Safest Teeth Whiteners
The safest ways to whiten your teeth explained
Dentistry
General
Malocclusion
Cosmetic
Candid aligners are a transparent and removable alternative to traditional braces. The aligners are also FDA-approved, BPA- and phthalate-free, and stain-resistant.
Candid recently shifted its business focus, no longer offering at-home impression kits. It’s now a hybrid option for those who want some of the convenience of at-home teeth-straightening without sacrificing the quality of care.
To begin treatment, you’ll visit a qualified CandidPro provider (dentist or orthodontist) for an initial consultation. The provider then has a licensed orthodontist from Candid's team personally design your treatment plan.
After that, your treatment progress is monitored remotely through CandidMonitoring™, the company’s telehealth platform (mobile app). The same Candid orthodontist who creates your treatment plan will oversee your treatment from start to finish.
Invisalign is #1 in the aligner industry. These aligners are proven to be effective and safe teeth straightening devices.
To start Invisalign treatment, you have to visit a licensed Invisalign doctor to undergo scans and have a treatment plan created. You also have to visit an orthodontist every few weeks to track progress, making treatment less convenient.
Candid, on the other hand, is an effective teeth straightening alternative that offers superior care with added convenience. Candid treatment outcomes are similar to Invisalign but the aligners typically cost less.
Learn more about the differences between Candid and Invisalign here.
What makes Candid different from other aligners? Here are the standout features:
To begin treatment, you’ll visit a qualified CandidPro provider (dentist or orthodontist) for an initial consultation. Your bite is digitally scanned and impressions are taken. You’ll also see them at the end of treatment to ensure your teeth are aligned correctly and you’re satisfied with the results.
The CandidPro provider then has a licensed orthodontist from Candid's team personally design your treatment plan. After that, your treatment progress is monitored remotely through CandidMonitoring™, the company’s telehealth platform (mobile app).
The same Candid orthodontist who creates your treatment plan will oversee your treatment from start to finish. Treatment takes between 4 and 12 months, depending on how severe your bite issues are.
* Candid discontinued at-home impression kits in 2022.
Initial consultation with a licensed dental professional near you
Candid treatment is monitored 100% remotely through the CandidApp. This app is a complete ‘teledentistry service’ that allows you to connect to the virtual orthodontist office at any time.
You’ll send in progress photos every two weeks using the CandidScan included in your Candid treatment package. The box connects to your phone and is used to take detailed images of tooth movement.
The app will walk you through the entire process during each scan. You can also set up notifications on your phone to make sure you don’t miss a scan date.
Once you submit the photos, you’ll hear back from your orthodontist within a few hours. They will let you know if it’s safe to move on to the next set.
If your teeth aren’t tracking correctly, the orthodontist will provide you with screenshots of your teeth highlighting what went wrong and how to get your treatment back on track.
A patient’s primary interface with Candid is through the CandidApp, which is one of the top-rated teledentistry apps in the App Store (4.9/5 stars). Patients use CandidApp to scan their teeth, communicate with their orthodontist, and ask the 7/365 customer support team any questions they may have.
Candid doesn’t sacrifice clinical oversight over quick results. Unlike many remote aligner brands, Candid doesn’t have a ‘night aligner’ option. This is because there is no proof that night aligners are effective; they may actually do more harm to your teeth than good.
According to Dr. C Lynn Hurst, Chief Dental Officer at Candid, “because the protocols around nighttime aligner therapy generally specify only 10 hours of wear time per day, I am concerned that you may never experience the light continuous force necessary for effective healthy tooth movement.”
“Without a longer and more consistent wear schedule, your teeth can be left in a limbo state of inflammation. And it would take your teeth much longer to reach the healing phase, if at all. It’s kind of like breaking your arm and having the physician reset the fracture, but only wearing the cast at night, preventing proper healing,” says Hurst.
Due to the risks and ‘unknowns’ of night aligners, Candid only has a regular aligner option to ensure your teeth move safely.
Many patients seek aligner treatment with the desire to straighten their front and/or bottom teeth. But to effectively do this, it's essential to take all of the teeth into account.
You cannot safely straighten front teeth without first making room for them. In other words, the molars must be repositioned, and the dental arch expanded.
Unfortunately, some aligner brands only move your top six and bottom six teeth. This form of treatment is referred to as 'social 6' or 'social 12.' It consists of flaring the front teeth out without moving the molars or expanding the dental arch.
Social 6/12 treatment only addresses a patient's cosmetic concerns (i.e., straightening the front teeth). It does not fix their entire bite, resulting in poor results, an 'off' bite, and other oral health issues. There is also a higher chance that the teeth will become crooked again.
Candid provides a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses function first and cosmetics second. The aligners move all of your teeth, rather than just the front teeth. This form of treatment is called 'full arch' tooth movement.
The first step is to move the molars and expand the dental arch, creating room for the front teeth. The 'social 12' part of treatment (front tooth movement) is not addressed until later. This ensures the teeth move safely and the entire bite lines up by the end of treatment.
According to Dr. Lynn Hurst, Chief Clinical Officer at Candid, some patients may only care about the cosmetic side of aligner treatment. But if you don’t treat the bite as a whole, the results won’t last. The teeth will also not align properly when the patient bites down.
"We're not just correcting the social six, we're preparing both arches for what's going to be the social six correction. As we expand and create space for the necessary movements, we’re able to then address all the issues a patient has with their bite as we tackle their chief complaint. At the end of the day, there’s no shortcut to doing it right."
- Dr. Lynn Hurst, Chief Clinical Officer at Candid
View this treatment case from Candid.
Candid aligners are fabricated in Silicon Valley. They are made of Zendura FLX, a tri-layer material that provides a great mixture of comfort and force. This material is very similar to Invisalign’s SmartTrack in terms of comfortability.
Candid aligners are stain-resistant, durable, and BPA- and phthalate-free. A gentle whitening foam is also included in every purchase. The foam disinfects the aligners, freshens your breath, and whitens your aligners and teeth (use up to six times a day).
Candid aligners cost $3,300 (on average, depending on the provider). This covers your entire set of clear aligners and remote monitoring.
If you can’t afford to pay for treatment right away, your CandidPro provider might offer a payment plan.
Some dental insurance policies cover orthodontic treatment for adults, which may include Candid aligners.
While coverage varies greatly, many plans reimburse 50 percent of the treatment cost, with up to $1,000 reimbursed.
You can pay as low as $950 out-of-pocket for Candid aligners if your insurance covers it.
Candid can treat most minor to severe cases of teeth misalignment, including:
Not everyone is eligible for Candid aligner treatment. There are four main reasons for ineligibility, including:
Candid treatment takes 4 to 12 months (on average). However, if you only have minor spacing issues like gapped teeth, treatment might only take about four months. If you have moderate to severe crowding, treatment can take up to a year. Refinements may also be necessary at the end of treatment.
After treatment is complete, your final set of aligners will act as your retainers. It's essential to wear your retainers every night to prevent your teeth from shifting back into their original positions. You should also replace them every 6 months to a year.
At-home aligner treatment is generally considered safe if you follow instructions carefully throughout treatment. According to one study, 87.5% of respondents were happy with their at-home aligner treatment, while 6.6% had to visit their dentist after treatment to fix adverse effects.5
Direct-to-consumer clear aligner treatment is monitored remotely, so there is always a slightly higher risk for complications to occur. This is because orthodontic treatment is less predictable without in-person visits.
Candid only works with highly qualified orthodontists who have at least 20 years of experience in the teeth straightening industry. Orthodontists also have to complete 2 to 3 years of tooth movement residency after dental school.
Summary
To begin treatment, you’ll visit a qualified CandidPro provider (dentist or orthodontist) for an initial consultation. The provider then has a licensed orthodontist from Candid's team personally design your treatment plan.
Your treatment progress is monitored remotely through CandidMonitoring™, the company’s telehealth platform. The same Candid orthodontist who creates your treatment plan will oversee your treatment.
If you have any other questions about Candid aligners, visit their website for more detailed information.
Clear aligners have been around for over 20 years. With advancements in digital cameras, teledentistry, and 3D printing, creating an aligner treatment plan is more effective and safe than ever.
Yes, you can eat and drink with Candid aligners. However, you should not drink hot liquids with the aligners in your mouth. Warm liquids are okay. It is also crucial to rinse the aligners off after eating to prevent bacteria buildup and discoloration.
Most CandidPro providers have payment plans and accept FSA/HSA. Some insurance plans also reimburse patients for part of treatment, but this depends on your specific policy, and there are no guarantees.
Candid aligners are more expensive than SmileDirect and offer better overall care/remote monitoring.
Invisalign is the most well-known clear aligner brand. Treatment is monitored in person by a dentist or orthodontist, which means it may be safer than at-home aligner treatment.
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The most popular at-home clear aligner kits can be found right here:
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