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Motto is a new brand of clear aligners, launched in 2021 by Aspen Dental. It aims to offer a competitive price for clear aligners, also called invisible braces. Aspen Dental also offers payment plans, making Motto aligners even more affordable.
Like other clear aligners, Motto gradually shifts teeth in a time span of several months to a year. The aligners are thin, clear plastic trays custom-made to fit your teeth.
Clear aligners are best for people with minor teeth misalignment.1 This is because they exert less pressure than traditional braces. Unlike braces, they’re nearly invisible and are easy to remove and replace.
Motto also offers live specialist support throughout treatment (in-person or remote). Because of this, Motto claims to be able to treat more complex cases than at-home aligners.
Aspen Dental is a dental support organization that provides services for hundreds of dental clinics in the United States. These clinics are individual dentist-owned franchises operating under the Aspen Dental brand.
The exact services and prices may differ from one Aspen Dental location to another. Some locations may not offer Motto clear aligners yet. As of September 2022, only select locations in eight states offer Motto.
Clear aligners can save you thousands of dollars compared to braces. Learn about clear aligners.
NewMouth is a leading and trusted online resource for dental information, including orthodontics, at-home aligners vs. in-office aligners, and more. We have been researching and writing about clear aligners for over 3 years.
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SureSmile, a popular clear aligner brand, produces Motto clear aligners. Aspen Dental exclusively offers Motto. Aspen Dental has locations in 43 states, some of which offer Motto.
Treatment may vary by location, but you can typically expect the following:
Motto clear aligner treatment will begin with a visit to your local Aspen Dental office. During this initial consultation, you’ll:
If the specialists do not consider you a good candidate for clear aligners, they might offer alternatives, such as traditional braces.
If you are a good candidate for clear aligners and want to move forward with Motto, you’ll contact a Smile Advisor. They’ll stay in touch with you throughout treatment. You’ll also receive a starter tray.
It’ll take 2 to 4 weeks following your initial appointment to receive your first set of custom aligners. During that time, you’ll wear your starter tray.
A starter tray is a pre-treatment retainer. It keeps your teeth in place so that your aligners will fit properly.
Once you receive your aligners, you can start wearing them. You generally need to wear aligners for 20 to 22 hours daily.2, 3, 4 They’re easy to remove for eating and cleaning, but you should otherwise keep them in place, including while you sleep.
You’ll change your aligners regularly and check in with your Smile Advisor at least every 4 weeks. These check-ins will happen in person unless you choose a plan that includes remote monitoring. If you choose remote monitoring, you’ll use the Motto app.
After about 6 to 8 months, your aligner treatment will be complete. Then, you’ll switch to using a retainer.
Treatment with Motto, like other clear aligners, usually takes a few months. According to Motto’s website, the average treatment plan lasts 5.4 months.5
This timeframe demonstrates the effectiveness of Motto aligners. However, it also shows that Motto probably isn’t suitable for complex teeth misalignment.
After you’re done wearing the aligners, you’ll need to wear a retainer. This helps your teeth maintain their new position. Not wearing your retainer could result in your teeth misaligning again.
For the first 6 weeks or so, you will wear your retainer full-time just as you did with the aligners. Then, following your dentist’s recommendation, you can shift to only wearing your retainers at night while you sleep. Motto has a treatment plan that includes up to 2 years’ worth of retainers.5
We recommend at-home clear aligners if you have mild teeth misalignment. View our top recommendations.
Motto Essential is the most basic plan Motto offers. It includes everything you need to get started, including:
This plan does not include remote doctor monitoring. Motto starts at $1,999, but the exact price at your Aspen Dental location might differ. You can also pay for other features, including:
Motto Plus includes everything in Motto Essential as well as virtual dental monitoring. This reduces in-person doctor visits without affecting treatment quality.
According to Motto’s website, this plan starts at $2,499. As with Motto Essential, the exact price may vary by location.
Motto Complete is Motto’s most extensive plan. It includes everything in Motto Plus, including virtual monitoring, with the addition of MottoRetainTM.
MottoRetainTM is like an insurance plan for your retainer, covering up to eight new retainers over the 2 years following your aligner treatment.
Motto Complete starts at $2,999.
According to Motto’s website, treatment costs start at:6
These prices may differ from those at your nearest Aspen Dental location. Each location sets its own pricing. You can also choose to add whitening treatment or Propel to your plan, which will increase the price.
On the other hand, your Aspen Dental location may include a discount when you have your consultation.
Aspen Dental offers payment plans through CareCredit, with payments as low as $51 a month.6
Dental insurance may cover clear aligner treatment in full or in part. If your insurance offers partial coverage, they will charge you the remaining costs after your insurance is billed.
According to their website, Motto accepts tax-free payment through an HSA or FSA.
Interested in straightening your teeth at home? Here are the best clear aligner companies.
You have many options to choose from when it comes to clear aligner treatment. To help you decide, here are some comparisons:
Motto and Invisalign both begin with an in-office consultation and include doctor monitoring throughout treatment. This means they can both handle somewhat more complex cases than at-home aligners.
However, Motto may be less expensive than Invisalign. Motto’s costs range from $1,999 to $2,999, whereas Invisalign can cost between $3,000 and $8,000.
According to Motto’s website, “at 50% less than invisalign, Motto costs roughly the same as mail-in clear aligners. But you also get the support of a real live doctor at every step.”
Byte is a brand of at-home clear aligners. Unlike Motto and other in-office aligners, treatment monitoring with Byte is entirely remote.
The cost of Byte compares favorably with Motto, ranging from $1,999 to $2,399. However, at-home aligners like Byte may not be as effective for more complex alignment problems.
SmileDirectClub offers at-home clear aligners. Instead of regular appointments with a doctor, you send virtual scans of your teeth from home to monitor your treatment.
At $2,050, SmileDirectClub costs about the same as the Motto Essential plan. However, fully remote monitoring means more complex cases may not be easy to treat.
NewSmile is an at-home aligner brand. They’re less expensive than Motto, at a starting price of $1,495. Like other at-home aligners, they may not be suitable for certain cases compared to in-office aligners.
Smileie at-home aligners start at $1,595, making them less expensive than Motto. But like other at-home aligners, they may be unsuitable for the cases that in-office aligners can handle.
The average cost of Candid is $3,300. Like Motto, Candid begins with an in-office consultation and allows for remote monitoring. It boasts an advanced telehealth monitoring system and works exclusively with orthodontists.
Qualified CandidPro providers also have hundreds of offices around the United States, while Motto is only available through select Aspen Dental locations.
Motto’s website offers a Smile Assessment, which can help you determine whether they’re a good fit.
Motto aligners are intended for mild to moderate cases of teeth misalignment. They can save a lot of money and time in comparison to braces.
However, if you have more severe alignment and bite issues, you may not be a good candidate for clear aligners. Braces treatment may be a better option.
Because they involve professional monitoring and start with an in-person consultation, Motto aligners may be more effective than at-home aligners for some cases.
Another factor to consider is that your insurance may cover in-office aligners (like Motto) but not at-home aligners. Check with your insurance provider to confirm.
Motto isn’t yet available in every state or at every Aspen Dental location. If you aren’t in an area where Motto is available, or you want to look around and compare your options, check out these alternatives:
Motto is exclusively available through Aspen Dental. However, as of September 2022, not all Aspen Dental locations offer Motto. For a similar treatment process (same manufacturer), you may want to try SureSmile.
Yes. You’ll meet with a dental practitioner to begin treatment, and you’ll be in contact with them throughout treatment.
The average treatment time with Motto is 5.4 months. Treatment could take longer depending on your alignment issues.
Clear aligners may make your teeth feel sore for the first few days. This is because your mouth is getting used to the new pressure from the aligners. After the first few days, the soreness should subside.
You must wear clear aligners for 20 to 22 hours daily. Only remove them for eating and oral hygiene.
Yes and no. Motto customers report that the aligners they receive are branded with SureSmile, and SureSmile pricing options through Aspen Dental are similar.
However, Motto treats milder cases than SureSmile. SureSmile’s complete system may be able to handle more complex cases.
If you have dental insurance, it may offer full or partial costs for clear aligner treatment. Motto accepts insurance.
Yes. Aspen Dental accepts HSA/FSA funds for Motto aligners.
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The most popular at-home clear aligner kits can be found right here:
