Years ago, the only way to straighten teeth was by seeing an expert dentist or orthodontist for braces, clear aligners, or orthodontic appliances like headgears. Nowadays, you can get your clear aligners delivered right to your doorstep without even leaving your house with the so-called remote clear aligner brands like AlignerCo.
AlignerCo is a popular budget-friendly at-home clear aligner provider. They are cheaper than competitor at-home aligner brands (i.e., Byte, Candid, SmileDirectClub, NewSmile) as well as in-office treatments such as braces and Invisalign. You can start your journey with AlignerCo for as low as $895, including free teeth whitening kit and retainers. But should cost be the only factor influencing your decision to go for it? Read more to find out!
The cheapest at-home aligners, with monthly plans, no down payment, and considerable discounts
Labor Day offer – Invisible aligners for just $895
PROs
- Cheapest at-home clear aligner brand.
- Significantly cheaper than braces and in-office clear aligners like Invisalign.
- In-office visits are not required.
- Monthly plans are shorter and cheaper.
- They offer a monthly plan without a downpayment required.
- Accepts HSA/FSA.
- 24/7 live chat support.
- Free online assessment questionnaire.
- Patient app to monitor treatment progress.
CONs
- To set an appointment with their Smile Studio, you have to pay $59.99 – just to get help with impression taking.
- Not suitable for severe cases of bite problems.
How ALIGNERCO aligners work
You can either have your impression kit delivered to your house or book an appointment at their Smile Studio located in New York for an additional $59.99 to get help with taking mouth impressions.
Whether you make your impressions at home or at the Smile Studio, they will create a 3D visualization of your treatment plan that will be sent to you. If you’re happy with what you see, you can proceed with the treatment, and they will have your aligners delivered to your address. Within a few months of wearing clear aligners, your teeth will gradually move to their ideal positions.
The only drawback of AlignerCo is that they don’t have a remote monitoring app to remind you to change your aligners or submit photos of your case. You will have to take progress photos and send them via email. Patient compliance is critical with remote monitoring of clear aligner treatment. So if you are not highly organized and can’t keep track of the schedule, AlignerCo may not be the best for you. According to one study published by the British Dental Association, only 36% of the patient sample fully complied with remote monitoring during clear aligner treatment.
Update – The AlignerCo app for monitoring treatment progress is now available.
ALIGNERCO Clear Aligners
AlignerCo aligners are made of BPA-free, thin plastic sheets that gradually move teeth to their ideal positions with a series of clear aligners that you will have to change every week or as indicated in your treatment plan.
AlignerCo All Day Aligners should be worn for at least 22 hours daily. This is suitable for patients who would love to fast-track their smile transformation since continuous force to move your teeth goes on all day! You must remove the aligners only during eating, drinking, and brushing your teeth, as it may damage your aligners.
In a study by Alajmi et al., they said that patients reported better chewing ability, less mucosal ulceration, and no restrictions for routine foods while on clear aligners, which makes clear aligners more tolerable than metal braces.
AlignerCo NightOnly Aligners
AlignerCo NightOnly aligners are perfect for those who wouldn’t want to wear anything during the day, such as people working in customer-facing roles. All-day aligners can get in the way since you must remove them when you eat, drink, and do oral hygiene care.
NightOnly aligners are required to be worn for at least 8 to 10 hours each night. However, NightOnly aligners may take longer than all-day aligners. Clear aligners only work on your teeth when you’re wearing them, which is why some orthodontists and even its competitor, Candid, don’t recommend night aligners.
According to Dr. Lynn Hurst, Candid aligners founder and an orthodontist, without a longer and more consistent wear schedule, you may never experience the light continuous force necessary for effective healthy tooth movement.
How long does treatment take?
Treatment with AlignerCo may take a minimum of 4 months and a maximum of 12 months, depending on the severity of teeth alignment issues, type of aligner (All Day or NightOnly), and patient compliance in wearing the aligners at recommended hours daily.
It is relatively shorter than in-office orthodontic treatments such as braces and Invisalign, but it also has to do with the severity of problems AlignerCo helps with.
How much does ALIGNERCO cost?
You have two options to get started with your AlignerCo journey: to pay an upfront fee ($945 for All Day aligners or $1,145 for Night Only aligners) or purchase just the impression kit for $59.99, which is deductible to your aligners fee if you ever decide to move forward.
If you prefer to pay in installments, they offer two types of monthly plans: SmileFlex and SmileFlex Easy.
SmileFlex is an installment option that requires you to pay $79/mo (for All Day aligners) or $96/mo (for NightOnly aligners) for 12 months. No downpayment is required. So for the SmileFlex plan you’ll pay a total of $948 for All Day aligners and $1,152 for NightOnly.
SmileFlex Easy, on the other hand, requires a down payment of $545 for All Day aligners and a monthly fee of $100 for 6 months – a total of $1,145. At the same time, NightOnly aligner treatment requires a downpayment of $745 and a monthly fee of $100 for 6 months – a total of $1,345.
If you pay upfront, you definitely save up a considerable amount. Whereas the total amount to be paid for SmileFlex Easy plan is almost on par with the upfront fee of Byte aligners, but in the case of Byte, you also get all the other good stuff like the HyperByte and remote monitoring app.
Does ALIGNERCO really work?
As mentioned above, AlignerCo will only work for those with mild to moderate teeth alignment issues. Several patient testimonials and before and after cases are posted on their website to show that their product works.
There are also 995 reviews on Trust Pilot, with an average score of 4.2/5. However, recent reviews are not that great. Several customers are saying they are not satisfied with the outcome, and it’s not what was shown during the treatment preview. And worst, they were asked to pay extra for refinement to get them the smile they wanted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ALIGNERCO offer discounts?
As the cheapest at-home aligner brand available, it is surprising that AlignerCo still offers discounts regularly. You just have to visit their website and check the upper banner for promo announcements. As of September 2022, they offer Back-to-School Promo, which gives you a $250 discount on your chosen clear aligner treatment.
They also offer discounts for those serving in the military and a Refer-a-Friend program.
Are ALIGNERCO Aligners safe?
As with any orthodontic treatment, they are generally safe as long as your case is suitable for the type of clear aligners. They have a page on their website showing their AlignerCo Dental Network to establish that dentists and orthodontists are behind every case.
Does ALIGNERCO accept insurance?
If your insurance company has some orthodontic coverage, it is most likely that you will get a portion of the AlignerCo cost reimbursed. They also accept HSA and FSA payments.
Does ALIGNERCO fix overbite?
AlignerCo doesn’t fix an overbite, and most clear aligners don’t. Overbite cases require a more complex approach since it’s more than just teeth alignment. Dentists and orthodontists require an in-depth analysis of the cases, including x-rays, to efficiently correct an overbite.
ALIGNERCO comparison to others
AlignerCo is, no doubt, the cheapest of all at-home clear aligners brands. The monthly payment plans are also relatively shorter, with 6- and 12 months plans, whereas the other brands take 22 to 32 months.
The 24/7 live chat is very responsive, but the replies are somewhat scripted, so if you have in-depth questions about your case, you will have to email them and wait for a response.
They are also the only at-home aligner brand offering a package plan for retainers. Their Smile Protection Plan allows you to purchase 8 sets of Clear Retainers for only $549 and should let you keep your smile for 4 years (since you have to replace aligners every six months).
Verdict
Overall, AlignerCo is one of the best options to straighten your teeth remotely if cost is a concern. However, as with any clear aligner treatment, it is only recommended for those with minor teeth alignment issues.
A number of low-score reviews on TrustPilot indicate that with increasing demand and customer base, they need to keep up and make sure everyone is looked after adequately.
References:
- Thirumoorthy, S.N., et al. Is remote monitoring a reliable method to assess compliance in clear aligner orthodontic treatment?. British Dental Association. (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41432-021-0231-x. Available online at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34916648/
- Alajmi S., Shaban A, Al-Azemi R. Comparison of short-term oral impacts experienced by patients treated with Invisalign or conventional fixed orthodontic appliances. Medical Principles and Practice. 2019. Available online at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31842018/
