DrSmile vs Smile Direct Club: Which provider is better?

DrSmile vs Smile Direct Club: What are the differences between the aligner providers and which product is more recommended?

Anyone who only suffers from mild or moderate malocclusion no longer has to suffer for a beautiful smile.

Since aligners began their triumphant advance, straight teeth are within reach without unsightly wires and brackets in the mouth.

Invisible dental trays are a discreet, affordable and painless alternative to fixed braces. No wonder, then, that more and more patients are opting for this type of tooth correction.

Aligner providers are now a dime a dozen. This has the advantage that companies have to offer better and better products and lower prices due to growing competition.

The downside, however, is that the huge market does not make it any easier to find the right provider.

We would like to bring a bit of structure into the aligner chaos and help you find the right provider.

In this article, we therefore take a closer look at two well-known names on the market: The Berlin-based company DrSmile vs Smile Direct Club from the United States.

Who has the better product, which aligners are of higher quality, what are the advantages and disadvantages and who offers the better price-performance ratio?

Who is actually behind DrSmile and Smile Direct Club?

DrSmile was founded in 2017 by Christopher von Wedemeyer and Jens Urbaniak in Berlin.

It has since successfully established itself on the market and become a well-known brand.

DrSmile is now available in nine countries. The company has already produced more than one million aligners and can look back on more than 100,000 completed tooth corrections.

In Germany alone, there are already partner practices in more than 100 cities. DrSmile has been part of the Straumann Group since 2022.

You can find more information about DrSmile here.

Smile Direct Club (SDC) is a “teledentistry” company based in the USA. SDC is now relatively well known there for its DIY orthodontics.

Important to know: According to its German website, Smile Direct Club is currently no longer accepting new “members”. In concrete terms, this means that the treatment is not currently available in Germany.

Basically, there is much less information about Smile Direct Club on the Internet than about DrSmile. The aligner provider is also far less represented on social media and YouTube.

We currently do not know if the Smile Direct Club treatment will be available again in the near future.

Of course, it is also possible that the company will discontinue its sales in the EU or perhaps even completely worldwide.

Currently, the invisible aligners are still available in the UK, Ireland, as well as in Australia, Canada and the United States.

As soon as there is news, we will update you here. Until then, here is some basic information about DrSmile vs Smile Direct Club.

DrSmile vs Smile Direct Club: What do the products have in common?

All invisible braces basically work according to the same principle. After they are individually made in the laboratory, they are worn for at least 22 hours a day.

Since the aligners fit snugly on the rows of teeth, exerting constant pressure, they are able to gradually push the teeth into the desired position.

You should only remove the flexible plastic dental trays for eating and dental care.

The technology enables the correction of mild to moderate anterior malocclusions in just a few months.

The aligners are extremely thin and completely transparent so that they can hardly be seen by outsiders. In this way, they enable discreet tooth correction.

Dr Smile vs Smile Direct Club: What is the difference between the two providers?

DrSmile vs Smile Direct Club: What are the differences? There is actually quite a bit here that differentiates the two providers.

Your treatment with DrSmile always starts in a partner practice. Here a detailed consultation takes place. A 3D scan is also taken and the gums, jaw and teeth are checked.

After the initial appointment, you will receive a treatment plan that includes a 3D simulation of the teeth correction and the final price.

The appointment is always free and without obligation at DrSmile. You can book it here without any obligation to buy.

If you decide to have the treatment, the invisible braces will be conveniently sent to your home.

The DrSmile experts monitor the progress of your treatment via an app, so no further appointments in the practice are necessary.

If you have any questions, you can of course contact the support team at any time.

Smile Direct Club treatment , on the other hand, takes place entirely from home if desired. The first step is to decide whether you want to take your dental impressions yourself or have them taken by your dentist.

When you visit one of the SmileShop locations, digital scans of your teeth are taken.

Alternatively, you can order an impression kit with instructions and send the finished impressions to the lab afterwards.

Smile Direct Club will then check if your misaligned teeth are suitable for treatment. If the result is positive, a treatment plan is created.

If you decide to have the treatment, the invisible aligners will be sent to your home and you can start wearing them right away.

If you have questions during treatment, you can make an appointment for a digital consultation with a dentist.

DrSmile or Smile Direct Club: How do the prices differ?

At DrSmile, your malocclusion is classified as mild, moderate or severe.

The classification is based on the complexity of your malocclusion and the associated total number of aligners needed for the treatment.

Prices include upper and lower jaw at DrSmile.

DrSmile prices at a glance:

You can find more information about DrSmile prices here.

At Smile Direct Club there is a single price for all treatments. Since the treatment is currently not offered in Germany, we will inform you here about the prices in the United States as an example.

Prices also include upper and lower jaw at Smile Direct Club.

The Smile Direct Club prices at a glance:

• One time payment: $2050
• Installment: $89/month

Accordingly, the question: “DrSmile vs Smile Direct Club – which provider is cheaper?” cannot be answered unequivocally – the answer depends on the severity of the malocclusion.

Unfortunately, the costs of dental correction for adults are not usually covered by health insurance.

However, we still recommend that you do not focus exclusively on price when choosing an aligner provider.

Instead, rely primarily on authentic reviews and research lots of testimonials on the Internet.

What are the areas of application of DrSmile and Smile Direct Club?

Regarding the question “DrSmile vs Smile Direct Club – what are the areas of application?” the two providers do not differ.

At both DrSmile and Smile Direct Club, treatment is available only to patients of legal age. The reason for this is that the dentition (jaws and teeth) may no longer be in growth.

In addition, both DrSmile and Smile Direct Club invisible braces can be used exclusively for aesthetic anterior corrections and closing small to medium-sized gaps between teeth.

Tooth malocclusions such as crowding, crossbite, head bite, deep bite or open bite can only be corrected in mild to moderate cases.

By the way, this applies to most aligner providers, including Braceless, Inman Aligner, Bestsmile, Smileunion, LetSmile or PlusDental. Currently, only Invisalign products can be considered for serious tooth misalignments.

Our conclusion on DrSmile vs Smile Direct Club

When choosing an aligner provider, the focus should not be solely on price.

Instead, you should inform yourself in detail about the companies and read through as many reviews and testimonials on the Internet as possible before making a decision.

When it comes to the question “DrSmile vs Smile Direct Club: Which provider is better?“, our recommendation leans towards DrSmile.

DrSmile offers a very good price-performance ratio and only high-quality materials and state-of-the-art technologies are used in the production “made in Germany & USA”.

Through the app, the course of treatment is regularly monitored and kept in view by dentists and orthodontists. Last but not least, DrSmile offers a satisfaction promise.

Smile Direct Club is a bit cheaper for more complex misalignments and theoretically you could do the treatment completely from home. However, dentists and orthodontists have been warning against DIY dental impressions for years.

We therefore advise you not to use the impression set and recommend that you rather leave this task to the experts.

Although SmileDirectClub has been on the market for some time, unlike DrSmile, there are few authentic testimonials on the Internet or in social media.

So it’s much more difficult to track down positive and negative impressions of current and former patients, which definitely makes the decision more difficult.

As already mentioned, however, the questionDrSmile vs Smile Direct Club: Which provider should I choose?” does not arise at present anyway.

This is because Smile Direct Club is not available in Germany at this time and it is still unclear whether the aligner provider will ever return to the market.

Still undecided? I myself (the editor of this article) am in the middle of straightening my teeth with DrSmile and so far my experience has been mostly positive. You can find a first conclusion about my treatment here.

FAQs about DrSmile vs Smile Direct Club

Finally, here are some frequently asked questions about DrSmile vs Smile Direct Club.

You can find more articles and information about DrSmile here.