Are you wondering if nighttime clear aligners might be the right teeth straightening treatment for you?
Not very long ago, the only way to achieve a straighter and more appealing smile was to go to your dentist and ask for braces. Fortunately, thanks to incredible medical advances and leaps in innovation, there are many more different options available today.
Because they offer so many benefits, clear aligners have become increasingly popular over the past few years, particularly with the advent of mail-order clear aligner companies like Smile Direct Club, AlignerCo and many others. But did you know that there is an even more discreet and unobtrusive way to straighten your teeth?
Introducing nighttime clear aligners, clear aligners that have been developed specifically to be able to shift crooked, crowded or otherwise misaligned teeth into a perfectly straight formation with as little as 10 hours of continuous wear per day.
In this article, we are going to discuss the best nighttime clear aligners on the market, as well as the pros, cons and price tag that a nighttime clear aligner teeth straightening treatment entails.
Without further ado, let us dig into the meat of this article.
Top 3 nighttime clear aligner providers
When you start searching the internet for the best nighttime aligners, you will soon notice that most providers of clear aligners only offer the type that have to be worn 22 hours per day – in other words, not nighttime aligners.
To help you narrow down your search for an effective and reputable nighttime aligner treatment plan, we have rounded up three of the best options, namely Byte, SmileDirectClub and AlignerCo. Let us discuss each of them in a little more detail.
Byte at Night
Byte is a US-based tele dentistry company offering both daytime and nighttime aligners.
The Byte at Night teeth straightening treatment plan is a surprisingly affordable premium teeth straightening system which relies on clear aligners that have be worn for 10 hours out of every 24.
Quality
The primary reason why regular daytime aligners and nighttime aligners are not interchangeable is that nighttime aligner tend to be made of a tougher material, as they need to be able to withstand more pressure and grinding.
While all of Byte’s clear aligners are of high quality, the Byte at Night aligners are particularly impressive as they are made from a slightly thicker material than their daytime counterparts. The polymer material used or Byte at Night clear aligners is medical-grade, BPA-free, super sturdy and grind resistant.
When Byte at Night aligners are paired with the brand’s optional extra, the HyperByte device, the high-frequency vibrations emitted by the device can significantly speed up your teeth straightening time.
Price
The cost of Byte at Night aligners can vary depending on whether you pay for your treatment in full upfront for the flat rate of $2,295, or choose to tailor a plan to suit your specific teeth straightening needs.
Byte at Night can be purchased for $99 per month for the duration of your treatment. If your teeth only require a small amount of straightening, paying on a monthly basis is the best way to go, as the final cost of your treatment is likely to be considerably less than the $2,295 flat rate.
Where to get Byte at Night aligners
Byte at Night clear aligners can be purchased direct from Byte.
SmileDirectClub
SmileDirectClub is another popular invisible aligner provider specialising in tailor-made clear aligner treatment plans.
Unlike Byte, SmileDirectClub offer both in-person and at-home teeth straightening treatment options, meaning it us up to you whether you would rather order an impression kit and make your own dental moulds at home, or whether you prefer coming into a SmileShop where a licensed dentist or orthodontist will make the impressions for you. Provided that you have the option, taking the time to visit one of SmileDirectClub’s physical locations to get your teeth imprint taken by a dental professional is a great idea.
Quality
All in all, SmileDirectClub offer a premium service and product where everything appears to have been put in place to benefit the patient, from the convenient and professional SmileShops to the BPA-free, medical grade material of the high-quality invisible aligners.
Price
Much like Byte, SmileDirectClub offer two easy and convenient payment options. Patients can choose between the one-off single pay option, which is $1950, or the SmilePay option which consist of a $250 deposit followed by up to $89/month for 24 months (Adding up to a $2386 total for your treatment).
Where to get SmileDirectClub nighttime aligners
SmileDirectClub nighttime clear aligners can be purchased direct from SmileDirectClub.
AlignerCo
AlignerCo is fast becoming one of the most popular clear aligner companies out there, thanks to the brand’s ability to combine a high-quality product with a reasonable const.
Quality
AlignerCo’s teeth straightening products are made of medical grade BPA-free plastic and each aligner is custom made to order.
AlignerCo does not offer in-person visits with a dentist or orthodontist, as all of your aligners will be monitored and made remotely. Still, provided that you have taken a good and accurate mould of your teeth, you will be able to get fantastic results.
Price
AlignerCo offer three different payment options for patients interested in correcting their smiles using NightOnly clear aligners.
The most affordable payment model is the one-off NightAdvantage payment of $1095.
For those who either cannot or don’t want to pay for the entire treatment in one go, there are the NightFlex plan, consisting of 12 monthly instalments of $99, and the NightFlex Easy plan, consisting of a $345 down payment followed by 11 monthly instalments of $95.
Where to get AlignerCo NightOnly aligners
AlignerCo NightOnly aligners can be purchased direct from AlignerCo.
How nighttime clear aligners work
Nighttime clear aligners work just the same as daytime clear aligners, the one important difference being the material that night-only aligners are made of.
Essentially, nighttime clear aligners are built of a thicker, more sturdy and rigid BPA-free plastic material than daytime aligners to make them resistant to the grinding and gnashing of teeth that their sleeping wearers are likely to subject them to.
Another notable difference between day and night aligners is the expected treatment timeframe. Daytime aligners have to be worn up to 22 hours a day, but the reward is that the duration of treatment can be as little as four months – depending, of course, on the severity of your malocclusion, crowding or spacing issues. Nighttime aligners, on the other hand, only have to be worn 8 or 10 hours a day, but the treatment time is longer and can easily take ten or twelve months.
Nighttime clear aligners FAQ
Can I just wear aligners at night?
Yes, but only if they are nighttime clear aligners and specifically built for nighttime wear.
A standard invisible aligner set is made from a thinner and decidedly less sturdy material than nighttime aligners, which makes regular aligners prone to breaking if you sleep with them in.
How do nighttime clear aligners work?
Nighttime clear aligners work in exactly the same way that regular or daytime clear aligners work, by incrementally shifting your teeth from their misaligned positions into new, straight positions.
The crucial difference between daytime and nighttime aligners is that the nighttime variety are made of a thicker material, which makes them more resistant to pressure and grinding and therefore to be worn at night while you are sleeping.
Most nighttime clear aligners only have to be worn for 10 hours at a time, and the teeth straightening treatment usually takes around 10 months but can take a few months more or less depending on how much correction your teeth require.
Can I just wear Smile Direct at night?
SmileDirectClub is one of the relatively few tele-dentistry companies offering both daytime and nighttime clear aligners, so the answer to the question of whether you can get away with only wearing your Smile Direct Club aligners at night is completely dependent on which type of aligners you have.
If your Smile Direct Club aligners are of the regular kind intended to straighten smiles in as little as 4-6 months, they require 22 hours of wear in every 24 hours. In other words, you should not wear regular Smile Direct Club aligners only at night.
For those who don’t like the idea of wearing aligners, even clear ones, up to 22 hours a day for months on end, Smile Direct Club also offer nighttime aligners that are made from a thicker and more sturdy BPA-free material and can be worn as little as 8 hours a day, which means they can be worn at night while you are sleeping.
Can I take Invisalign out for a night out?
Technically yes, you can take your Invisalign aligners out for a night out on the town, however, doing so is not recommended as your Invisalign aligners are intended to be worn 22 hours per day and no less. By removing your clear aligners for the night, you interrupt and prolong your teeth straightening treatment.
If you are someone who likes to go out a lot and don’t want to be seen wearing aligners, consider nighttime-only aligners instead. Just like regular clear aligners, the night-only variety is able to move your teeth from their original positions and into a new, straight formation and come with the tremendous advantage of only having to be worn 8-10 hours a day.
Can I wear my nighttime aligners all day?
Yes, there is no reason why you should not were your nighttime aligners during the day instead of during the night, as long as you wear them for the recommended amount of time (which is typically 8-10 continuous hours).
However, it may not be entirely comfortable for you to do so. Nighttime aligners are made of a slightly thicker and more sturdy material than clear aligners that are intended for daytime wear.
Do nighttime aligners take longer?
Yes, in most cases the nighttime aligner treatment may take longer than if you choose traditional braces or aligners that have to be worn 22 hours per day.
The reason is straight-forward: The shorter wear-times that characterise night-only aligners mean that they only have ten hours per day to work their magic, whereas tradition braces and other clear aligners have 22-24.
The fact that nighttime aligners take longer to correct misaligned teeth is one of the reasons why night-only aligners are only recommended for mild to moderate dental misalignment issues.
Final thoughts
If you have been wanting to get your teeth straightened for a while but have been hesitating because even clear aligners seem like a chore or something that would get in the way of your day-t0-day life during the months that you would be required to wear them, nighttime clear aligners are the perfect solution for you.
Nighttime clear aligners offer all of the same benefits as all-day clear aligners, but with added discretion and ease as only 10 hours of continuous wear is necessary in a day. Just like traditional braces or standard clear aligners, which have to be worn for 22 hours a day, night only aligners are able to correct mild to moderate crowding and spacing issues, as well as malocclusion, which is simply misalignment of the teeth.
Nighttime clear aligners give you more freedom and flexibility than any other aligner treatment as you have the option of wearing them when it fits you. In other words, you can work your clear aligner therapy around the rest of your life, rather than the other way around. As long as you get your ten hours of wear in a day, it doesn’t matter whether you chose to wear your clear aligners while you sleep, or during the day if you find that more comfortable.
All in all, clear Algiers designed for nighttime wear are the most discreet, comfortable and flexible teeth straightening method in existence. Provided that your dental misalignment issues are minor to moderate, there is no better way to straighten your teeth than with nighttime clear aligners.