Dental braces are very common when it comes to solving a variety of issues. It’s crucial to straighten your teeth to maintain a powerful biting force. Plus, it can prevent a variety of dental problems down the line. And while Invisalign exists, it’s not exactly perfect. It’s made out of plastic, and many times it’s unable to solve certain orthodontic problems. That’s the reason why finding Invisalign alternatives for adults can be a great idea.
Why should you go for Invisalign alternatives?
You will notice online there are plenty of Invisalign alternatives Reddit that are incredibly powerful. You don’t have to rely solely on Invisalign if you want very good results. That’s because certain clear aligners like it will sometimes add extra features or benefits. So it helps to study the market and see the Invisalign alternative reviews. There are also a few things to consider here.
- Many Invisalign alternatives are more affordable. In the case of Invisalign, most of the time you are paying for the brand name, and not the features that it provides.
- The treatment time can be shorter in a lot of cases. That’s not always going to be true, but it goes to show that some of these alternatives are very powerful.
- You might get the option to actually remove the aligner during the night in some cases. Invisalign is not always giving you this option.
- Many Invisalign alternatives are covered by insurance. However, Invisalign is not always covered by insurance, which is something to consider.
- In some cases, you will have access to a whitening kit as well. While that is not mandatory, it certainly helps to access that type of product and its benefits.
Things to consider when choosing Invisalign alternatives
If you checked the inexpensive Invisalign alternatives, it’s a good idea to figure out how to pick the best one. As you will notice, there are different things to consider here.
- See if the treatment is in-office or at-home. Each treatment will have different considerations and features to keep in mind.
- Some Invisalign alternatives are suitable for day time wear, others can be used both during day time and night time.
- There are some alternatives that come with extra features. These can be app support, free whitening products and many others. While they are not mandatory, those can help quite a bit.
- You have to consider the Invisalign alternatives cost of retainers and the impressions kit.
- Check how long is the treatment time. In a lot of cases, treatment times can be extremely long, and that can be detrimental.
- Lastly, you also have to think about the treatment plan and pricing. Sometimes, these plans can be very extensive, which means it will cost you quite a bit of money to opt for the Invisalign alternative. Or it might be cheaper, it always comes down to how complex the process is.
Is there a difference between in-office or at-home aligners?
Yes, at-home options are less expensive, and they are designed to treat simple or moderate dental problems. They offer convenience, and they won’t require you to visit a dentist. However, they are also not covered by insurance most of the time.
With in-office options, you have insurance coverage most of the time. They can be great against more complex issues, even severe ones. Yet you have to go to the orthodontist multiple times. Each solution can be great, it depends on what dental issues you want to fix and what amount of convenience you want.
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Insurance coverage
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Pricing
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Treatment time
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Byte
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Yes
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$1999 to $2399
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4 months for day time treatments, 5 months for 10+ hours a night.
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Alignerco
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Yes
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$945 to $1145
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4-6 months for the day treatment, 6-8 months for the night time treatment
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Smile Direct Club
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Possible
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$2050 to $2564
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4-6 months for the day treatment, 8-10 months for night time treatments.
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Strayt
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No direct payments from insurance companies
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$1596 to $2096
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6 months for the day treatment, 12 months for the night treatment.
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NewSmile
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Manually done by you
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$1495- $1980
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Up to 6 months for the day treatment, 10 months for the night treatment
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Smileie
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Yes
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$699 to $1049
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Up to 6 months for the day treatment, 6-8 months for the night treatment
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Impress
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Yes
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$3499 to $6999
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3-12 months
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The best Invisalign alternatives
Byte is a very well-known aligner company. They have a very complex and reliable vibration device that will make the treatment more comfortable. You have a payment plan available, which is extremely helpful since the costs can easily add up. But with the payment plan, it’s a lot easier. Byte also has the fastest treatment time out of all options in this list. Their plans also have FDA cleared tech, free teeth whitening and care directed by a doctor.
Insurance coverage: It is possible, Byte will check if you have coverage, sometimes you can pay with the HSA.
Cost: The overall cost can be $1,999 for the All-Day Aligners System or $2,399 for the All-Night aligners system. The cost includes your first set of retainers. However, the impressions kit will cost you $29.95.
Treatment time: The all day aligners need to be worn 22 hours a day for 4 months. The night time aligners need to be worn 5 months at least 10 hours a night.
Features: You get a HyperByte device that helps transmit vibrations to the dental roots. That can help ease the pain and discomfort. It’s also possible to choose if you want to wear the aligners during the night or day time.
Alignerco is widely known for being a very affordable option in regards to dental treatments. What it does is it gives you a great price, which makes it a viable Invisalign alternative. It has a starting price of $945, which is great for a lot of people with a smaller budget. And since it’s one of the at-home solutions, it’s easy to use.
However, Alignerco is not designed to be used for complex and more challenging dental correction situations. But it does wonders for simpler stuff, which is a thing to keep in mind. They also give you the option to cancel up to 48 hours once you place the order, there are no refunds given after that. They do offer payment plan support as well.
Insurance coverage: It is possible, you can use the FSA or HSA account to pay, with some of the cost being covered by your insurance company.
Costs: Their Smile Advantage plan costs $945, and you have the Flex options that cost $79 or $100 a month for 12 or 6 months respectively. All prices include the impression and retainer kit.
Treatment time: You can wear the day time aligners for 4-6 months up to 22 hours a day. The night time ones, up to 8 months 8 or 10 hours a day as you sleep.
Features to consider: You can choose if you want to wear the aligner during the day or night time. You will also work with a licensed professional to determine the right plan for you.
Smile Direct Club
If you want a great Invisalign alternative, Smile Direct Club can be a very good one. What they do is you have video access to a dental care team. They will narrow down the right treatment to fit your needs. On top of that, they are working with multiple insurance companies. That can be great, since you don’t have to deal with spending a lot of money.
Aside from that, Smile Direct Club also offers free teeth whitening or replacement for aligners. There’s a 30-day money back promise, along with many other benefits. With that in mind, Smile Direct Club is not a cheap option. The Invisalign alternatives cost is quite high, as you will notice below.
Insurance: They support a multitude of insurance companies, and they even have an eligibility tool. That lets you see what companies will offer you dental insurance coverage. Payment plans are available.
Costs: It will cost you a one time fee of $2,050 or $89 per month for $2,564 in total. Retainers are $99 for each set, and the impression kit will be $59 as well.
Treatment time: This can be around 10 months if you wear the Invisalign alternative for 10 hours a night. Or it can be 4-6 months for 22 hours worn every day.
Features to consider: There is the option to choose between day or night time wearing. You can also book an in-person visit for the scan, or a kit to do it at home. It’s also possible to have a real time chat with a doctor when needed.
Strayt
What’s interesting to note about Strayt is that all plans are checked by a medical professional beforehand. On top of that, you have a free digital scan either at a mobile location or an office. On top of that, you have a 30-day money back guarantee. If you find a cheaper Invisalign alternative, they will price match as well. However, the downside of not having direct payment support from insurance companies does hurt the appeal, even if they do have a payment plan.
Insurance: You can pay with the HSA or FSA card, but direct payments from insurance companies are not allowed.
Pricing: Their treatment costs $1,596, or $77 per month for 24 months. You can also pay $133 a month for 12 months. The prices include a set of retainers, then it’s $89 per set. If you want to use a kit, that’s $24 as well.
Treatment time: It varies based on night or day time use. If you use during the night, then it’s 12 months for 10 hours a night. For day time use, 6 months at 22 hours of wearing every single day.
Features to consider: You can go to a local Strayt location or you can use their mobile service. There’s also the option to choose if you want to wear during the day or night. And yes, you can have custom whitening trays as well.
Just like the other Invisalign alternatives, you will have a rather long treatment time. In addition, you get free teeth whitening foam. NewSmile will even provide you with remote monitoring app access. And if you work with them, you can book a video call with a specialist.
It’s a bit unfortunate that they don’t contact the insurance company to get a payment from them. Another aspect here is that NewSmile aligners are not eligible for a refund. So you can’t access a refund, which can be a downside for some people. However, they do offer a payment plan support.
Insurance: You can get insurance coverage, but you have to do that yourself, the company will not cover it. HAS support is available as well.
Pricing: It costs $1495 or $55 a month for 36 months. The price covers retainers and the impression kit.
Treatment: If you wear the day time aligners, it will require up to 4-6 months. For the night time ones, it goes up to 8-10 months, 10 hours a night.
Features to consider: They provide a monitoring app. You also get free teeth whitening foam. And yes, there is an option to use either night time or day time aligners.
Smileie’s main appeal is that it’s an inexpensive Invisalign alternative. They do have dual and single arch options too, which is great for a lot of people. That being said, they have a 3D preview smile projection. If you’re not happy with that, you will receive a refund, something that makes this process a lot more appealing and interesting. Moreover, they give you free refinement aligners if you didn’t achieve the results that were expected.
Insurance: HAS and FSA pay is allowed. Insurance reimbursement is possible and accepted, something that can be helpful.
Costs: For the dual arch system it costs $849 for the day time aligners and $1049 for the night time ones. If you just want the single arch system, that’s $699 for the day time and $799 for the night time ones. These prices include 2 sets of retainers, the home impression kit and a whitening kit.
Treatment time: That can be 4-6 months for day time use 20 hours every day or 6-8 months for 8-10 hours every night.
Features to consider: a whitening kit is included. You can also choose between wearing these during the day or night if you want.
Impress
Impress is an in-office treatment and it can be very complex. You will consult with experts, you will also have a 3D scan, along with x-rays. The app provided will help with any follow-ups. In addition, they have a payment plan, but they do cost more than at-home options. However, you have a guaranteed result and they get all kinds of dental insurance benefits, which is very helpful.
Insurance: You can get reimbursed up to $2500 by insurance company. HAS and FSA support is available.
Costs: The Super Light package is $3499, Impress is $4599, Impress Plus is $5599 and Impress Advanced is $6999. You can pay up smaller amounts up to 60 months.
Treatment time: Super Light requires under 3 months, Impress will be up to 10 months, whereas Impress Plus will be 10+ months. The Impress Advanced option will be usually 12+ months.
Features: They provide comprehensive options based on your dental issues. You can also access up to 5 in-person appointments during the treatment.
Conclusion
Picking a great Invisalign alternative can be very useful if you want to save money. Invisalign treatments are expensive, and they might not be the ideal fit for everyone. These alternatives shown in our article are efficient, and many times they can also cost a lot less. It always depends on the dental issues that you have right now, but also the different treatment options you are seeking. Check our list of Invisalign alternatives, and then pick what works for you!