Why SmileDirectClub Is One of Our Top Picks
Without in-person visits or metal braces, SmileDirectClub can realign your teeth and fix small alignment issues or jaw issues. Patients have a choice between two choices for their first views. When it’s convenient for you, you can buy an at-home imprint package and send it back to SmileDirectClub whenever you like. If you’d rather have a dentist look at your teeth, you can get a complimentary 3D image at any of the SmileShops that SmileDirectClub has set up across the nation.
Unlike many other manufacturers of clear aligners, SmileDirectClub’s Lifelong Smile Assurance includes complimentary lifetime touch-up aligners and lifetime post-treatment upkeep. If you are dissatisfied with your clear aligners for any reason within the first 30 days of use, SmileDirectClub will refund your full treatment cost, no questions asked. If you aren’t happy with your results after 30 days, you can still return your retainers for a partial reimbursement.
According to our evaluations team’s invisible braces poll, SmileDirectClub was the second most popular brand of transparent aligners that customers choose to help correct their teeth.
Before choosing on a method to straighten your teeth and a specific brand of clear aligners, you should consider all of your alternatives. Here are some things to consider about SmileDirectClub and similar services.
Pros
- When compared to the $3,000–$7,500 price tag of Invisalign transparent braces or traditional metal braces, SmileDirectClub’s aligner procedures are up to 60% cheaper.
- No in-person appointments with the dentist are required.
- The dentists at SmileDirectClub are available for instant messaging or video calls around the clock.
- Once therapy is complete, as long as braces are regularly worn, you are covered by the Lifelong Smile Promise.
Cons
- SmileDirectClub could work for those with minor to intermediate misalignment, but it’s not a good fit for those with severe misalignment.
- Unlike some other types of undetectable braces, the expense of treatment with SmileDirectClub clear aligners does not include the upfront cost of the at-home imprint package or your initial pair of retainers.
- Users who prefer regular visits to their dentist may want to look elsewhere, as most of SmileDirectClub’s Smile Stores are situated in only the largest towns across the country.
- To be eligible for SmileDirectClub’s Lifelong Smile Assurance, customers must purchase a new pair of braces every six months.
How Does SmileDirectClub Work?
The procedure for correcting teeth remotely with SmileDirectClub is outlined below.
- To find out if transparent retainers can help you, talk to your doctor or orthodontist.
- Get your complimentary mouth analysis at SmileDirectClub.
- You can either arrange a free digital image at a local SmileDirectClub SmileShop or purchase a $59 at-home imprint package to make the cast you will submit back to SmileDirectClub for assessment.
- If you qualify, a dentistry specialist who has been certified by the state will design your procedure. You can then purchase your transparent aligner package after deciding whether you want to wear them during the day or at night.
- Upon receipt of your custom-made, detachable retainers, you will wear them for a total of 22 hours per day, or 10 hours per night, for four to six months. Aligners are changed out weekly, and each pair gradually shifts your teeth into place.
- Throughout your dental care, you can check in online with professionals to review your progress. If you have any questions or worries about your undetectable orthodontics or treatment plan, don’t hesitate to bring them up. Each time your oral care expert checks in remotely, you can reply via email and attach pictures of your progress.
- Retainers, designed to keep your teeth in their new positions after therapy is complete, can be purchased for $99. The price of these extras is not factored into your therapy plan. You must buy and wear a new pair of braces every six months to be eligible for the Lifelong Smile Assurance.
If you have any alignment problems throughout the year and need a replacement aligner, SmileDirectClub will send you one for free as part of their lifelong assurance. All of SmileDirectClub’s certified dentists and orthodontists are in charge of this annual “touch-up,” as the company calls it. In addition, you can receive “touch-ups” during therapy if you wear your clear aligners as prescribed and submit your aligner containers online. If something is wrong during therapy and your authorizing doctor sees it during a video check-in, they will give you free replacement aligners.
How Much Does SmileDirectClub Cost?
SmileDirectClub offers its aligner therapy with two different financing plans. There is no price difference between getting your teeth straightened during the day or at night:
- Salary System Teeth bleaching is included in the $2,050 one-time fee. Choosing this form of funding is the most economical choice.
- SmilePay With this option, you can spread out the expense of your dental work over 26 months for as little as $89 per month after making a down payment of $250.
Despite being one of the cheaper options for undetectable orthodontics, SmileDirectClub also provides a payment option called SmilePay. Everyone is accepted without a credit check, but there is a down payment and interest rates differ by jurisdiction. When compared to the one-time payment of Single Pay, financing your therapy will result in a higher overall cost.
Does SmileDirectClub Take Insurance?
Clear braces may be covered by your health insurance. You can use the SmileDirectClub qualifying application to determine how much your insurer will cover. In most cases, the business will deal with your insurance provider on your behalf to facilitate payment. After your insurance company deducts their portion of the bill, the remaining balance is your responsibility.
It’s possible that your insurance provider will require you to front the entire cost of your retainers before they’ll consider paying for them. SmileDirectClub promises to supply the necessary paperwork for filing an insurance claim if this is the situation.
Among the many accepted insurance plans by SmileDirectClub are:
- Aetna
- Assurance Blue Cross Hymn
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Anthem
- California Blue Shield
- Cigna
- For Oral Care, Call Delta Dental.
- National Federation
- BlueCross BlueShield of the Empire
- Guardian
- Humana
- MetLife
- UnitedHealthcare
In addition to credit cards, HSAs, FSAs, and CC are all accepted payment methods at SmileDirectClub.
Customer Service and Satisfaction
Online evaluations of SmileDirectClub are conflicting. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) offers SmileDirectClub an A+ ranking despite getting over 3,200 complaints; this is due, in large part, to the fact that it does not take customer feedback into account when assigning grades. The average review score for the company is 3.87 ratings out of 5, with the bulk of recent reviews being critical. Aligner material that feels too feeble or lightweight, aligners that cause oral problems, and unhelpful customer service are common gripes. With over 24,500 evaluations, SmileDirectClub has earned a 4.8/5 star rating on review platform Trustpilot.
SmileDirectClub guarantees both your happiness and your money returned. SmileDirectClub will reimburse the cost of the imprint package if the brand’s dentists decide that you are not a good prospect for clear aligners. People who aren’t happy with their development during the first 30 days of therapy can get their money back in full.
The Lifelong Happiness Assurance is an additional service offered by SmileDirectClub. As long as you buy a new pair of braces every six months and use them as directed, you can get free annual touch-ups with extra spacers, if necessary.
Conclusion:
Using aligners and online assistance from dentists, SmileDirectClub can correct minor to severe misalignment of the teeth. The company sticks out because it offers both in-person impressions at its retail locations (called SmileShops) and at-home impression kits. and might not be available to all users.
There will be no need to schedule in-person visits with your dentist at any time during therapy. Your treatment plan is monitored virtually by an orthodontist or dentist who is accessible via conversation or video at any time. After your procedure is complete, you’ll be eligible for SmileDirectClub’s Lifelong Smile Assurance if you make two annual retainer purchases.
SmileDirectClub’s day and evening therapy programs can be paid for with either a monthly membership fee or a single, upfront payment. Unlike competing companies, which charge more for aligner plates designed specifically for use at night, costs are consistent regardless of whether you wear them during the day or at night. Several dentistry insurance networks are recognized by the company as valid payment options. After your insurance company deducts their portion of the bill, you may only be responsible for the remaining balance. Those in dire need of extensive dental work should look elsewhere than SmileDirectClub. Individuals with minor to intermediate misalignments or minor jaw problems will benefit from these braces. Consult your dentist or orthodontic and then take the online smile evaluation to see if correcting your teeth with SmileDirectClub is the best choice for you.
