For decades, the only way to straighten your smile was to pursue an in-office orthodontic treatment like braces or Invisalign. However, a wave of companies that deliver clear aligners to your door has given adults a lot more teeth-straightening options. These services can save you thousands of pounds and countless hassles, but how do you know which company is right for you?
In this comparison guide, we’ll dig into the details of Straight Teeth Direct and SmileDirectClub. These are two of the best companies in the UK clear aligner industry, with many common characteristics, but also some key differences that set them apart.
Table of Contents
Overview & Recommendation: Straight Teeth Direct Wins
Both companies are reputable and sell high-quality aligners made without any phthalates or BPA. While we believe either can successfully align your teeth, we think Straight Teeth Direct is the better option for most of our readers. Here’s why.
- Lower Prices: Straight Teeth Direct charges £1,650 for its home alignment service, whereas SmileDirectClub has a sticker price of £1,739.
- Superior Customer Feedback: Straight Teeth Direct has hundreds of reviews available on reputable third-party review websites, and nearly all of them are positive. Meanwhile, SmileDirectClub has a history of mixed customer feedback.
- Free Retainers: As if Straight Teeth Direct’s pricing wasn’t already vastly superior to SmileDirectClub’s rates, they also include a free set of retainers. SmileDirectClub requires an additional £99 payment for each set of aftercare retainers.
Is Straight Teeth Direct Right for You?
Straight Teeth Direct has affordable alignments, a strong satisfaction guarantee, and outstanding customer feedback, making them our favorite UK-based home aligner company. SmileDirectClub is a great option too, and they came in sixth on our list of the UK’s top at-home aligner brands.
Choosing a teeth-straightening treatment is a highly personal decision, and the best option for you depends on your unique smile, priorities, and budget. That said, we think Straight Teeth Direct is an excellent choice for anyone with a mild or moderate misalignment.
Effectiveness Comparison
With either Straight Teeth Direct or SmileDirectClub, you’ll receive clear aligners that rival the quality you’d get from an in-office treatment. While they can’t match the power or versatility of Invisalign — which can correct even severe misalignments — they can both reliably make cosmetic changes. And we think Straight Teeth Direct is one of the most innovative and compelling at-home aligner treatments available.
Straight Teeth Direct Effectiveness
SmileDirectClub Effectiveness
- Regular monthly photo check-ins with dentists via their app system keep you on track.
- Produces their aligners in-house.
- Rounded finish matches your gum line while still exerting force.
- Virtual check-ins track your progress.
- Produces their aligners in-house using proprietary “Comfort Sense” technology.
- Aligners overlap the gums, increasing their power.
Clinical Oversight
Part of what makes traditional, in-person orthodontics so powerful is their regular office visits. They give your dentist or orthodontist a chance to evaluate your progress and deal with any issues before they can seriously affect your treatment. Straight Teeth Direct and SmileDirectClub have both attempted to recreate this oversight remotely.
Choose either company and you’ll regularly submit photos of your teeth using a mobile app. These photos go to their networks of dentists and orthodontists, so they can make sure nothing looks off and adjust your aligner plan if necessary. Straight Teeth Direct requires these virtual check-ins once per month, while SmileDirectClub requires them every 90 days. You’ll get more consistent oversight with Straight Teeth Direct, ensuring that your aligners can achieve the results you want.
Aligner Quality
Both SmileDirectClub and Straight Teeth Direct produce their aligners in-house rather than outsourcing production to a third-party manufacturing company. This can ensure quality products, since outsourcing production has its pros and cons. Manufacturing partnerships can often provide a company with fast production and consistent products, but it can sometimes lead to inconsistency in aligner quality and materials.
By producing their aligners in-house, both Straight Teeth Direct and SmileDirectClub have greater control over the process. Still, we think Straight Teeth Direct has a small advantage because they produce all of their aligners at a local facility in the UK, and at a smaller scale than SmileDirectClub.
Aligner Cut
SmileDirectClub aligners slightly overlap the gums, which allows them to exert more force and (theoretically) align your teeth more efficiently. Straight Teeth Direct uses a slightly different method that still covers a small portion of your gums, but is rounded at the gumline for greater comfort. Since both can grip your gums, they are more powerful than aligners that are trimmed to follow your gum line.
Technology
These companies both use modern software solutions and 3D printing technology to produce state-of-the-art clear aligners. They each produce their own aligners and they both have mobile apps that allow you to track your progress, submit photos for evaluation, and access customer support.
Affordability Comparison
In order for any of these other criteria to matter, the aligners need to be affordable. Both Straight Teeth Direct and SmileDirectClub are much more reasonably priced than braces or Invisalign, which cost thousands more. However, neither company has the lowest rates for at-home teeth alignment in the UK.
Straight Teeth Direct Affordability
SmileDirectClub Affordability
- £1,650 sticker price.
- Includes the first set of aftercare retainers.
- Doesn’t include whitening (costs £199 extra).
- Impression kit or professional teeth scan costs £69-£79.
- Offers multiple financing plans, including ones with no credit check.
- £1,739 sticker price.
- Doesn’t include free retainers (£99 extra for each set).
- Includes a free premium teeth whitening kit.
- The impression kit costs £39 but professional teeth scans are free.
- Financing requires a down payment and a credit check.
Sticker Price
Straight Teeth Direct costs £1,650, while SmileDirectClub charges £1,739, and when you dig into the details, this difference only grows wider. That’s because Straight Teeth Direct includes your first set of aftercare retainers, whereas SmileDirectClub charges an additional £99 per set.
Payment Plan Options
Are you unable or unwilling to pay for your entire alignment up-front? No problem. Straight Teeth Direct and SmileDirectClub both have payment plans available that can make your treatment much more financially manageable.
Straight Teeth Direct has four different payment plans:
- £499 down payment plus eight monthly payments of £169 (no credit check)
- £569 down payment plus two bi-monthly payments of £569 (no credit check)
- No down payment plus payments of at least £137.5/month for 12 months (credit check required)
- £25 down payment plus £49.14/month for 36 months (credit check required)
SmileDirectClub only has one payment plan. You will make an initial deposit of £73.73, followed by 25 monthly payments of £73.66. This plan includes a 9.9% APR, so the total cost is £1,915.23. This plan requires a credit check, so not everyone qualifies.
Overall, Straight Teeth Direct has more impressive options for financing. They offer plans that don’t require a credit check, plus one plan that doesn’t require down payments. Meanwhile, SmileDirectClub’s payment plan requires a credit check and has a steep APR, resulting in final costs that are considerably higher than their standard price.
Free Extras
Both companies throw in some bonus items to increase the value of your aligner package. Straight Teeth Direct provides a free set of retainers and they offer accessories, chewies, tubes of Regenerate Advanced Enamel toothpaste, aligner cleaning tablets, and other discounts. SmileDirectClub includes a free whitening kit, and they also offer free in-person teeth scans.
Convenience Comparison
By simply eliminating office visits, at-home aligner companies have made their treatment significantly easier and more convenient Invisalign and other in-office aligners. But convenience also includes treatment times, flexible wear schedules, and startup options, and even though both of these companies are more streamlined than Invisalign, SmileDirectClub boasts more convenience than almost any other clear aligner company.
Straight Teeth Direct Convenience
SmileDirectClub Convenience
- Has one retail location for in-office teeth scans, and sells impression kits.
- Doesn’t offer a nighttime-only plan.
- Advertises an average treatment time of 5–9 months.
- Eleven retail locations (plus pop-up locations) for teeth scans. Also offers impression kits.
- Nighttime Clear Aligners only require ten hours of daily wear.
- Claims their average treatment time is 4–6 months (~8–10 months for night-only alignment).
Getting Started
With any teeth alignment process, the first step is the same: provide the aligner company with high-quality images of your teeth. This allows them to evaluate whether you’re a candidate for their alignment service and design your treatment preview.
Straight Teeth Direct has one retail location in London where you can get an in-office scan. Otherwise, you’ll need to use an impression kit at home, which can be difficult for some customers. SmileDirectClub has eleven office locations across the UK. They also occasionally have pop-up locations in additional cities. If you would rather make molds of your teeth at home, they also sell impression kits on their website.
Treatment Time
One of the biggest advantages at-home aligner treatments have over in-office options is their speed. Straight Teeth Direct and SmileDirectClub don’t take nearly as long as braces or Invisalign (which can take 12–24 months or more). On average, Straight Teeth Direct delivers final results in 5–9 months, while SmileDirectClub says their treatment typically takes 4–6 months, or 8–10 months for their Nighttime Clear Aligners treatment.
Keep in mind, however, that in-office treatments typically tackle more severe misalignments, which take longer to correct. Because at-home aligners primarily treat mild crowding and spacing, they can finish most of their treatments in just a few months.
Nighttime-Only Option
Maybe you’re incredibly active. Maybe you snack multiple times a day. Maybe you just don’t like wearing aligners in public places. Whatever the reason, if you don’t want to wear your aligners for the traditional 22+ hours per day, you might wonder if you can just wear them overnight. With SmileDirectClub, you can. Their Nighttime Clear Aligners only require ten hours of daily wear (but no removing the aligners during this time). However, this extends your total alignment time to roughly ten months.
Straight Teeth Direct doesn’t offer a night-only option, so you’ll need to wear their aligners for at least 22 hours per day.
Appearance Comparison
All clear aligners are more discreet than metal brackets and wires. However, people are often surprised by how clear aligners can vary in appearance. Everyone has different tastes and aesthetic preferences, and some subtle differences between Straight Teeth Direct and SmileDirectClub’s aligners could influence your decision.
Straight Teeth Direct Appearance
SmileDirectClub Appearance
- Uses smooth, transparent, shiny plastic.
- Aligners have a rounded finish that follows your gum line while still overlapping the gums.
- Can’t incorporate attachments.
- Reasonably stain-resistant.
- Uses frosted, translucent plastic.
- Aligners slightly overlap the gums.
- Can’t incorporate attachments.
- Reasonably stain-resistant.
Aligner Material
Straight Teeth Direct’s aligners are entirely clear and smooth, so when light hits them, it causes them to gleam — making them more noticeable. Your teeth are porous, which gives them a matte finish, so this smooth, shiny appearance won’t mimic your natural teeth surfaces.
SmileDirectClub’s translucent, frosted plastic does a far better job of replicating the look of your real teeth, and it doesn’t reflect light as noticeably as transparent aligners. This looks more natural, yet some people prefer the gleam of smooth, clear aligners, so it depends on your personal preference.
Aligner Cut
SmileDirectClub aligners slightly overlap your gums, which makes them more powerful, but also more noticeable than aligners trimmed to match your gum line. Straight Teeth Direct cuts their aligners using a technique that “rounds” each aligner to follow your gum line, yet still slightly overlap the gums, allowing for the best of both worlds.
Stain Resistance
Both companies’ aligners are somewhat stain-resistant. That said, we would never advise eating or drinking anything with them in, except for plain water. In a worst-case scenario, you might stain an aligner and still have to wear it until you’re ready for the next set.
Customer Experience Comparison
If you have questions throughout the alignment process — or in the rare case that something goes wrong — you want to know that the company has your back. This is where in-person care really shines, since it’s highly individualized and hands-on, and if you’ve got a pressing concern, you’ll speak with someone who knows you personally.
Remote companies can’t always replicate that kind of support, and while SmileDirectClub has faltered in this area, Straight Teeth Direct’s customer support ranks among the best in the industry.
Straight Teeth Direct Customer Experience
SmileDirectClub Customer Experience
- Offers support via email and mobile app. Will also respond to social media messages.
- Has received outstanding customer reviews.
- Will work with you to achieve your treatment preview results for up to five months after primary treatment.
- Offers support via phone, email, webchat, and mobile app. Plus, they’ll respond to messages on social media.
- Mixed customer feedback indicates that customer support isn’t always helpful.
- Will work to modify your plan if your results don’t match the treatment preview, plus they offer a full refund within 30 days of starting treatment.
- Their SmileDirectClub Guarantee covers your smile forever.
Support Options
Once Straight Teeth Direct onboards you, they provide support via a dedicated app and secure platform. They don’t have a phone line, and they limit email communication, but it’s actually quite convenient to have every aspect of your treatment process in one centralized location, and it makes it easy to access the support team.
SmileDirectClub offers phone, email, and webchat support, and they also have a mobile app where, according to their website, you can contact their support team via chat and text for questions 24/7.
Responsiveness and Helpfulness
When you dig through each company’s customer feedback, you’ll notice a couple of key differences. Straight Teeth Direct receives positive reviews nearly across the board, with very little negative feedback in their hundreds of online reviews.
SmileDirectClub has thousands of positive reviews and hardly any negative ones on their own website, but that story changes when you look at reputable third-party review sites. While they still get plenty of positive reviews, they’ve received some negative feedback.
The volume of negative reviews and complaints accelerated around 2017, prior to the UK launch, as SmileDirectClub attempted to grow its business extremely rapidly, creating inconsistencies in its customer support. Since then, SmileDirectClub has seen its review lean more positive, but they remain mixed.
Satisfaction Guarantees
SmileDirectClub has fairly extensive refund and warranty policies. They offer a full refund if you change your mind within 30 days of beginning treatment, plus prorated refunds for unused and unopened aligners after that. If you reach the end of your aligner plan and your smile doesn’t match the one from your treatment preview, SmileDirectClub will provide extra aligners for free. Plus, they put a lifetime guarantee on your smile, so if your teeth ever shift down the road, they’ll craft more aligners to move them back (as long as you’re replacing and wearing your retainers as instructed).
Straight Teeth Direct doesn’t offer the same kind of refunds, but they put guarantees on both their products and results. If you lose or break an aligner, they’ll replace it for free. And if your new smile doesn’t line up with the one in your original treatment preview — assuming you wore your aligners as directed — they’ll provide five more months of aligners and you won’t pay a single pound more.
Company Backgrounds
Straight Teeth Direct Company Background
SmileDirectClub Company Background
- Started offering home aligner treatment in 2016.
- Made in the United Kingdom.
- Born out of a traditional orthodontic practice, they’re now one of Europe’s most well-established at-home aligner companies.
- Founded in 2014.
- Based in the United States.
- The most experienced at-home aligner company, and one that’s constantly seeking ways to make treatment more convenient.
Straight Teeth Direct became the very first company in the UK to offer remote clear aligner treatment in 2016, but they’ve actually been in business since 2009. Before 2016, they operated as a more traditional orthodontic practice. With roots as a smaller, in-person practice, they’ve focused on providing a customer-centered treatment experience even as they’ve grown over the years. Now, they’ve got users in more than 50 countries.
All in all, Straight Teeth Direct has more experience treating UK customers and a more customer-focused approach than any other online clear aligner service out there.
SmileDirectClub started in the U.S. in 2014. They’re currently the largest and most experienced at-home teeth-straightening company, with over 1.5 million customers served in over a dozen countries. This is one of the major ways SmileDirectClub and Straight Teeth Direct differ. SmileDirectClub is a large-scale public company, while Straight Teeth Direct offers a more boutique service through their small and personal business model.
Which Home Teeth Aligner Should You Use?
These are both great companies that deliver convenient and effective treatment, so it wouldn’t surprise us if you haven’t yet picked one yet. To close out this comparison, let’s take a quick look at a few scenarios in which your preferences might tilt toward one or the other.
Choose Straight Teeth Direct if You Are:
Looking to save some money on your treatment, interested in using a UK-based company, or want a company that has overwhelmingly positive customer feedback.
Choose SmileDirectClub if You Are:
Seeking the most experienced at-home aligner company in the industry, solid refund policies, and a nighttime-only treatment option.
We Recommend Straight Teeth Direct for Most People
While these are both reputable companies providing reliable teeth alignment services, we prefer Straight Teeth Direct for most of our readers. They offer lower prices, robust oversight, and great customer reviews, plus they’re based in the United Kingdom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Straight Teeth Direct or SmileDirectClub?
Both are great options, but Straight Teeth Direct is our favorite home aligner company in the UK. They have lower price points than SmileDirectClub, they offer robust oversight, they’re based in the UK, and they receive spectacular customer feedback.
How do I get started with Straight Teeth Direct or SmileDirectClub?
With either, you can choose to complete a home impression kit by yourself or visit one of their retail locations for an in-person scan. However, SmileDirectClub has eleven physical locations (plus occasional pop-up locations), compared to Straight Teeth Direct’s one.
What are customers saying about Straight Teeth Direct and SmileDirectClub?
Straight Teeth Direct receives nearly universally positive feedback, with hundreds of reviews available. Their customers enjoy their ease of use, convenience, and affordability. SmileDirectClub has an even larger collection of feedback, and while they still receive more positive than negative reviews, they’ve received some customer complaints.
What is the most effective clear aligner company?
It’s tough to contend with Invisalign, ClearCorrect, SureSmile, and 3M Clarity. As comprehensive in-office treatments that can incorporate orthodontic attachments, their aligners can handle just about any condition, no matter how severe. Among at-home services, Straight Teeth Direct is a highly effective option.
How do I know which option is right for me?
If you evaluate your needs and analyze each company’s customer support, appearance, affordability, effectiveness, and convenience, you can find the best fit for your circumstances. We think Straight Teeth Direct is a solid choice for many readers, but there are several other great companies that are worth considering.
Will home aligners work for me?
It’s hard for us to say whether at-home aligners can fix your unique alignment issues. But in general, home aligners only work for minor spacing and crowding issues. If you have a more significant alignment problem like an overbite, underbite, or crossbite, traditional orthodontics might be your best option.
How do Straight Teeth Direct and SmileDirectClub compare to Invisalign?
Straight Teeth Direct and SmileDirectClub are both much more affordable and convenient than Invisalign, due to the lack of in-person appointments with your dental team. However, Invisalign has significantly more experience than both of these companies, and it can also fix more serious alignment issues. Home aligners are usually a great choice for minor crowding and spacing problems, but Invisalign’s in-office treatment can align crossbites, underbites, overbites, and more.
How long does home aligner treatment take?
The answer to this question depends on many variables, such as the company you choose, whether you want all-day or night-only aligners, the exact alignment issues you’re looking to treat, and more. In general, most home aligner companies take around six months.
How much do home aligners cost?
Your home aligner treatment could be as affordable as £1,395 with NewSmile or as expensive as £1,999 with Virtuoso.
Does insurance cover home aligners?
No. Public healthcare in the UK does not cover home aligners. However, if you have a private supplemental insurance plan, you should ask if it provides some coverage for teeth alignment.
Are home aligners safe?
Yes! We completely understand that some people have some reservations about aligning their teeth at home, but in reality, it’s entirely safe. More than a million people have already used at-home teeth alignment to straighten their smiles, and serious problems are very rare.
Do home aligners hurt?
Some people mention minor discomfort when first switching to a new set of aligners. Other than that, you will probably experience very little pain or discomfort at all throughout the entire alignment process.
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