third-party labs, but ClearCorrect chooses to manufacture their own products.
The only problem with this is that they disclose very little about their manufacturing process and standards. We don’t consider this a red flag, since many other companies do that same thing, but we’d also love to know more.
Aligner Cut
Aligner cut refers to how the aligners are trimmed along the upper ridge. There are two options: straight and scalloped.
Invisalign uses scalloped aligners, and originally, ClearCorrect did too. A big selling point for clear aligners is their practical invisibility, and scalloped edges make them even less noticeable. However, research emerged that proved straight-cut aligners are more retentive than scalloped aligners. As a result, ClearCorrect changed its approach. Now, they cut their aligners straight across the top.
Orthodontic Oversight
Perhaps the greatest advantage of in-office treatments is the built-in oversight they offer. With ClearCorrect, you must visit the doctor every 4–10 weeks. Your frequency will depend on the plan your doctor creates.
These visits can feel like a downside because they take time out of your schedule. However, the oversight they offer is a huge advantage. Your doctor can catch problems as they arise, add attachments, adjust your treatment plan, and otherwise support you in your smile journey.
Aligner Material
In the past, ClearCorrect used a thinner material, which made their aligners less powerful. This translated into a limited scope of treatment and aligners that wore down quickly.
Over the years, ClearCorrect has improved its materials, and in 2020, it launched ClearQuartz. This is a state-of-the-art plastic made from the following layers:
- An outer shell with low porosity.
- An inner elastic layer.
- A second outer shell with low porosity.
All the layers are equally thick and each plays an important role. The outer shells help keep the aligners strong and reduce the risk of staining while the inner layer increases flexibility, creating greater comfort for the patient.
Affordability
Orthodontic treatment is infamous for high costs, but compared to other in-office treatments, ClearCorrect is on the more affordable end of the spectrum. But before you decide it’s your ideal treatment, you need to know the average price range and ways you can lower the cost.
Sticker Price
ClearCorrect prices vary between practices and patients. While ClearCorrect charges doctors flat rates for their materials, your cost will include additional fees. Factors that can increase or decrease your price include:
- The ClearCorrect plan you choose.
- With certain plans, the number of aligners you need.
- The experience level of your doctor.
- The location of your dental or orthodontic office.
- The complexity of your case.
- Which attachments are used, if any.
- How frequently you need to visit the office.
- Any additional costs your doctor builds into their treatment fees.
On average, ClearCorrect costs somewhere between £1,200 to £4,500, though some people have reported paying much more. This is a wide range, but this comes down to the way ClearCorrect structures their packages. With some, you pay more but get access to all the aligners you need for the next five years — including those for refinements and corrections. With others, you pay per aligner or for a set number of aligners, so if your case is simple, your bill could be quite low.
Insurance Coverage
National Insurance covers orthodontic treatments that can help prevent health conditions later in life — either those related to oral health or those that tie into your general health. The majority of ClearCorrect patients, and the majority of orthodontic patients at large, are correcting cosmetic alignment concerns, which means National Insurance won’t offer coverage for most cases.
Private dental policies often offer at least partial coverage for ClearCorrect treatment so long as the corrections are not purely cosmetic. Before you sign up for treatment, be sure to verify coverage limits with your provider.
Financing Options
Even on the lower end of its typical price range, ClearCorrect treatment isn’t what we’d call cheap. The average person might still struggle to pay for treatment outright. Most private dental and orthodontic offices have their own payment plans and financing requiring either a down payment, credit check, or both. You can also look into third-party lenders, but keep in mind that they tend to charge higher interest rates.
Convenience
Most adults already have a lot on their plate. Adding orthodontic treatment to the mix increases the number of things you need to juggle each day. The good news is all clear aligners, including ClearCorrect, are more convenient than braces.
Getting Started
Getting started with ClearCorrect is quite easy. You find a provider, set up your appointment, show up for the visit, get your teeth examined, take diagnostics, and discuss your smile goals.
Easily the most difficult part is finding a doctor that uses ClearCorrect. While it’s pretty widely used, it is not as ubiquitous as Invisalign. ClearCorrect even acknowledges this on their website, stating that you might need to ask around before you find a provider.
The diagnostics are pretty simple. Your doctor will likely use a digital scanner to map your dental anatomy, then turn those images into a 3D model of your teeth. They’ll also use photographs, and in certain cases, X-rays. They’ll upload everything into the ClearCorrect treatment planning software, allowing the algorithm and your doctor to determine the right path for your teeth.
Office Visits
Throughout your ClearCorrect treatment, you will need to attend office visits. These appointments let your doctor monitor your progress, answer questions, and alter your treatment if needed. While these are great benefits, office visits can be time-consuming.
These visits occur every 4–10 weeks, depending on your doctor’s recommendation, so some patients will need to attend 18 or more appointments from start to finish. Given that many offices are only open during the day, you may need to take time off from work or school just to accommodate treatment.
Treatment Length
Once you start correcting your alignment, you’ll be thinking about your new smile all the time. If you choose ClearCorrect, you might see your final results sooner than with other in-office methods. On average, ClearCorrect treatment takes somewhere between 6 and 18 months. Just remember that treatment can take longer if you do not correctly follow your plan.
Appearance
There’s a reason they’re called invisible aligners. They rose to fame because of how well they blend in with the teeth, making them essentially invisible when worn. But while aligners are all clear, certain seemingly small aspects can have a big impact on how they look.
Aligner Design
You might not realize it, but natural teeth are textured. Their porous surfaces make them look matte instead of shiny, despite the fact that our mouths are always wet. ClearCorrect focuses on making their aligners blend in with the teeth, so they’re both textured and frosted.
Aligner Cut
ClearCorrect aligners are cut straight across at the top, so they slightly overlap the gums. This is in contrast to scalloped aligners, which match the gum line. So, if you have a naturally gummy smile, people who are up close to you might notice where the aligners overlap the gums.
Patient Experience
Effectiveness and appearance are the aspects we tend to focus on the most with clear aligner treatment. However, you shouldn’t overlook the patient experience as a whole. Knowing your aligners are invisible might give you extra confidence, but what about when you have a question, or something goes wrong? With ClearCorrect, most people enjoy a solid patient experience.
Communication Channels
When you need help with your treatment, how do you get in touch with the person who can offer it? This depends on the provider you select for treatment. In most cases, a phone call during office hours is a solid bet. But not everyone enjoys making phone calls.
Depending on your doctor, you might have other options. Many practices now have patient portals that offer secure text messaging and webchat. If you prefer to avoid phone calls or just like having multiple options, screen your providers based on their communication channels.
Customer Support Responsiveness
Whenever you need help or clarification, waiting can be stressful and might even lead to more problems. Doctors are usually pretty good about returning your correspondence. When you contact them during office hours, you usually get a response instantly, or if the doctor is busy, within a few hours. But if you need help on the weekends or in the evenings, you might wait longer.
Oversight
In most cases, treatment with clear aligners goes smoothly. However, oversight ensures that your doctor can catch and address any issues early on. With ClearCorrect, you see your provider every 4–10 weeks. During these appointments, they track your progress, get you back on track if you didn’t follow your wear schedule, or even adjust your plan.
Refund and Warranty Policies
ClearCorrect, as a company, does not offer refunds to patients. Because you pay your doctor for your treatment, they’ll be the one who issues any refunds. ClearCorrect provides a 90-day warranty on their aligners, but this is between the company and your doctor. However, your doctor might have their own warranties for their patients.
Alternatives to ClearCorrect
We believe that ClearCorrect offers excellent treatment that delivers quality results. However, we also know that it isn’t the perfect treatment for all people. Maybe you need a more affordable option, or perhaps multiple office visits just won’t fit into your schedule. No matter the situation, there are alternatives that might work better for you. Here are the top three we recommend.
#1 Straight Teeth Direct: £1,650
Straight Teeth Direct is a UK-based company that was founded in 2016. They have lots of benefits, but one of the biggest is that they make their aligners in stages, rather than all at the start of treatment. This allows for modifications similar to what a doctor could offer in-office.
#2: Virtuoso (£1,999)
By incorporating both in-person appointments and remote oversight, Virtuoso combines the convenience of remote oversight with the robustness of hands-on care. They give every customer a Smart Dental Scope, which is about as close to in-person care as remote treatment gets. Plus, their app gives you direct access to experts. They’re more expensive than other options, but you get a lot for your money.
#3 SmileDirectClub: £1,739
SmileDirectClub was founded in 2014 in the US and was the first provider to offer at-home clear aligner treatment. They’ve served over 1.5 million customers worldwide, and offer many compelling perks like their SmileShops and nighttime-only treatment.
Final Thoughts
ClearCorrect is an excellent form of treatment that might be perfect for you. However, in many cases, the alternatives will be a better fit. So, how can you know if it is the correct system for you?
Choose ClearCorrect treatment if:
- Your alignment concerns are medical, not cosmetic.
- You are set on getting in-office treatment but want a lower cost.
- A long history of success is important to you.
- You already have a doctor you want to work with and they use ClearCorrect.
Select an alternative if:
- Your alignment concerns are purely cosmetic.
- You want to pay significantly less than you would with Invisalign.
- You are open to younger, well-reviewed companies.
- You don’t care about having in-office supervision or specifically want to avoid appointments.
Ultimately, all the companies mentioned in this article are known for excellent treatment. So your decision is all about determining which one is the best fit for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some aspects of ClearCorrect treatment that might take me by surprise?
There are a few things that you might not know to expect with ClearCorrect treatment. These include:
- When you first start wearing aligners and after each switch, you will experience slight soreness and sensitivity to biting pressure.
- Smooth aligners rarely irritate the soft tissues of the mouth.
- You might have a slight lisp for a few days when you first start treatment.
- Your teeth can feel loose as they shift, but this is necessary in order to move them.
Are aligners difficult to clean?
No, they are actually quite easy to clean. While each company has their own cleaning instructions, in most cases, you just brush them with non-abrasive toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush.
How long will my treatment last?
It depends on the company you select, the severity of your misalignment, and if you wear your aligners correctly. If you want results as fast as possible, wear your aligners for the correct number of hours per day and do not skip days.
Why is ClearCorrect cheaper than Invisalign?
While you might assume that lower costs equal an inferior product, most clear aligner companies that are more affordable than Invisalign offer excellent treatment. This includes ClearCorrect. It’s cheaper because the company charges less in lab fees, and they have flexible treatment packages.
Can ClearCorrect help with molar misalignment?
Yes. ClearCorrect can realign any tooth. Depending on the movements needed, braces might be a better option, but this is unrelated to whether the tooth is a molar.
Will my insurance cover ClearCorrect?
National Insurance is unlikely to cover ClearCorrect treatment. However, if you have a private dental policy, it might.
Are certain misalignments too severe for ClearCorrect?
Yes. While it is rare, some alignment problems are too severe for clear aligners. For example, if a tooth is severely twisted or needs to be pulled down, or you have significant problems with your jaw, other appliances might be better.
Does ClearCorrect require dietary changes?
No, you don’t need to restrict the foods you eat. However, since you need to remove aligners before eating and clean your teeth after, you might need to change your habits and eat less often.
What happens when treatment is complete?
After treatment, you’ll need to wear retainers indefinitely. At first, you’ll wear them all the time, just like your aligners. However, in time, you will just wear them at night.
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