Are you considering straightening your teeth with invisible braces? If so, you may be trying to decide between two popular brands: Byte and Invisalign. The thing is, you should know that these two brands are actually very different, with huge contrasts in things like treatment time and cost.
To help you decide which is best for you, we take a deep dive into the differences between these two brands to make an informed decision for your oral health.
byte vs Invisalign: The Key Differences
Both Byte and Invisalign are a type of invisible braces, used to straighten teeth for teens and adults. But that’s pretty much where the similarities end. Byte and Invisalign are much more different than they are alike. When it comes to price, treatment time, treatment requirements, orthodontist vs dentists, and more, Byte and Invisalign are like night and day. Let’s take a closer look at some of these differences to help you decide which is the best invisible braces treatment option.
At-Home vs In-Office
The first significant difference between Byte and Invisalign (besides the fact the byte offers nighttime aligners), indeed perhaps the most critical, is that Byte is a type of at-home aligner or teledentistry braces, (an industry which is expected to reach a market value of $550 billion by 2027), whereas Invisalign follows traditional in-office treatment methods.
To better understand what that means, we’ll review the primary differences between at-home and in-office braces.
In-office braces follow the standard treatment. This usually involves:
Referral from dentists:
Especially in children, if your dentist thinks you might need braces, they can refer you to an orthodontist for a consultation. You don’t have to have a referral from a dentist; you can also just schedule an appointment directly with an orthodontist if you think your teeth should be straightened.
Initial consultation:
At this time, your orthodontist will have a look at your teeth, paying close attention to things like jaw alignment, diastema, and crowding. If they determine that you are a good candidate for braces, they’ll schedule an appointment for you to get impressions taken of your teeth.
Impressions:
Your orthodontist will use a sort of putty to make molds of your teeth. These molds will then be used to plan your treatment. Your orthodontist might take 3D scans instead of molds, depending on their preference and the clinic’s modernity.
Begin treatment:
Once your orthodontist has planned your treatment, you’ll go in to get your braces on. During about an hour-long appointment, your orthodontist will glue brackets to your teeth and connect them with a wire that will gradually help move your teeth into position.
Regular appointments:
Once every two weeks or once every month, you’ll need to visit your orthodontist to make adjustments and verify that everything is going according to plan.
Braces off:
When your treatment is done, your orthodontist will remove the brackets and give you a retainer to wear. At first, you’ll need to wear it all day and all night, taking it out only to eat and brush your teeth. After a while, you’ll be able just to wear your retainer at night, although you’ll need to wear it every night for the rest of your life. Your orthodontist may also attach permanent metal retainers to the backs of your teeth to help keep them aligned as well.
It’s also important to keep in mind that some patients need to get teeth extracted or cavities taken care of before treatment can start.
Although Invisalign is a type of in-office braces, treatment does vary from the traditional method a bit. That’s because instead of getting brackets glued to your teeth, you’ll get a set of removable aligners. And when you go in for checkups, your orthodontist will give you the next bracket in your treatment series, if they deem that your teeth are ready for the next step.
At-home braces are extremely different in terms of treatment. Most at-home braces involve entirely remote treatment, while others might give you the option of getting 3D scans taken of your teeth at a physical location. With all at-home braces brands, there are no in-person appointments with your dentist or orthodontist; instead, all monitoring and check-ins are done virtually. The basic treatment process for at-home braces is as follows:
- Online assessment: You visit the website of the brand you want to do treatment with and take an online test to determine tentative eligibility.
- Make your molds: The aligner company will send an impression kit to your home. You follow the instructions to take impressions of your teeth and then send it back in to the company.
- Receive your aligners: The company will create a treatment plan based on the impressions of your teeth, and potentially some photographs as well. This treatment plan includes a series of aligners that will gradually guide your teeth into place. You’ll receive them all at once in the mail, and as soon as you do, you can get started.
- Retainers: Once you’ve finished your aligner treatment, you’ll need to order your retainer from the same company you got your teeth aligners from. This retainer, or its replacements, should be worn every night for the rest of your life.
So to sum it up, with Byte, you complete treatment entirely remotely, there are no in-person visits with an orthodontist or dentist. With Invisalign, you’ll have regular in-person check-ins with your dentist to ensure everything is going smoothly.
byte vs Invisalign Price
Another notable difference between Byte and Invisalign is the price, as Invisalign cost is not cheap. In fact, it can cost, and often does, even more than traditional metal braces; although, you can pay less, getting benefit from Invisalign discounts. So how much does Invisalign cost? There is no fixed price, and the cost will depend on the length of treatment you need and the severity of your malocclusion, but in general, it can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000. Regular braces cost between $3,000 and $7,000 as well, although Invisalign tends to cost just a bit more on average.
This is where Byte really shines. For their standard All-day treatment option, Byte cost is only $1,895 for a single payment. However, you also have the opportunity to pay $83 per month for 29 months with a $349 deposit. Byte also offers an At-Night option, which costs $2,245. The impression kit for Byte costs $95, although you may be able to find a Byte coupon on the website that can knock the cost down a bit.
Treatment Qualification
Invisalign and Byte have different eligibility requirements for treatment with either brand. Invisalign can treat malocclusion cases that range from mild to severe, although the most complex cases will most likely need to be treated with traditional braces.
One of the reasons that Invisalign can be used to treat more severe cases is because a dentist or orthodontist is closely supervising your treatment with in-person checkups. They are able to address problems as they come up and order more aligners for you if needed. They can also help you with any extractions you might need before beginning treatment with Invisalign.
Another reason is that Invisalign treatment can be supplemented with the use of attachments or buttons. These little aligner helpers are placed on your teeth using dental composite. The attachments help the aligners get a better grip on your teeth to aid in movement, and the buttons can serve as anchors for elastics if needed. We talk more about buttons and attachments a little further down.
There are some particularly complex cases that Invisalign can’t treat. For example in some cases, Invisalign may not be right for you if you have very short or round teeth. That’s because the aligners may not be able to get a good grip on your teeth to move them into position. Invisalign also can’t rotate teeth past 20 degrees, and it can only close gaps in teeth of up to 6 mm. In these cases, traditional braces will most likely be necessary.
Byte is meant to treat mild to moderate malocclusion cases, so this really won’t even be an option for you if you have some severe alignment problems that need to be addressed. That’s because with Byte, although your orthodontist is monitoring your treatment, since they are monitoring it virtually, more complex issues cannot be properly addressed.
byte Aligners vs Invisalign
Yet another difference between Byte and Invisalign is the actual aligners themselves. Invisalign aligners are made from SmartTrack material, which is said to provide a better fit and be more comfortable and easiest to insert than previous Invisalign aligners made from a single-layer material. SmartTrack is also said to have the following qualities (according to the Invisalign website):
- Gentle, applying constant force
- Control to make sure that your teeth align according to plan
- Comfort to fit perfectly around your teeth
- Speed, faster than regular braces
- Predictability, for the planned results.
Your treatment with Invisalign aligners may also require SmartForce attachments, which are small, tooth-colored bumps which are bonded to your teeth with dental composites. Your dentist will decide where your attachments need to be placed, as each placement is precise and strategic. These attachments are placed before or during your Invisalign treatment. They act as handles and give your aligners something to grip. Your aligners fit smoothly around the attachments so they aren’t really noticeable.
Another type of attachment is a button. These are small alignment helpers that are used to anchor elastics. They can be tooth-colored or metal, but tooth-colored buttons are normally used in the front, and the metal ones are used in the back. Not everyone who has Invisalign will need attachments or buttons.
Your dentist will talk with you before you begin treatment to let you know if it will involve attachments or buttons. But you should keep in mind that even if you do need them, they are still much more discreet than braces. Plus, getting them fitted is an easy process as well. Your dentist simply creates a template with the marks of precisely where the attachments should be put on your teeth. Your selected teeth are then cleaned so the dental composite can properly bond. Once the composite is placed on the selected teeth, a light is applied to harden the composite. During this process your enamel isn’t harmed in the least.
Byte aligners are made of a highly transparent, BPA-free, and medical-grade polymer film. According to Byte, they are smoother than some other options and 88% more stain-resistant as well. They are cut straight across the gum line for a better grip on your teeth and gentle force for straightening. These aligners do not have attachments or buttons, which is one of the reasons why Byte aligners aren’t indicated for treatment of complex cases of malocclusion.
Treatment Time
Invisalign treatment time is from 12 to 18 months on average, although everyone is different, and your treatment could take longer or shorter. If you are looking to reduce the amount of time it takes to get your teeth fixed, you could go for the Invisalign Express treatment instead of the regular one.
Byte treatment time is, on average, just three months. That’s partly thanks to their HyperByte technology. HyperByte is a device that you gently hold in your mouth 5 minutes per day if you choose standard All-Day vs At Night treatment with which you need 10 minutes per day. It delivers gentle micro pulses that can actually reduce the discomfort of teeth straightening and speed treatment up, as well as provide more accurate results. However, keep in mind that treatment time with Byte is also faster because only mild to moderate cases can be treated. In contrast, Invisalign can be used in complex and severe cases of malocclusion as well.
Customer Reviews
If you take a look at Byte’s website or Invisalign’s website, you’ll find many positive customer reviews. However, they both also have overwhelmingly positive reviews on other review sites as well.
On consumeraffairs.com, Byte has five out of five stars. One Byte review says that the process was enjoyable, and the impression kit was easy to use. The first week she experienced quite a bit of pain, but it was all good after that. She is overall delighted with her results. The only thing she didn’t love, besides the pain, was that she had to wait two to three weeks to receive her aligners in the mail. But that’s just because she was eager to get started.
Another reviewer says that the customer service was top-notch and that the HyperByte technology absolutely works to diminish discomfort. This reviewer chose the At-Night aligners and said they are very convenient for their work schedule.
On the same consumeraffairs.com site, Invisalign has 4.1 stars, which still isn’t bad. One Invisalign review says that she was very skeptical to begin treatment with Invisalign, mostly because of the marketing campaign, which seemed too fabricated. But she changed her mind when a friend of hers got Invisalign and treatment was successful. Now she says that she is a complete Invisalign believer.
The more negative reviews of Invisalign are a bit more negative. One reviewer reports neck and jaw issues after treatment, while another states that she’s experienced damage to her gums and will even need bone grafts.
Invisalign vs byte: Comparison Table
As you know, there are many differences between Invisalign and Byte, so many, in fact, may be challenging to keep track of them all. For that reason, we’ve compiled the information into a handy table summary:
Is byte A Better Alternative To Invisalign?
Byte may be one of the best Invisalign alternatives for you, but it depends on each individual.
byte is better for…
You may find that Byte is best for you if:
- You want to pay less for treatment
- You want a shorter treatment time
- You want to work exclusively with orthodontists
- You have mild to moderate malocclusion
- You don’t mind remote monitoring
Invisalign is better for…
On the other hand, you might want to choose Invisalign if:
- You don’t mind paying more for in-person care.
- You don’t mind longer treatment time.
- You don’t care if an orthodontist or a dentist monitors your treatment.
- You have mild to severe malocclusion.
Other Alternatives
You may want to check out byte alternatives if you’re interested in Byte, but you want the option to talk to someone in-person about treatment, and you aren’t comfortable taking your impressions at home. That’s the main difference when it comes to Byte vs Smile Direct Club; however, Byte’s treatment time is shorter than Smile Direct Club.
Another alternative is Candid. Candid is similar to Byte in that it’s an at-home option. The more significant difference is between Candid vs Invisalign since Invisalign costs more and is an in-office type of treatment. For a more in-depth research check our review of the the 6 best online clear aligner services to make a wiser decision.
If you’re looking for a way to straighten your teeth without the unpleasant aesthetics of traditional metal braces, you might be considering Byte or Invisalign. Byte is a type of remote clear aligner that involves virtual monitoring from an orthodontist. Invisalign, on the other hand, requires regular in-office visits with your dentist to make sure that everything is going to plan. Byte is quite a bit cheaper than Invisalign, and treatment time averages just between 2 and 4 months, whereas Invisalign takes typically between 12 and 18 months.
You can only have Byte if your malocclusion isn’t too severe; otherwise, Invisalign may be the best option for you.
