Your smile is one of your most prominent features – to the point that it can have a serotonin-producing effect on both your own psyche and those around you. But, unfortunately, most people aren’t born with flawless grins. Many of us have some degree of misalignment, and our teeth continue to shift with age.
Thankfully, we’re living in an era with ultra-easy teeth straightening systems. You no longer need uncomfortable metal braces to align your teeth, and even Invisalign has been eclipsed by direct-to-consumer clear teeth aligner platforms in Australia and beyond.
SmilePath is one of the leading Australian platforms offering invisible teeth aligners. Specifically, these are the kind of modern braces that don’t use metal, and instead shift your teeth with a series of plastic aligners that are custom fit to your mouth using an at-home impression kit.
With low prices, high-quality materials, impressive results, and attentive customer service, it’s undoubtedly a legitimate option. But, there are other factors (as well as alternative teeth aligner options) to consider. It’s your smile, after all, and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Let’s dive right in and review SmilePath in-depth to see if it’s the right choice for you on the journey to straighter teeth.
How to straighten your teeth from home without braces
Before considering SmilePath and everything that it has to offer, let’s first cover the basics of how invisible teeth aligners as a whole work.
Invisible aligners straighten misaligned teeth, without the food restrictions and, shall we say, fashion statement of traditional braces. They’re also removable, which is more comfortable and discreet than traditional metal braces.
If you opt for this treatment, you’ll receive a series of trays that gradually shift the position of the teeth. Generally, each tray moves the teeth just a few millimetres over the course of a week or two, after which you’ll move to the next tray. This requires wearing each tray for 22 to 24 hours per day. In general, this treatment lasts for approximately 6 to 12 months, which is a lot faster than traditional braces.
Source: SmilePath
Note that you’ll need to take your clear aligners out to eat, as eating with them in could cause damage. Most dental professionals also recommend avoiding gum chewing with the aligners in, but these restrictions (in addition to many others) also apply to traditional (i.e. visible) braces, as well.
Clear aligners require some basic care, including:
- Rinsing the aligners with lukewarm whenever you remove them to prevent bacterial buildup (hot or cold water could alter the fit of your aligners)
- Cleaning your aligners with gentle liquid soap and a soft-bristled toothbrush – never toothpaste!
- Brushing and flossing before putting in your aligners for the day
- Avoiding coloured drinks while you’re wearing the aligners
It’s true that invisible braces may not work in the most complex cases, but they’re a smart choice for standard tooth alignment in the vast majority of mouths.
The invisalign low-down
Although Invisible teeth aligners are innovative, they aren’t exactly new. They’ve actually been around since 1997 and were popularized by a company called Invisalign, that dominated the industry for a decade or so.
While we have to give Invisalign props for being the first in the field, times have changed. Invisalign remains prohibitively expensive, requiring patients to go through a dentist for treatment and costing anywhere from $1,800 to $9,500.
Many of the patents that covered Invisalign’s design and manufacturing expired in 2017 and 2019. This has enabled the technology to proliferate, allowing consumers access to more affordable and convenient alternatives for invisible teeth straightening like SmilePath.
SmilePath Review: What kind of aligners do they offer?
SmilePath is one of the leading providers of invisible teeth aligners in Australia, having helped thousands achieve a straight, beautiful smile in 4 to 6 months from the comfort of your home – all for a fraction of the cost of Invisalign!).
Their team of orthodontic experts creates clear aligners with special BPA-free plastic for safety, helping customers achieve really impressive results. They offer several options for teeth straightening that we’ll outline below.
Source: SmilePath
1. Clear aligners
Basically clear braces, SmilePath’s clear aligners are made for anyone over 12 years old. SmilePath will send you an impressions kit and from there, their dental experts will create a customized treatment plan of clear aligners for you to wear over the next few weeks.
2. NightOnly aligners
If you’re not into the idea of wearing SmilePath aligners all day long, you’re in luck. SmilePath offers NightOnly clear aligners to straighten your teeth while you sleep.
This option involves a minimum of 8 to 10 hours of continuous wear per night. For reference, SmilePath’s Daytime aligners must be worn for 20 to 22 hours per day. NightOnly aligners work just like Daytime aligners, but require a longer treatment period (6 to 8 months).
Source: SmilePath
SmilePath Alternatives: How does it compare to other Australian teeth aligner options?
While SmilePath offers a reliable service, it isn’t the only convenient invisible aligner platform in Australia. It is, however, the most affordable by a long shot, as you’ll see below. Here’s how it stacks up against other top teeth aligner alternatives in Australia, such as Byte, WonderSmile, Smile Direct Club, and EZ Smile:
SmilePath vs Byte vs Wondersmile vs Smile Direct Club vs EZSmile |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Daytime Aligner Pricing | $1,499 upfront
or
$1,512- $1,743 with payment plan | $2,749 upfront or $2,993- $3,940 with payment plan | $2,900 upfront payment plans available | $2,825 upfront or $3,155 with payment plan | $2,149 upfront payment plans available or $2475 for EZ Instalments |
Nighttime Aligner Pricing | $1,599 upfront or $1,602- $1,995with payment plan | $3,399 upfront or $3,643- $4,690 with payment plan | $2,970 upfront payment plans available | ❌ | |
Accepts Insurance? | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Average Treatment Duration | 4-6 months for daytime 6-8 months for nighttime | 4 months
for daytime 5 months for nighttime | 4-6 months for daytime 9-10 months for nighttime | 4-6 months for daytime 10 months for nighttime | 4-8 months |
What else do they offer? | Teeth whitening kit a set of retainers | One bottle of premium whitening treatmentfirst set of retainers HyperByte™ device | ❌ | bright on™ premium teeth whitening and (for payment plan) 2 sets of retainers | Whitening kit |
| Website |
What are customers saying in reviews of SmilePath?
To paint a clearer picture of the SmilePath experience, let’s take a look at what real users are saying. Most customers agree that SmilePath offered a ton of value for their investment as the lowest clear alignment treatment online BY FAR:
Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook
Source: TrustPilot
Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook
Source: TrustPilot
SmilePath has a lot of happy customers, but it isn’t without some detractors. Some of the common complaints we noticed were from patients who felt they had to wait longer than expected for their aligners to arrive. There were others with more severe cases that probably should have received care in-person from an orthodontist, rather than a remote online service. Thus, if your needs are somewhat complicated, we don’t recommend SmilePath, but for more standard cases, it’s the most economical option that’s worked for many others.
If you’re looking for an affordable, easy, and self-guided process to fix alignment, then SmilePath comes highly recommended, not only by us, but among happy customers all over Australia.
SmilePath FAQs – what else to know before trying
How much does SmilePath cost?
To suit different budgets, SmilePath offers a selection of payment plans for both Daytime and NightOnly clear aligners – ALL of which are cheaper than braces.
| Aligner style | Payment Plan | Frequency | Cost | Total final cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime | SmileAdvantage | One-time payment | $1,499 | $1,499 |
| SmileFlex | 18 monthly installments | $84 | $1,512 | |
| SmileFlex Easy | 6 monthly installments | $200 Plus $499 down payment | $1,699 | |
| SmileFlex Pro | 52 installments, per fortnight | $24.07 Plus: 20% deposit Establishment fee ($52) $8 monthly fee | $1,743 | |
| NightOnly | NightAdvantage | One-time payment | $1,599 | $1,599 |
| NightFlex | 18 monthly installments | $89 | $1,602 | |
| NightFlex Pro | 52 installments, per fortnight | $25.60 Plus: 20% deposit Establishment fee ($52) $8 monthly fee | $1,843 | |
| NightFlex Easy | 6 monthly installments | $240 Plus: $555 down payment | $1,995 |
Does SmilePath accept insurance?
Unfortunately, SmilePath doesn’t currently accept insurance. So, though the brand offers affordable treatment plans, all patients will need to pay out of pocket.
Where is SmilePath available?
SmilePath is an Australian company that offers free shipping to every corner of the country. The company also ships aligners internationally for an extra cost – you can check their site for international shipping fees.
How to get started with SmilePath
There are 3 key steps in straightening your teeth with SmilePath:
Source: SmilePath
1.Take your impressions
To start with SmilePath, you’ll need to order an impression kit. This kit contains everything you need to take dental impressions at home and send them back to the SmilePath team, including:
-
- A cheek retractor
- Impression trays
- Impression material
- Practice putty
- A pair of gloves
- An impression guide
- A prepaid shipping label
Clear aligners aren’t for everyone. But, you can order your impression kit through SmilePath, risk-free. If the company’s dental team decides that you’re not a candidate for clear aligner treatment, you’ll receive a full refund for the $75 impression kit.
2. Receive your customized treatment plan.
SmilePath has a team of dental experts who will examine your impressions and formulate a customized 3D treatment plan, called a Smile Projection. It generally takes the SmilePath 12 to 14 business days to develop a Smile Projection after receiving your impressions.
3. Start aligning at home
Lastly, after approving your Smile Projection, you’ll receive your clear aligner trays in the mail and get started on a straighter smile. You should wear each set of clear aligners for 10 days before moving on to the next set.
The Bottom Line: Should you trust SmilePath for teeth straightening?
After thoroughly researching the market, we’ve concluded that SmilePath is the most affordable teeth aligner provider (by far) in Australia. That being said, with its low cost as a major benefit, you may wonder if SmilePath offers high enough quality clear aligners to effectively straighten your teeth quickly. Overall they have many happy customers to suggest that they do, with one or two caveats.
SmilePath is ideal for anyone with relatively minor teeth alignment issues that wants to perfect their smile on the cheap. If you have bite issues (underbite, crossbite, extreme crowding or spacing) or need more advanced oral alterations, we would recommend finding a higher-touch alternative. That’s not to say that SmilePath can’t work for complex cases, we just acknowledge that increased complexity means higher risk, and at some point, I personally would only entrust an in-person orthodontist.
But before you run off to book an appointment with a more expensive in-person orthodontist, let’s acknowledge the full value SmilePath offers beyond just cost savings. The company enables you to straighten your teeth ENTIRELY from the comfort of your home, saving you trips to the dentist, high co-pays, and time spent in waiting rooms. That’s a lot of headache avoided, in addition to dollars pocketed.
SmilePath is also a great choice assuming you’re not under a time crunch to straighten your teeth. One common report was that after receiving the molds, it took longer than anticipated for the actual aligners to arrive. Some (not all) reported the entire treatment lasting roughly a year start to finish. But, with a Smile Crew Member assigned to every patient, you have a team to help address concerns as they come up, and users widely praise the company’s customer service and prompt response times through this channel.
So, if you’re looking to straighten your teeth from the comfort of your home for the lowest possible price, we highly recommend SmilePath and their flexible payment plans and generous add-ons.
