Alignerco Review (2024)

Alignerco’s invisible aligners are an affordable, at-home teeth straightening method for patients with mild to moderate orthodontic needs such as crowding, spacing and overbite.

Key Features

• Corrections can take as little as four to six months
• With a series of aligners worn for 10 days each, your teeth will be gently guided into a corrected position
• A mail-in impression kit and online treatment plan makes it possible to straighten your smile 100% remotely

Alignerco is a direct-to-consumer invisible aligner brand. Headquartered in West Hempstead, New York and incorporated in 2019, the company aims to provide a low-cost alternative to traditional braces. Alignerco is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau.

• Cost: Alignerco is one of the more affordable invisible aligner brands to choose from
• Flexibility: Flexible financing plans are available to make the aligners even more accessible
• Re-evaluation: If you’re not satisfied with the results of your treatment, Alignerco offers a free re-evaluation. If approved, you may be eligible to receive additional aligners. Or, you can ask for a refinement to your treatment at a cost of $200.

Alignerco offers two options, All Day Invisible Aligners or NightOnly Clear Aligners. The overall treatment time for its daytime aligners, which are worn 20 to 22 hours per day, is four to six months, while the treatment duration for Alignerco’s nighttime aligners, which are only worn at night for eight to 10 hours, is six to eight months.

Both types of aligners can straighten teeth and fix anatomical misalignments or problems like an overbite, underbite, crossbite, teeth crowding and spacing between teeth, according to the company. They can also close moderate to severe gaps between teeth, but this varies from case to case, the company says.

You may experience some mild discomfort with your first set of aligners, which are designed to put pressure on your teeth. You’ll receive a total of eight aligners with either the daytime or nighttime plan that must be worn for 10 days each.

Below, we outline the steps involved in Alignerco’s treatment plan.

Risk-Free Assessment
To find out if you are a good candidate for Alignerco’s invisible alignment system, you can fill out its free online dental assessment. Questions asked include, “which word would you use to describe your teeth—crowding, spacing, protruding? How severe is the problem–mild, moderate, severe? Do you have dental implants? Have you worn braces or other invisible aligners in the past?”

The Impression Kit
To get started with Alignerco, you’ll use the dental impression kit to make molds of your upper and lower teeth. The kit includes practice putty, impression trays and material, a cheek retractor, gloves, an impression guide and a prepaid shipping label. If you need help, you can schedule a free one-on-one session with one of Alignerco’s dentists by contacting customer service, the company says. Mail the kit back to the company for expert review. It’s worth noting that after receiving your impressions, if Alignerco’s experts do not feel you are a good candidate for aligner treatment, the company will issue a full refund of the cost of the impression kit ($49.99).

Smile Projection Plan
You’ll receive a smile projection plan about two weeks after your impression kit is received, developed under the supervision of dentists. This 3D proposed treatment plan will give you an idea of what your smile will look like post-treatment. You’ll receive before and after photos, and if you like what you see, you can go ahead and approve the plan or make modifications. Once you do, you will receive your first set of aligners in about three weeks.

It’s worth noting that while a customer service representative did confirm that a dentist will oversee a one-on-one session if needed, the degree to which a dentist is actually involved in your treatment plan is a bit unclear. And while your dentist will supervise your case, you won’t be in direct contact with them—instead, a “Smile Crew Member” will act as a liaison between you and your assigned dentist.

Treatment Plan
Your aligners will come with individualized instructions. If you choose the daytime aligners, you’ll need to wear them for 20 to 22 hours for the first six months, and then switch to nighttime wear only for the following six months. If you purchase the nighttime treatment plan, your aligners must be worn for eight to 10 hours each night, for six to eight months.

Customer Support
If you need support, you can use the live chat button 24/7, or send an email to support@alignerco.com. Alignerco’s customer support line, 1-877-840-1561, is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST.

To get started with Alignerco, you can purchase the impression kit by itself, or one of two aligner systems that both include the kit. Here’s what you can expect to pay:

Kit-First Plan: $49.99 The kit includes everything you need to take impressions of your teeth (putty and trays, gloves, a cheek retractor). Once you send the kit in, you’ll receive a preview of what your smile will look like after treatment with one of Alignerco’s two teeth alignment systems—All Day or Night Only. If you’re not a candidate, the price of the kit is fully refundable.

All Day Invisible Aligners: The lowest-priced option available from Alignerco, this system includes the impression kit, smile projection plan, aligners, a teeth whitening kit and one set of retainers. You’ll need to wear these aligners for 20 to 22 hours a day for a minimum of four to six months. There are three payment options to choose from:

• SmileAdvantage: Pay in full at a one-time cost of $875 (currently discounted from $1,145)
• SmileFlex: Affirm offers installments starting at $81 per month for 12 months, and requires a soft credit check.
• SmileFlex Easy: $275 down payment, $175 per month for six months and no credit check required.

NightOnly Clear aligners: The nighttime aligners kit contains an impression kit, smile projection plan, aligners, a teeth whitening kit and one set of retainers. Expect to wear the aligners for eight to 10 hours at a time, with treatment taking at least six to eight months. Payment options include:

• NightAdvantage: Pay all costs up front for $1,075 (currently discounted from $1,345)
• NightFlex: Installments are available from Affirm starting at $99 per month for 12 months. This plan includes a soft credit check.
• NightFlexEasy: Pay a $345 down payment plus monthly installments of $175 per month for six months through Partial.ly, no credit check required.

Smile Protection Plan: The All Day and NightOnly Aligner plans come with one set of retainers, but most people will need more. With this plan, you can purchase a set of eight retainers for $499 (discounted from $680). Retainers must be worn for up to a year in order to avoid having your teeth migrate back to their original position, according to a customer service representative with the company. A retainer’s life is four to five months on average, and according to the company, most customers will need two to three sets. Individual sets of retainers can be purchased for $199 for new customers, or $99 for existing customers.

Each set of aligners, made from BPA-free plastic, is designed to be worn for 10 days, but be sure to follow your specific treatment instructions, provided by the dentist overseeing your case. Each set of aligners works by applying gentle force to correct the alignment of your teeth. You may experience a lisp at first while you get used to wearing the aligners, but this should resolve over time. Alignerco’s invisible aligners are not meant to be worn while eating or drinking, so take them out unless you’re drinking water.

Avoid chewing gum and high contact sports while wearing your aligners—this will protect them from damage. It’s okay to play a musical instrument while wearing your aligners, but it may require a period of adjustment. To clean your aligners, do not use toothpaste. Instead, gently clean them using water and a toothbrush, or specially formulated aligner cleaner.

The Alignerco system can be used in individuals between the ages of 13 to 60. Even if you have missing teeth, you can still use the product. If you have wisdom teeth, you can get aligners as long as a dentist says the teeth don’t need to be removed presently.

But if you’re getting a dental implant, wait three months after having it placed, and consult with a dentist before beginning treatment with Alignerco. And if you need a bridge or crown, Alignerco advises waiting until after treatment, as these structures cannot be moved with aligners. Those who already have a bridge must include an x-ray with their impression kit.

Maybe you’re happy with your upper teeth, but would like to correct your lower set, or vice versa. It’s possible to get aligners for only your top or bottom teeth, but you’ll still need to send back impressions of both, and the cost will be the same. No matter which option you choose, you won’t be able to contact your assigned dentist directly. Instead, you’ll reach out to your designated Smile Crew Member who will serve as a liaison between you and your dentist. The aligners are generally safe during pregnancy, according to the company.

Alignerco’s clear alignment system is a cost-effective orthodontic treatment plan for people without a severe case of misalignment, says Brad Eckhardt, D.M.D., a dentist at Elite Dental Center in Greeley, Colorado. “Personally, I think they are a decent choice for people who don’t have a severe case of misalignment and don’t need a professional dentist on their case,” says Dr. Eckhardt. But if a patient is young and suffering from extreme teeth crookedness, braces are the best option to go about it, and this type of treatment is more suited for slightly crooked teeth among adults who want an invisible solution to fix their dental issues, he adds.

Another perk? Direct-to-consumer (DTC) aligners come with the convenience of no office visits, adds Hailee Rask, D.D.S., an orthodontist and owner of Bluebird Orthodontics in Salt Lake City. What’s more, clear aligners are more aesthetically pleasing and comfortable than braces, she adds, and because they’re removable, it’s easier to keep up with oral hygiene.

But the reduced cost of DTC aligners means a less-comprehensive service, says Dr. Rask. “DTC companies cut costs by having a few dentists or orthodontists approve hundreds of cases without performing an initial oral exam or evaluating radiographs,” she explains. And that can be problematic.

“I have re-treated several at-home aligner cases that seemed simple to the patient, but were actually too complex for at-home treatment,” she adds. “Most of these retreats [retreated patients] were due to lack of aligner effectiveness or communication issues with the company, but in one case, a patient had an infected tooth that flared up during treatment and ended up needing to be extracted,” she says.

The bottom line? Although DTC aligner companies report hundreds of satisfied clients, this type of orthodontic treatment is not appropriate for everyone, Dr. Rask advises. She recommends consulting with your dentist first to see if an at-home aligner system is right for you.

Out of 979 TrustPilot reviews, 89% gave Alignerco’s invisible aligners a rating of great (8%) or excellent (80%). The majority of reviewers who completed treatment with Alignerco would recommend the product to others, claiming that the process is “very easy and simple” and “the customer service is 10/10.” One reviewer said, “I had a very positive experience with Alignerco. I’ve wanted to fix my smile since high school but couldn’t afford expensive braces. Alignerco was my answer! Customer service is excellent and the price is just right. I highly recommend using them.”

Although negative reviews were in the minority, one customer complained that it took over three months to receive replacement retainers, and another said their initial set of aligners did not fit. Others who were unhappy with their treatment results were frustrated by the required $200 refinement fee.

Alignerco has a BBB rating of F. In the last three years, 147 complaints were filed and closed with the BBB, but out of 161 customer reviews, the company received an average of 4.28 out of 5 stars.