SmileDirectClub and Byte have a lot in common. Both clear aligner services offer at-home teeth straightening, and both are significantly more affordable than braces or Invisalign. But when you dig deeper, there are actually some major differences between these companies’ services.

We’re here to help you decipher these differences and determine the features you find most important. In this comparison review, we’ll take you on an in-depth tour of SmileDirectClub and Byte — first summarizing the key differences before digging into all the nitty-gritty details of their scope of treatment, affordability, convenience, appearance, and customer experience.

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Byte vs. SmileDirectclub: Overview

Byte and SmileDirectClub are both affordable, convenient invisible aligner treatments. Either one can handle mild and moderate misalignments, but they boast different prices, procedures, and advantages. Take a look.

Our Recommendation

This is no easy decision. We think both companies have a lot to offer, but after a lot of research and collecting hundreds of customer reviews, we have to call this one for Byte.

Before you decide, talk to your dentist.

They know your teeth better than anyone, and they’ll know which treatment would work best for you. They’ll examine your teeth and take X-rays to make sure your mouth is healthy enough for clear aligners. Plus, they’ll check to see if you have any cavities, gingivitis, or other issues to address beforehand.

Now, let’s get into the details.

Scope of Treatment Comparison

First things first. You need to know if these companies can treat your specific case. If you’ve got mild or moderate crowding or spacing in the six front teeth, either one probably can, since that’s where at-home clear aligners excel. But for anything more severe, especially jaw misalignments, braces or Invisalign might be a better bet. Here’s a closer look at what Byte and SmileDirectClub can treat.

What Can Byte and SmileDirectClub Treat?

According to Byte’s website, their aligners can treat:

• Mild-to-moderate crowding.
• Mild-to-moderate spacing.
• Some cases of overbite. They say they can “lessen the appearance,” which means they can likely take on mild overbites that don’t involve jaw misalignments.
• Some midline misalignment cases.

Midline misalignment is when the line between your top front teeth is off-center. It’s a cosmetic issue with a range of causes, from simple spacing to jaw irregularities. Byte says they “can improve the appearance,” which likely means they can make your midline appear centered. But if your case stems from a significant bite issue, you might also need a more robust treatment.

And SmileDirectClub’s website claims they can treat:

• Mild-to-moderate crowding.
• Mild-to-moderate spacing.
• Mild-to-moderate overbite or overjet.
• Underbite involving single pairs of upper and lower teeth.
• Localized crossbite.

That might seem like a wider scope of treatment than Byte, but it’s actually about the same. SmileDirectClub claims they can treat bite issues, but if your bite issue stems from a skeletal jaw misalignment, it will probably require extra attachments you can only get from in-person care. If you have an overbite, underbite, crossbite, or other bite issue, know that at-home aligners can typically only treat minor bite issues that stem from crowding or spacing.

What Customers Say

Of the customers who have sent us their Byte experiences, most reported receiving treatment for crowding, spacing, or overbite. Much fewer customers said they had crossbites, underbites, open bites, and overjets. Plus, the reviewers with cases of crowding and spacing gave four- and five-star reviews at a higher rate than customers with issues like open bite and crossbite.

SmileDirectClub reviews have a similar breakdown. Most customers who sent us reviews received treatment for crowding, spacing, and overbite — and those customers gave positive reviews at a higher rate. Fewer customers reported having crossbite, midline shift, underbite, overjet, or snaggletooth, and these customers gave four- and five-star reviews at a slightly lower rate.

Keep in mind that very few customers who sent us reviews for either company reported having complex bite issues, so there’s a smaller sample size for those conditions. However, this also speaks to the types of misalignments both companies will accept.

Clinical Oversight

In-person clear aligner treatments like Invisalign typically involve office visits every 4-10 weeks, and certain at-home aligner services have attempted to replicate this oversight with remote monitoring. It’s not as robust as hands-on treatment, but it provides some peace of mind, and can help the company deliver on the results they promised.

Byte recommends uploading photos of your teeth every month to the My Byte app, but they only require it in certain cases. If you choose to complete all the check-ins, you’ll have fairly regular remote oversight. But if you find them inconvenient, you can also skip them.

SmileDirectClub requires that every customer submit photos to their mobile app every 90 days. They will use these photos to evaluate your progress and make adjustments to your aligner wear schedule, if necessary.

But for anyone who would prefer to have a dentist more involved, SmileDirectClub has an option called CarePlus. This hybrid model blends in-person care with remote monitoring, so a local dentist will be part of your treatment. It also includes two years of retainers, plus its own dedicated support team, but it costs $3,900 instead of SmileDirectClub’s usual $2,250.

Quality of Materials

SmileDirectClub produces most of its aligners in-house. They’ve implemented a design they call Comfort Sense, which uses aligners of various thicknesses designed to ease customers into treatment with lighter movements before progressing to a thicker design.

In late 2020, Byte was acquired by Dentsply Sirona, a reputable dental manufacturing company that makes cleaning instruments, scanning machines, retainers, and virtually any other dental equipment you can imagine. Byte doesn’t say what specific type of plastic they use, but they have the materials and resources of an established, respected company behind them, which gives us a lot of confidence.

Affordability Comparison

One of the first things many adults check when considering home aligner treatment is their budget. Since both Byte and SmileDirectClub are often thousands cheaper than Invisalign and other in-office treatments, they’re popular choices for budget-conscious adults. Among at-home aligners, both services are fairly average, but Byte’s lower sticker price and one set of free retainers make them a slightly more affordable option.

Sticker Price

At $2,250, SmileDirectClub’s sticker price is a bit more expensive than Byte’s $1,999 price point. However, there’s also a difference in their impression kit and retainer costs. SmileDirectClub’s impression kit is $59, whereas Byte’s is $95, and neither is included in the sticker price.

SmileDirectClub, however, gives you the option to skip the impression kit by getting a teeth scan at one of their 100+ SmileShops or 1,000+ partnering dental offices. Byte does not have any physical locations, but they include one set of aftercare retainers in their upfront cost. SmileDirectClub charges an additional $125 for retainers at the end of treatment. Even after this give-and-take, both companies’ total costs come out almost equal, yet Byte is slightly cheaper.

But not if you choose Byte At-Night. Byte’s nighttime-only option uses a design and materials selected specifically for overnight wear, and you’ll end up paying $2,399 instead. SmileDirectClub’s nighttime aligners cost the same amount as its standard daytime treatment.

Either company will provide high-quality aligners for much less than traditional in-office options, which often go for hundreds or thousands more.

Financing Plans

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As you think about cost, you should also keep in mind how you might finance your treatment. Again, SmileDirectClub and Byte both offer financing options. Here are the details:

• SmileDirectClub offers a 28-month financing plan ($89/month) that requires a $250 down payment. No credit check required.
• Byte’s 36-month plan ($70/month) requires a $249 down payment. For Byte At-Night, it’s $84 a month + a $299 down payment. Soft credit check required.

With both services, you’ll pay a bit extra to finance your care when you factor in the interest paid over time by financing, so it’s worth it to pay upfront if you can make the finances work!

Retainers

After any orthodontic treatment, you’ll need to wear retainers for the rest of your life to keep your teeth from shifting back — first all day long, then just overnight. Both companies make clear retainers you’ll need to replace around twice per year. As we mentioned, Byte includes one set for free, but charges $129 for every replacement, while SmileDirectClub charges $125.

However, the Byte Protection Plan provides five years’ worth of retainers for $749. Instead of placing individual orders twice per year, Byte will ship your replacements automatically. You’ll get ten sets in total, so you’ll pay around $75 per set instead of $129.

Insurance Coverage

If you’ve used dental insurance for routine dental care, you’re probably wondering if it covers clear aligners. Not always, but it might. It all depends on your provider and plan.

Plans that include orthodontic benefits sometimes cover at-home clear aligners, but other times classify them as a cosmetic treatment. Fortunately, both companies have partnerships with certain insurance companies. Byte’s insurance partnerships include:

• Aetna
• Guardian
• Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield

While SmileDirectClub’s insurance partnerships include:

• United Healthcare
• MetLife
• Aetna
• Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Dominion National
• Capital Blue Cross

If you have insurance from one of these companies, it doesn’t mean you’ll automatically receive coverage, but you might. Check with your insurance provider or a representative from Byte or SmileDirectClub to find out. As part of Byte’s insurance process, they’ll even assign you a dedicated insurance specialist to help.

Just remember that insurance typically only covers a percentage of your total price, and many plans have limits on age and lifetime spending.

Extras

Both companies include free whitening to accompany your aligners, which is a nice touch that allows you to brighten your smile while you straighten your teeth. However, Byte also includes their HyperByte device in the cost of your aligner bundle. This is a huge benefit to you, as the HyperByte retails for $699 on its own.

Convenience Comparison

As treatments that you can complete entirely from home, both Byte and SmileDirectClub are significantly more convenient than traditional in-person options, which require regular office visits and usually take 12-18 months. Byte and SmileDirectClub have each made an effort to streamline the treatment process, and we think they even top their at-home competitors in convenience.

Getting Started

When getting started with SmileDirectClub or Byte, you’ll need to send the company images of your teeth. You can purchase an impression kit from either company and use it to create molds of your top and bottom dental arches. Here’s how:

• Read the instructions carefully before beginning.
• Open one container of each type of putty and mix them together.
• Roll the mixture into a cylinder and put it in the plastic tray.
• Bite down on the prepared tray so the putty surrounds your teeth.
• Apply consistent pressure for 3.5 minutes.
• Remove the tray and repeat with your other arch.

However, some customers say impression kits can be difficult, especially considering the fact that most customers have never taken molds of their own teeth. And if you choose Byte, this is the only option, so you’re stuck taking your own impressions.

Go with SmileDirectClub, and you can visit any of their 100+ SmileShops for a free teeth scan. If you’d rather not deal with the hassle of taking impressions, or if you’re eager to start treatment, you can pop into a SmileShop where a dental assistant will scan your teeth for free. This will allow the company to get started on your care plan as quickly as possible. Intraoral scans can be more accurate than taking impressions at home — and studies say patients find them more time-efficient and comfortable too.

SmileDirectClub also partners with more than 1,000 dental offices nationwide, where you can begin your treatment with an in-office consultation and teeth scan if you’d prefer. These dentists won’t be involved throughout your treatment, though. They just take your teeth scans.

We tried Byte and SmileDirectClub’s impression kits for ourselves, and documented our experience in our guides to getting started with Byte and getting started with SmileDirectClub.

Treatment Time

One of the biggest advantages at-home aligner treatments have over in-office options is their speed. Byte and SmileDirectClub don’t take nearly as long as braces or Invisalign (which can take 12-24 months or more). Byte claims an average treatment plan length of just 4-5 months, and SmileDirectClub says their plans take 4-6 months on average

Nighttime-Only Option?

This is a relatively new trend in the home aligner industry. Typically, you would wear your aligners for 22 hours per day. But for anyone who doesn’t think they can stick to that schedule, or would rather not remove and replace their aligners to eat and drink, SmileDirectClub and Byte have each introduced a nighttime-only option.

SmileDirectClub’s Nighttime Clear Aligners are exactly the same as the ones you would receive for an all-day schedule, but you only wear each set for ten hours per day over two weeks instead of one. Of course, this stretches out the overall timeline — extending it to 8-10 months on average. Byte designs their At-Night aligners specifically for ten-hour-per-day wear using premium plastics, and they claim their average nighttime aligner plan is around 5-6 months long.

To learn more about how they compare, see our guide to Byte At-Night vs. SmileDirectClub Nighttime Aligners.

Appearance Comparison

Both Byte and SmileDirectClub provide clear aligners that fit the contours of your teeth and are much less visible than traditional braces, but there are some small differences in the materials they use that impact each product’s appearance.

Aligner Material

SmileDirectClub fashions their aligners from a “frosted” plastic, while Byte uses a smooth, shiny one. What’s the difference? If you want to know our opinion, it’s that aligners made from frosted plastic are actually more discreet because they mimic the naturally matte surface of your teeth. Shiny material can be reflective, which we think makes aligners more noticeable.

However, this debate is largely subjective and depends on your personal preference. Some customers, for example, prefer Byte’s shiny plastic because they think it makes their smiles gleam. You should consider which you’d like better before making your final decision.

Aligner Cut

Byte’s aligners slightly overlap the gums, as do SmileDirectClub’s standard aligners. Go with the CarePlus option, however, and they advertise a scalloped cut. Straight-cut aligners might be more retentive, but we don’t consider them as discreet as scalloped ones that match the gum line, since people nearby might notice the overlap.

Supplemental Attachments

Invisalign, ClearCorrect, and other in-office clear aligners can incorporate elastics, buttons, or engagers that your dentist can affix to your teeth. Research shows that these attachments improve orthodontic tooth movement, but they also make clear aligners more visible.

Byte and SmileDirectClub can’t offer any attachments, since a dentist needs to apply them in person, but that helps their aligners keep a low profile.

Stain Resistance

Both companies make aligners that are resistant to staining, but we would not recommend drinking colored beverages while wearing them.

Customer Experience Comparison

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You want a home aligner company that makes you feel valued and provides quick support when you need it most. When it comes to customer service, it is our impression that Byte provides slightly more personalized and attentive care.

Both companies offer comparable support options, and in examining numerous customer reviews, we found that both companies offer reassuring lifetime warranties. However, we feel that Byte distinguishes itself in terms of overall helpfulness. While they can’t match the personalization of in-person support from a dentist’s office, we think they’ve taken measures to make their remote support highly satisfying.

Support Options

Both companies are available during standard business hours on a variety of support platforms — phone, webchat, text, and email. They’re both very active on social media and will respond to questions and concerns there as well.

SmileDirectClub allows you to track your progress on a mobile app and have virtual “Smile Check-ins” with their dental team. According to the SmileDirectClub website, this dental team is available via chat and text for questions 24/7.

Byte also lets you contact their customer support team directly through the My Byte app, which is a quick and easy way to get in touch.

Responsiveness & Helpfulness

Based on many reviews we found, customers generally feel that Byte offers more thoughtful support than SmileDirectClub.

In fact, SmileDirectClub’s customer support has received mixed reviews over the years. Many SmileDirectClub customers have expressed dissatisfaction with the level of support they received or reported frustrating delays in aligner shipments. The volume of negative reviews and Better Business Bureau complaints accelerated around 2017 as SmileDirectClub attempted to grow its business extremely rapidly. Since then, however, SmileDirectClub seems to have improved its service quality and customer support — especially with the implementation of their Smile Check-ins and mobile app.

By all accounts, Byte is helpful and friendly on all channels. They assign each customer their own personal advisor to help get treatment started. But as another company that’s grown rapidly, they’ve seen a slight uptick in the number of customers who report slow response times.

Satisfaction Guarantee

These companies have fairly similar satisfaction guarantees. Either one will work with you to modify your treatment if your teeth aren’t moving as expected, creating new aligners to get you back on track (provided you’ve followed their treatment protocol).

On top of that, both companies have policies that ensure you keep your new smile for life. Byte’s is called the Byte for Life Guarantee, and SmileDirectClub calls theirs the Lifetime Smile Guarantee. They might have different names, but they operate similarly.

Imagine that your teeth shift five years after you complete treatment. Byte or SmileDirectClub will send you new aligners to shift them back. Ten years? New aligners. Twenty years? You guessed it — they’ll send you new aligners.

However, to qualify, you must wear and replace aftercare retainers as directed. With Byte, you only need to purchase one set per year, while SmileDirectClub requires you to buy two sets each year. Byte lets you get any type of retainers you’d like, as long as you can provide proof of purchase, while SmileDirectClub says you need to buy their retainers, which are $125 per set.

Additionally, SmileDirectClub offers a 30-day full refund window from the start of treatment. After that, you can return your unused, unopened aligners for a prorated refund, based on how many aligners you send back.

Company Backgrounds

After they started in 2018, Byte quickly grew into one of the largest and most established companies in the industry, and they’ve risen to the top of our rankings as well. At first, we were unsure if Byte could compete with an established industry giant like SmileDirectClub, which then had over 2,000 employees and had served over one hundred thousand customers (today, the numbers are even higher).

However, it appears that SmileDirectClub grew too quickly, and based on the reviews from earlier customers, their support suffered as a result. While they seem to have improved since then, Byte jumped on that opportunity to present a viable at-home alternative, promoting intriguing technology and personalized customer support.

And customers quickly took notice. Since their start in 2018, we think Byte has delivered on their claims for quality products and solid customer service. Plus, since they’re owned by Dentsply Sirona, they have the resources of a large, widely trusted dental product manufacturer behind them.

In our opinion, SmileDirectClub is still a highly convenient option, and they’re working to make the startup process even more accessible by opening additional SmileShops across the country. But all things considered, Byte is our overall top-ranked home aligner company.

What Are Customers Saying?

When we review a company like Byte or SmileDirectClub, we start by digging through online user reviews to understand the common issues customers face, and how the company handles them. Here’s how these two services stack up.

Byte

Generally, Byte users express positivity and satisfaction with their experience. They often say they chose Byte because they appreciated the convenience of an efficient treatment plan, and liked that the HyperByte device could help eliminate some of the discomfort associated with orthodontic treatment.

Some customers, however, have noted that Byte’s aligners didn’t straighten their teeth as much as they’d expected, and they had to seek refinements, extending their treatment time. Others were pleased with their results, but frustrated by going back and forth with customer support. These cases seem to be the exception rather than the rule, but they’re definitely something to consider as you research various aligners.

In the cases where something goes wrong, it seems like Byte worked to resolve the issue. So you can be confident that if you experience any issues during treatment, their support team will have your back.

SmileDirectClub

Given SmileDirectClub’s multi-year history, there are many genuine online reviews detailing customer experiences with the product. Generally, SmileDirectClub customers feel positive about their experiences, despite some hiccups along the way. Customer support seems to be hit-or-miss, but the company seems to keep its promises. Although, it may take some extra effort on the customer’s end.

Each set of aligners seems well-made (most people don’t need to file down any rough edges or irregularities, unlike some other brands), and the treatment process is reportedly only mildly uncomfortable. Most customers report increased discomfort for the first day or two of each aligner set, especially when removing them after a long time. This pain subsides quickly and, for most customers, is not a major concern. A majority complete their treatment and feel satisfied with the results.

There’s plenty more where that came from. Check out all of our SmileDirectClub reviews from real customers and the video reviews below.

Which Home Teeth Aligner Should You Use?

As you can see, SmileDirectClub and Byte have a lot in common, but their differences are where you want to focus when making a final decision. If you’re still not sure which clear aligner service to choose, let’s look at a couple scenarios that might help you figure out which is the better option for you.

Choose Byte if You Are:

Interested in their HyperByte technology, want personalized customer support, and don’t mind working with a slightly younger company.

Choose SmileDirectClub if You Are:

More comfortable purchasing from the most well-established brand name with top-notch convenience. Bonus points if you live near a SmileShop location.

Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHICH