There are lots of reasons to smile about orthodontics and many happy customers have transformed their lives and gained self confidence through the use of aligners. This review aims to provide an in-depth overview and details about PlusDent aligners, their pricing and alternatives.
PlusDent was founded in 2017 and is a Berlin-based health-tech company. Its clear aligners are used to aesthetically correct orthodontic alignment issues. The company specialises in digital dentistry whereby patients are treated remotely using a digital dentistry app. Through its digitisation of the aligner treatment process, PlusDent is able to give customers easier and more affordable access to orthodontic services.
Eva-Maria Meijnen, PlusDent’s Managing Director, says that modern technologies and digitalization in dentistry “offers us completely new opportunities to combine the highest medical standards with transparent and affordable pricing “.
PlusDent has many partner doctors working in Germany, Austria, Spain, Switzerland and Great Britain and has a dental laboratory in Berlin. It also has a growing number of office locations in the UK where people can have their initial consultation and 3D scans.
There are an increasing number of companies offering aligner treatment to straighten teeth and the aim of our review is to provide a comprehensive overview of PlusDent and to compare it with some of the key alternatives. Our review compares PlusDent and other companies in terms of their pricing, treatment time, whether or not they provide all-day and all-night treatment, whether and how they use remote monitoring services, and in terms of the size and quality of their dental care networks and office locations.
Getting started with PlusDent is quite straightforward – you need to first go to one of their offices for a visit and 3D dental scan. If you’re found to be eligible for their treatment, you’ll be told what treatment plan you will need (short, normal or complex) and that then dictates the price you’ll pay and the length of the treatment.
Depending on your plan, treatment with PlusDent’s clear aligners will last between 4 and 6 months and the cost can vary from £1390 to £1990 as a once-off payment. PlusDent offers flexible monthly payment options over 12, 24, 36 or 48 months which makes its treatment quite affordable, starting from as little as £34.63 a month up to £173.10 a month.
PlusDent Pricing & Payment Packages
The price of PlusDent aligners depends on how complex your dental care treatment will need to be. The initial meeting with a PlusDent dentist is free of charge and you will receive advice, answers to your questions, a diagnosis, as well as having your 3D scan and photos of your teeth taken which are used to create a 3D simulation of your individual treatment plan.
PlusDent offers 3 different fixed price packages for their aligners and your dentist will recommend one of these packages for you based on your exact dental care needs. These aligner packages are either short, normal or complex and range in price accordingly. Each package has either a once-off fee or the option of paying in monthly instalments over 12, 24, 36 or 48 months to help make treatment affordable.
Details about the short tooth correction package
This package is aimed at patients who have slight tooth misalignments. If you’re a candidate for this option, you will receive continuous dental monitoring and access to the free PlusDent app. Payment for clear aligners is either once-off at £1390 or in instalments over 12, 24, 36 or 48 months which then costs £120.91, £63.30, £44.16, and £34.63 per month respectively.
Details about the normal tooth correction package
This package is aimed at customers who require normal tooth misalignment correction and if you’re a candidate for this option, your treatment includes continuous dental care monitoring and access to the free PlusDent app. Payment for clear aligners is either once-off at £1690 or in instalments over 12, 24, 36 or 48 months which then costs £147, £76.96, £53.69, and £42.10 per month respectively.
Details about the complex tooth correction package
This package is aimed at people who need more complicated alignment correction and includes continuous dental monitoring and access to the free PlusDent app. Payment for clear aligners is either a once-off cost of £1990 or is payable in monthly instalments over 12, 24, 36 or 48 months which cost £173.10, £90.63, £63.22, and £49.58 respectively.
PlusDent Alternatives: Quick Summary
Here we discuss four alternatives to PlusDent to highlight similarities and differences, and to provide you with information and data that makes it easier for you to compare all your options. Our reviews of these options also aim to give potential customers insights into UK aligner companies and the benefits and disadvantages that each one offers. Our ultimate goal and mission is to enable prospective patients to make informed decisions about aligner treatment.
Most affordable aligner care option (once-off payment)
Straight My Teeth’s SmileAdvantage once-off payment of £999 is the most affordable option. However, if your dental issue is confined to just one arch, then you may be eligible for a large discount with WonderSmile – which could then be cheaper or around the same price.
Most affordable aligner care option (monthly payment)
PlusDent’s short tooth correction package is the most affordable option if you plan to pay monthly at £34.63 per month. This package is only suitable for the mildest alignment issues, so if your case is more complex, then your treatment may be more expensive.
Fastest results and treatment time
Invisalign’s express treatment plan offers the fastest treatment which ranges from between 3 to 6 months, followed by PlusDent which averages around 4 to 10 months. All treatment times depend on the complexity of the dental case. All companies reviewed here offer quite similar treatment times with Straight Teeth Direct averaging 5 to 9 months, and Straight My Teeth and WonderSmile both averaging 6 to 9 months. Invisalign’s treatment usually averages 12 to 18 months, but its express option is much shorter.
Most impressive track record and reputation
Invisalign is distinguished both by its reputation for quality and by its experience with clear aligners – as well as by the fact that it can treat more complex cases than any of the alternatives listed here.
Most affordable retainer prices
WonderSmile’s retainers are the most affordable at £60, followed by Straight Teeth Direct which sells a maintainer plan for £139 a year for a pair of retainers every 6 months. It’s worth mentioning that many aligner companies sell retainers that need replacing every 6 months, but Invisalign’s brand of Vivera retainers are made to be more durable and last about a year which translates into savings.
A Detailed Review of PlusDent Alternatives
PlusDent vs Straight My Teeth
Straight My Teeth started operating in the UK and Ireland in 2018 and has partnered with a company that produces their aligners which are FDA and MHRA approved.
Details & Reviews of Pricing
Both businesses offer fixed pricing options as well as flexible payment plans. That means you can either pay a once-off amount or in monthly instalments. However, PlusDent offers more flexibility in terms of payment as it has three different treatment plans (short, normal and complex) and each one has a corresponding monthly instalment fee with your choice of whether to pay over 12, 24, 36 or 48 months which makes it very affordable.
Straight My Teeth on the other hand, only has a once-off SmileAdvantage payment of £999 or a SmileFlex Easy monthly payment plan over 12 months which requires an initial down payment of £295 and then its £67.00 per month. If you opt for their NightOnly option, then you’ll pay a little more: £1149 as a once-off amount or £75 a month for 12 months with a £349 down payment if you opt for their NightFlex Easy monthly payment plan.
In terms of overall cost, Straight My Teeth is cheaper (and they also have regular discounts) if you will be paying upfront for the whole treatment, but if you will be paying in instalments, then PlusDent might be cheaper depending on your plan. An advantage with PlusDent’s instalment payments is that you don’t have any downpayment. Straight My Teeth gives discounts to active and retired military personnel, but there are no standard discounts with PlusDent.
After treatment, retainers are usually recommended and these need to be replaced every 6 to 12 months. Retainers cost £99 with both companies, although Straight My Teeth includes your first pair free which is an advantage.
Review of Treatment Time
PlusDent’s treatment time is usually between 4 and 10 months, whereas Straight My Teeth averages about 6 to 9 months for their treatment time. As with most aligner companies, treatment duration will depend on the type of dental issues you have.
Straight My Teeth offers a NightOnly treatment plan which slows the treatment process, but offers the flexibility of being able to wear aligners all day or all night – depending on your preference.
Details about Remote monitoring
PlusDent offers remote treatment with their aligner system which is digitally monitored by their orthodontists and dentists in accordance with your individual treatment plan. You can take regular photos (every 8 weeks) to update your dentist on your progress and submit them via the PlusDent app. This allows professionals to measure and monitor your results and give feedback via email, as well as to adjust your treatment where necessary. You also have the choice of connecting with the dental care team via telephone if you have any questions.
With Straight My Teeth you will be assigned a Smile Crew Member who will be the person you can contact with any concerns or questions – and they will act as a liaison between you and your dentist. They don’t currently have an app and liaising with your dentist for check-ins is not as convenient as with PlusDent’s app and call center.
Details about Dentists Network and Office Locations
PlusDent has a network of dentists and orthodontists operating from several countries in Europe and have 19 office locations in the United Kingdom where you can go to have your free 3D scan. There is no home impression kit option, which may be limiting for people who don’t live close to one of their dental practices.
By contrast, Straight My Teeth have only one Smile Studio office in Ashford (just outside London) where you can go to get a free scan – or you can purchase their impression kit for £49. If you are found to be an unsuitable candidate for aligners after completing your dental impressions, then you will get a full refund.
PlusDent vs Invisalign
Invisalign has an impressive reputation, having treated 9 million people worldwide with their invisible aligners. They have a large network of doctors, spanning over 100,000 globally. What makes them quite unique is their ability to treat complex cases. Furthermore, the company has invested significant resources into research and development and aim to maximise the safety, comfort and durability of their aligners.
Details & Reviews of Pricing
Invisalign is a well established international brand of aligners that can treat a much broader range of cases than most clear aligner companies. That is why many of its treatments are more comparable with braces in terms of treatment times and pricing, as complex cases generally take longer to treat. For that reason, their aligners are also generally much more expensive than PlusDent’s, although for mild alignment issues they do have an express option which may be quite similar to PlusDent in terms of pricing.
However, Invisalign does not provide fixed pricing like PlusDent and you will need to have a consultation with a dentist or orthodontist to establish what the costs will be as they are dependent on your particular set of dental care issues.
You can expect to pay between £1,500 up to £5,000 for Invisalign treatment, compared with £1390 to £1990 for PlusDent if paying upfront.
Review of Treatment Time
Because Invisalign can be used to correct a much more complex variety of dental issues like cross bites, overbites, underbites, and open bites, their treatment times also tend to be longer with an average of 12 to 18 months.
Compared with PlusDent, which averages 4 to 10 months, Invisalign treatment is much longer. But if you are eligible for PlusDent (and therefore have a mild to moderate case of misalignment), then you may also be eligible for Invisalign’s express treatment which is a shorter treatment for milder cases and that could mean you’d then have similar treatment times with both companies. Invisalign’s express treatment takes between 3 and 6 months, making it the shortest treatment time compared with all other alternatives reviewed in this article.
Details about Remote monitoring
Invisalign does not offer remote monitoring or teledentistry and prides itself on being able to offer excellent face-to-face service by its qualified network of dentists and orthodontists. By comparison, PlusDent is set up for tele-dentistry, with remote monitoring which means you don’t need to go into an office for regular check-ups at all.
Details About the Dental Network and Office Locations
Invisalign has an impressive number of doctors and orthodontists in its network as well as many office locations to choose from around the world. Their network comprises over 100,000 doctors around the world. In this regard, it outperforms PlusDent, which has a smaller but growing number of office locations. However, a critical difference between these two companies is that PlusDent offers remote monitoring, which is why they don’t need too many office locations.
PlusDent vs Straight Teeth Direct
Straight Teeth Direct has been operating since 2009, but transitioned to tele-orthodontics more recently and has since also expanded across Europe. Their aligners are made in the UK and the company boasts clients from around the world in over 50 countries and on 5 continents.
Details & Reviews of Pricing
Straight Teeth Direct offers the option of buying their StraightBox home teeth straightening kit for a once-off amount of £1350 or you can pay in 3 instalments of £500 each, or monthly over 8 months for an initial deposit of 399 and then with a monthly fee of £150.
With Straight Teeth Direct you’ll also have to pay for a SmileBox, which you use to make impressions and which costs £89 – or alternatively they have just one location in central London where you can get a 3D scan done at the same price. They do offer a free e-consultation whereby you upload photographs and answer a few questions about your dental health so that a dentist can give you feedback within 24 hours about your suitability for treatment.
As with most aligner treatment, the cost of retainers should be considered when you compare pricing. Straight Teeth Direct has a maintainer plan which costs £139 a year and includes 2 sets of retainers – one set is sent to you every 6 months. A benefit to this maintainer plan is that if you experience alignment issues at any stage, they will send you up to 3 sets of aligners to re-correct misalignments.
Review of Treatment Time
Compared with PlusDent’s treatment time, which averages between 4 and 10 months, Straight Teeth Direct’s treatment time is around 5 to 9 months – which makes both companies very similar in terms of how long it takes to complete treatment.
Details about Remote Monitoring
With Straight Teeth Direct, when you start treatment with your aligners you will be assigned to an orthodontist who will manage your whole smile journey remotely using their app which you can access via your computer or smartphone. Your orthodontist will check with you that your aligners fit correctly and the clinical team will monitor your progress using the app. Your dentist will do monthly check-ups, comparing your progress results with the 3D model they created as part of the treatment plan to check that it’s all going according to the plan and they will make adjustments where necessary.
Straight Teeth Direct employs dentists and orthodontists to guide, manage and monitor every patient’s treatment journey and results, all of whom are based in Europe and are selected for their track records. They make use of digital technology innovations in dentistry to perfect treatment results and through their technology platform you can connect with dental care professionals. PlusDent’s doctors manage their patient’s smile journeys and results through an app. The PlusDent medical team will review and monitor your progress and can make adjustments where needed (provided you use the app correctly and regularly).
Details about the Dental Care Network and Office Locations
Straight Teeth Direct only has one office location in central London where you can go to have a professional 3D scan of your teeth taken, which is a drawback in comparison with other aligner companies who have more locations to choose from. However, their home kit for making dental impressions is a convenient way of starting your aligner treatment.
PlusDent on the other hand have more office locations around the United Kingdom, but they don’t sell home impression kits – so if you don’t live close to one of their locations, and you value convenience, then that could be a drawback.
PlusDent vs WonderSmile
Wonder Smile started in Australia and launched in the UK in 2019, where it has established a growing number of clinics. A unique aspect of WonderSmile is that it sells aligners for just one arch (top or bottom) if your crowding or spacing issue is just in one area – this significantly reduces the price you’ll pay. They also offer a nighttime only option, which PlusDent does not.
Details & Reviews of Pricing
Wonder Smile offers single payment and monthly instalment options – and they offer different pricing for their All-Day and NightClear aligners. For the All-Day aligners, the Wonder Smile SinglePay amount is £1450 and their interest-free WonderPay instalment option involves a £145 deposit and monthly payments over 12 months of £108. The AllClear Night aligner treatment is only fractionally more expensive at £1490 if you pay once-off, or £112 a month for 12 months with a £149 initial deposit.
PlusDent offers more flexibility in their payment plans, partly because they can be paid off over 12, 24, 36 or 48 months – and their cheapest option is just £34.63 a month. PlusDent’s short package is also slightly cheaper than WonderSmile’s as a once-off payment, but again the exact payment amount will depend on whether you’re a candidate for the short package or not. If your dental care issues are quite complex, then WonderSmile will be more cost effective.
In terms of financing options, WonderSmile doesn’t require a credit check, which is an advantage if you’re concerned about your credit score.
It’s worth mentioning that Wonder Smile charges £40 for their initial in-office scan and consultation at a WonderSmile clinic, but once you pay for your aligners then that amount gets deducted. And if you are not eligible for Wonder Smile treatment (for example if you have gum disease, wisdom teeth coming out or a complex alignment case), then you will be refunded for the cost of that scan and consultation. So even though PlusDent doesn’t charge for the initial scan and visit, both companies absorb the cost of the scan in the end.
There’s also the option with Wonder Smile to do a home impression kit, which costs £25 – and that cost will be deducted from the cost of your aligners if you go ahead with treatment. Conversely, PlusDent doesn’t offer home impression kits as an option.
Also consider the cost of aligners post-treatment which will need replacing every 6 to 12 months – PlusDent’s are £99 and WonderSmile’s are £60.
Review of Treatment Time
WonderSmile treatment averages 6 to 9 months and PlusDent’s treatment time is around 4 to 10 months. On average you’ll complete treatment faster with PlusDent, but treatment time relates to the complexity of your dental issues and also whether you choose to wear aligners all day or just at night.
Details about the Dentists Network and Office Locations
There are 5 WonderSmile locations around London and a further 3 in Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester where you can go for your initial scan and consultation – PlusDent, by comparison, offers a larger variety of offices around the UK. Although they have fewer office locations, WonderSmile does offer home impression kits so you don’t have to go to a WonderSmile clinic to get started with treatment – whereas PlusDent requires you to go to one of their office locations for a scan to get started and don’t do home impression kits.