Invisible braces comparison 2023: The best providers for invisible braces

Invisible braces comparison 2023: We show you the best providers for aligners with all the advantages and disadvantages.

A crooked tooth, a gap between the teeth or a misalignment of the teeth: these are often small things that others hardly notice. But when we look in the mirror ourselves, it is the first thing we see.

So why shouldn’t we use the possibilities of modern dentistry to have this small blemish corrected quickly, discreetly and meanwhile even quite cheaply?

There are now many different invisible braces providers on the market who promise their customers straight teeth in just a few months. In our invisible braces comparison 2023, we show you the best providers for invisible braces with all the advantages and disadvantages.

Invisible braces: The best invisible braces providers in 2023

Anyone who wants to have their malocclusions corrected with a transparent dental splint will be virtually overwhelmed by the range of products on offer. Whether on the Internet or at any dentist or orthodontist, it feels like everyone currently wants to sell us the transparent splint.

But which aligner providers are actually reputable, who offers the highest quality products and who offers the best value for money? We have put the aligner providers through their paces and compiled an overview for you here:

DrSmile – price-performance winner in invisible braces comparison

DrSmile is one of the most well-known providers of invisible braces and has been present on the aligner market since 2017.

The company has its headquarters in Berlin. Meanwhile, DrSmile cooperates with dentists and orthodontists in 9 countries, including Austria, Spain, Italy, France, Poland and Switzerland. In Germany alone, you will find over 100 partner practices. DrSmile has been part of the Straumann Group since 2020.

What you should know about DrSmile:

• DrSmile has already produced over one million aligners and helped over 50,000 customers declare war on their crooked teeth.
• In a Germany-wide online survey, DrSmile 2021 emerged as the test winner in the brand trust category from a total of five dental splint providers.
• DrSmile transparent dental braces are suitable for patients 18 years and older.
• On average, the treatment with the transparent dental trays lasts from 4 to 9 months.
• Depending on the severity (light, medium, or complex), DrSmile prices start at 33 euros per month.
• The aligners must be worn 22 hours per day.
• The treatment starts with a 3D scan in a partner practice. Based on this, both a treatment plan and a cost estimate are prepared. This first appointment is free of charge and without obligation. You can book it here.
• If you decide to have your teeth straightened with Dr Smile, the splints will be conveniently sent to your home.
• The DrSmile app accompanies you during treatment with the dental splint. Here you will be notified when you need to change the aligners. The app also allows you to contact medical staff at any time.
• After completion of treatment, a retainer splint must be worn for at least eight weeks.

Our conclusion about DrSmile:

The large network of partner practices, the reasonable prices and the option to pay in installments make treatment with invisible braces possible and affordable for everyone.

The first appointment (including 3D scan) is free of charge and without obligation. You pay only when you actually decide for a treatment. You can book the appointment here.

DrSmile also offers a satisfaction promise with free rework (“refinement”).

You can’t go far wrong with DrSmile – the provider is therefore our clear recommendation in the dental splint comparison.

PlusDental – now part of Dr Smile

PlusDental was founded in 2017 under the name Sunshine Smile in Berlin. The initial business model was to send kits to customers’ homes for a DIY dental impression instead of an in-office 3D scan.

A visit to the dentist was therefore not required, which led to criticism from dental professionals. In 2019, PlusDental therefore not only changed its name but also began referring patients to partner practices in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

So, just like DrSmile, dentists and orthodontists had to be visited for a 3D scan before treatment could begin. The aligners were still sent by mail.

What you should know about PlusDental:

• Just like DrSmile, PlusDental was acquired by the Straumann Group in 2022. The company merged the two former startups and now sells the aligners exclusively under the brand name DrSmile.
• Due to the merger, PlusDental’s product is now identical to DrSmile‘s. Accordingly, the cost of treatment with invisible aligners is the same.
• You can still visit the PlusDental website. For the appointment booking you will be redirected to the booking system of DrSmile.

Our conclusion about PlusDental:

The PlusDental product, service and prices are now identical to the DrSmile offer due to the merger. You can take advantage of the same network of partner practices, the installment payment option, and the free, no-obligation initial appointment with 3D scan.

So you can book your no-obligation consultation appointment directly through DrSmile.

Smileunion – invisible braces from home

Smileunion was founded in 2019 under the name SmartAlign. It was not until 2020 that the Wiesbaden-based company renamed itself. Smileunion is one of the few providers that offer treatment with invisible dental trays completely from home.

The company offers digital consultation and also the dental trays are delivered directly to your home. Only if requested, the first on-site appointment takes place in one of the relatively few partner practices with which Smileunion cooperates.

What you should know about Smileunion:

• For the treatment with the invisible dental trays, you must first take impressions of your teeth and take some photos. For this, you will receive an impression box sent to your home. From impression trays to cheek holders, the box contains everything you need to take impressions and photos of your teeth.
• Based on the impressions and photos sent in, you will be given a cost estimate and a treatment plan. The latter includes a 3D simulation that allows you to see how your teeth shift during treatment.
• Alternatively, you can make an appointment with a partner practice. As part of this, photos are also taken and impressions are taken or even a 3D scan is made.
• Only if you decide to use the invisible splint, costs will be incurred. Prices for treatment start at 25 euros per month for mild malpositions. The impression set costs 9 Euros – but you will be reimbursed if the use of a dental splint is not possible in your case.
• The treatment usually lasts from 3 to 7 months.
• During the correction, the plastic aligners must be worn for 22 hours a day. A new dental splint is used every 10 days.
• From the beginning of the treatment to its completion, you can get digital advice from the Smileunion experts.
• After the successful correction you will receive a pair of retainer splints, which you will have to wear for the first few months after the treatment, first daily and later only at night.

Our conclusion about Smileunion:

Smileunion dental trays also discreetly ensure that crooked teeth and minor malocclusions are a thing of the past in just a few months. However, any qualified dentist or orthodontist will advise you not to take the upper and lower jaw impressions or photos on your own at home.

And we can only recommend that you make an initial appointment with a 3D scan with a professional in any case. However, while DrSmile, for example, works with over 100 partner practices in Germany alone, Smileunion only has around 20.

So if you don’t live in a major city, it’s a little harder to find a nearby collaborator here.

DrSmile vs Smileunion: Who has the better product?

Invisalign aligner – the cornerstone of our dental splint test

Invisalign has been offering its invisible aligners since 1997. This makes the provider of dental splints, also known as aligners, the bedrock on the market.

The company behind the brand is Align Technology Inc., which has also been represented on the German market since 1999. Most providers of aligners only offer aesthetic anterior corrections with their products.

With Invisalign, the invisible aligners also offer the possibility of correcting more complex tooth misalignments. However, the provider is also one of the most expensive in the dental splint comparison. Regular check-up appointments are also required.

What you should know about Invisalign:

• Treatment with Invisalign begins with a digital 3D scan in a partner practice. Subsequently, an individual treatment plan and a cost estimate are prepared.
• The cost of treatment depends on the severity of the malocclusions. While uncomplicated anterior tooth corrections (i7) are available between 1850 and 2500 euros, serious malocclusions (Invisalign Full) can cost upto 6500 euros.
• If you decide to undergo the treatment, Invisalign will have 7 to 50 dental trays made, depending on the treatment plan. You will need to insert a new clear dental splint about every two weeks.
• Unlike other providers, follow-up appointments must be made every 6 to 8 weeks. Progress can also be tracked via an app.
• The duration of treatment ranges from 3 months to 3.5 years – but most often the time frame ranges from 6 to 18 months.
• Following the tooth correction, the company offers a free case refinement .
• The next step is the retention phase. The cost of retainers can be another 300 to 500 euros per jaw.

Our conclusion on Invisalign:

Invisalign is the only provider of invisible dental trays in Germany that also enables the correction of more serious malocclusions. For example, patients with overbite or underbite do not have to do without treatment with invisible dental splints.

If the malposition leads to health restrictions, the treatment is even covered by private health insurance in some cases. According to the provider, up to 90 percent of all orthodontic cases can be treated.

However, the major disadvantages of Invisalign include the high prices and frequent face-to-face appointments, which are often difficult to fit into a stressful daily routine.

Therefore, for only mild to moderate malocclusions, we recommend you DrSmile, as the provider offers a first-class price-performance ratio.

DrSmile vs Invisalign: Which provider is better?

Braceless – for uncomplicated malocclusions

The company Braceless Dental Technologies GmbH is located in Bad Homburg and is relatively new on the market. While Braceless initially offered its products at a low, one-size-fits-all price, your misaligned teeth are now categorized as mild, moderate and severe here as well.

Treatment is available for adults 18 years and older. Unlike competitors, two face-to-face appointments are a prerequisite for dental correction here.

What you should know about Braceless:

• Treatment begins with a free online pre-check. Here you will receive an assessment of whether you are suitable for the invisible dental splints.
• The next step is to take impressions or a 3D scan in a partner practice. About ten days later, you will find out whether your deformity is classified as mild, moderate or severe. You will also receive your personal treatment plan.
• A few weeks later, you will have another consultation in the practice and receive your custom-fitted dental splints.
• On average, treatment with Braceless lasts 5 months. During this period, wearing a dental splint at least 22 hours a day and overnight is extremely important.
• You need to change the dental splint regularly. Like many providers, Braceless provides you with new aligners every two weeks.
• Prices for treatment start at 48 euros per month or a one-time fee of 1490 euros.
• Once treatment is complete, you can opt for either a free retainer splint or a permanently attached retainer wire.

Our conclusion on Braceless:

Since Braceless has only been on the market for a few years, it is a bit difficult to find authentic testimonials on the internet.

The company offers dental trays at affordable prices and solid care with two upfront appointments. However, for patients with a stressful daily routine, this point can also be a disadvantage.

With around 50 partner practices, Braceless lags well behind other competitors in the dental splint comparison (such as DrSmile).

Those who do not live directly in a larger city may therefore have a somewhat more difficult time finding a practice nearby.

Frequently asked questions about the dental splint comparison 2023

Although all aligners basically follow the same principle, the products differ in some respects depending on the provider. At this point, we will therefore answer a few more questions about invisible braces and the purchase of dental trays.