Candid Teeth Aligners 2022 Review

Key takeaways:

• Candid offers professional teeth straightening through your dentist or orthodontist along with remote monitoring and virtual support.
• Candid costs, on average, less than Invisalign and significantly less than traditional braces through an orthodontist's office.
• Users have impressions taken in-office with their CandidPro doctor, and then use their smartphone to remotely track their progress.
• Users attach a scanning device to a smartphone and submit scans of their teeth every 10 to 14 days, allowing your doctor to monitor your progress remotely.
• Candid is the only clear aligner company to offer Philips Zoom whitening—the #1 most patient requested brand.
• Candid gets great reviews from customers, with a 4.9 rating on Google, a 4.9 rating on the Apple App Store, and 4.7 rating on Better Business Bureau (the highest of any clear aligner company)

If you find yourself covering your mouth when you laugh or avoiding smiling in photos, it could be a sign that you're uneasy about your smile. This insecurity can continue to come up over and over again in various areas of your life—everything from your work-from-home video calls to a first date—and you might be wondering whether investing in a better smile might be a smart choice.

Just a few years ago, the only way to improve your smile was to head into the orthodontist's office for metal braces. Now, there are several choices for treatment with invisible aligners, which are much less awkward and unsightly than traditional metal braces. Many of these options allow you to receive remote treatment with invisible aligners, making it easy, convenient, and affordable to straighten your teeth.

Candid offers a hybrid system of in-office expert care with virtual monitoring and support through your smartphone. Plus, Candid costs a lot less than you can expect to pay for braces. But, is Candid your best bet for a better smile?

Health editors, along with expert guidance from dentists and orthodontists, evaluated the Candid treatment system by conducting in-depth research, undergoing treatment with the brand, mystery shopping, and sifting through hundreds of customer reviews to find out everything you'll want to know about Candid invisible aligners.

The pros and cons of Candid aligners

Candid, an orthodontics company founded in 2017, offers customers a new way to get teeth straightening from their orthodontist or dentist in four to 12 months with customized remote monitoring technology. Candid is similar to SmileDirectClub and Byte, which offer at-home teeth aligners and virtual support, but lets you work directly with your dentist or orthodontist, similar to Invisalign. Here are a few ways Candid stands out from other brands.

Pros

• The company provides treatment through the CandidPro network of orthodontists and dentists who will take your molds, scans, and X-rays on your first visit.
• Treatment with Candid costs less than Invisalign and significantly less than traditional braces, making it an option for many who couldn't otherwise afford teeth straightening.
• Your Candid aligners come with a ScanBox, a device which connects to your smartphone to capture and send detailed images to doctor.
• Your dentist or orthodontist reviews scans of your teeth every 10 to 14 days, providing more frequent follow-up than other at-home aligner companies or in-person orthodontic treatment.
• Customer service is available through the CandidApp 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST seven days a week.
• Orthodontists are available to answer questions or concerns via live chat.
• Treatment lasts, on average, eight months—much less than the 12 to 18 months or more you'd expect from Invisalign or traditional braces.
• Candid guarantees that at the end of your treatment, if you are not satisfied with your outcome, the company will extend your treatment time as necessary. Read on for some restrictions to this policy.
• Free whitening treatment included.

Cons

• Candid is not available in all locations. You must check to see if there is a CandidPro office in your area to be eligible for treatment.
• Candid does not offer a fully at-home teeth straightening option. You can only get them through a qualified dentist or orthodontist office.
• Retainers are recommended, but are not included in the cost of treatment.

How Candid works

Like Invisalign, you start the Candid process by consulting with your dentist or orthodontist in person to see if you need clear aligners or metal braces. Traditionally, patients would then be required to visit the provider's office regularly to get braces tightened—or in the case of aligners, to get new trays. You may need to continue this treatment for 18 months or more, depending on your treatment plan. With Candid, you can have your aligners delivered to your home and track your progress remotely using the CandidApp. This helps to cut down on the number of office visits you need to make.

What you can expect during treatment with Candid:

1. Visit a CandidPro doctor for an evaluation and impressions

The first step in the Candid process is for you to visit your CandidPro orthodontist or dentist to determine if clear aligners are right for you. Your doctor will then take the necessary impressions, scans, and X-rays of your smile to send to Candid to create your custom aligners.

2. Review your orthodontist-designed treatment plan.

After the orthodontist creates your treatment plan and shares it with you, the company manufactures your Candid aligners. You receive the aligners and your ScanBox, a device that connects to your smartphone and sends images to your orthodontist to view progress. All of the aligners come together in one box, so you have all the aligners you need for the entire course of care.

3. Wear your aligners as directed.

You will need to wear your aligners 22 hours a day and change aligners every week or two, depending on your treatment plan.

4. Share scans of your teeth every 10 to 14 days.

Use the ScanBox device with your smartphone to take scans of your teeth every 10 to 14 days and send them to your orthodontist via the Candid app. Your orthodontist will monitor your progress remotely and make changes to your treatment plan if needed.

5. Purchase retainers after treatment is completed.

Candid does recommend purchasing retainers to keep your smile in alignment after treatment. Their $99 kit includes whitening foam, so you can whiten teeth while your aligners are on.