Kids aren’t the only ones that can benefit from braces. Around 2010, Hollywood started a trend of actors getting braces for their teeth. That spawned a new revolution of making it trendy to have your teeth straightened and whitened.
However, braces aren’t sexy technology. Smiling in front of the camera with a mouth full of steel tracks and wires isn’t a look that many Hollywood starlets were going for on the red carpet. In 2014, there was an innovation in orthodontic technology that was a real game-changer for the industry.
The invention of clear aligners, such as “Invisalign” and “SmileDirectClub,” started to gain traction as affordable and attractive solutions to traditional braces. If you’re thinking about closing that gap in your teeth, sorting out the overcrowding or your crooked teeth, then check out these three bracesInvisalign
Invisalign is an innovative technology using aligners instead of braces. These aligners work like see-through retainers, gently pulling your teeth into place over an 8-month treatment plan. You visit your dentist or orthodontist, and they do the lab work on your teeth, including taking scans.
They send this data off to Invisalign, where the team of orthodontists designs you a set of custom aligners. You get 20-sets with the average treatment, for a total cost of around $4,500 to $6,000, depending on how many retainers you need, and the work involved.
Invisalign requires fewer trips to your orthodontist for checkups, saving you on the total costs of your treatment. Overall, it’s cheaper than braces, but it’s still an expensive exercise, and there are more affordable options available out there.
SmileDirectClub
SDC is a newcomer to the world of orthodontic solutions. Founded in 2014, this company has already transformed the smiles of more than a million Americans – that’s a fantastic achievement. SDC works by straightening your teeth using the same principles as the Invisalign system.
You get 20-sets of retainers designed to pull your teeth into the correct position over a treatment course of up to 8-months. The big difference, besides the price tag, is the way you opt-in for your treatment.
SDC has nearly 400 “SmileShops” across the United States. All you have to do is pop into one of these stores near you, set up your application, and get a scan of your teeth on site. If you can’t make it in-store, you can order an impression kit online.
Your impression kit comes with everything you need to take a mold of your teeth and then mail it back to SDC. SmileDirectClub sends your impressions or scanned data to a team of professional orthodontists that design your treatment plan. You receive your retainers in the mail and start your treatment right away.
With SDC, you pay a fraction of what you do with traditional braces or Invisalign systems. The total costs for the plan are $1,895. There are coupons and discount codes online to help you drop the expense if you’re paying upfront online.
However, if you don’t have $1,895 lying around, SDC lets you take your treatment on credit. You can pay $250 down and monthly installments of $85 for 24-months – does that deal make you smile?
Smilelove
Smilelove is a newcomer to the aligner industry, making a splash in the market with a growing clientele base. They offer the same model as SDC, with comparable quality, for the same price. You can go with Smilelove or SDC for a 1/3rd of the cost of Invisalign or traditional braces.
However, it’s important to note that Smilelove and SDC don’t take on extensive cases that require severe orthodontic care. It’s for this reason that both SDC and Smilelove recommend visiting your dentist or an orthodontist to get approval before sending in your impressions or getting a dental scan at a SmileShop.