If you’re researching options for teeth straightening, you’ve probably already realized one thing: Aligners are expensive. Add impressions, retainers, and teeth whitening to the mix, and you might feel like you’re choosing between getting the smile you want or sending your kids to college.

But you shouldn’t have to go into debt for Invisalign treatment or other aligners — and you don't have to. 

Looking for clear aligner treatment supervised by a vetted, licensed dentist? Look at our breakdown of all the costs involved in Smile Direct Club, plus the best way to save using Accrue Savings to get a better smile.

On Smile Direct Club’s website, the company lists two “easy payment options” for aligner treatment, one that costs $89/month for 26 months with a $250 deposit (equaling $2,564 total) and a second that’s a one-time payment of $2,050. 

In addition to your aligners, the pricing includes a Lifetime Smile Guarantee that covers free aligner touch-ups as needed. Throughout the treatment time, you will have regular virtual Smile Check-in visits (no need for office visits, just teledentistry) plus 24/7 access to dental professionals. 

The company recommends purchasing retainers to maintain your new smile, but these are not included in the initial price — you’ll need to pay $99 for each set of retainers you purchase. Teeth whitening products are also available, but these will come at an additional cost, too. And regardless of which payment plan you choose, before you get started, you might owe $18 for an at-home impression kit (the other option is a free 3D scan at a SmileShop).

Smile Direct Club also accepts HSA, FSA, and CareCredit. Depending on your insurance, your plan may or may not cover a portion of your treatment cost from Smile Direct Club. The company’s insurance partners include:

• UnitedHealthCare
• MetLife
• Aetna
• Anthem
• Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Dominion National
• Capital 

Smile Direct Club has a money-back guarantee to keep you covered if your treatment doesn’t work well for you. If your dentist or orthodontist decides Smile Direct Club clear aligners are not the right fit for you, you can receive a refund on the $18 impression kit. 

If you're unsatisfied within the first 30 days of your treatment plan, you can return your aligners for a full refund (outside of shipping costs). After those initial 30 days are up, you can return any unused aligners for a prorated refund (as long as you’re up-to-date with payments and in good standing with the company). 

Smile Direct Club states that financing is guaranteed. There aren’t any credit checks or forms to fill out, and you will receive 100% approval once your $250 down payment goes through. You can choose whether to make a one-time payment upfront or pay a smaller monthly fee for your treatment.

Single Pay

Single Pay is a one-time payment of $2,050 (60% less than the cost of braces or Invisalign). There are no hidden costs or fees. This option gives you the biggest savings out of the two payment options. 

SmilePay

SmilePay is your second financing option. With this route, you’ll owe a $250 down payment. Then you’ll make monthly payments of $89/month for 26 months. The final cost comes out to $2,564 — $514 more than you’d pay with Single Pay. 

Your aligners aren’t the only thing you have to pay for. Other aspects also affect Smile Direct Club's total cost, such as the impression kit, retainers, and refinements. Learn which of these are included in the overall price and which are optional add-ons you’d pay separately. 

Impression kit 

An impression kit is the first step to getting aligners and orthodontic treatment. This kit contains the supplies to make dental impressions. Think of these impressions as a customized model of your teeth. Smile Direct Club will use the final impressions to make aligners that fit correctly for you.

Smile Direct Club offers two options to get your impressions done: Pay $18 for a convenient at-home DIY impression kit or go to your closest SmileShop and have a 3D scan for free. If you choose to go with the at-home kit, the $18 is not included in the overall price of Smile Direct Club. 

Retainers

Experts recommend wearing retainers after completing orthodontic work, such as braces or aligners. The retainers help hold your teeth in place so they won’t shift back to where they were before.

Smile Direct Club sells retainers, but these retainers are not included in the overall cost. If you decide to purchase retainers, each set will cost $99. (They will be available for purchase near the end of your treatment.)

For customers who purchase retainers, replace them every six months, and wear them as prescribed, you will qualify for a free aligner touch-up each year as needed. 

Teeth whitening

In addition to teeth alignment, Smile Direct Club also offers teeth whitening services and products. However, these are also not included in the overall cost. All teeth whitening products come at an additional charge. Choose from products such as:

• Gel kits
• Teeth whitening kit with LED light
• Wireless pro teeth whitening system
• Whitening strips 
• Gel pen
• Stain barrier
• LED accelerator light 

Prices vary from $17 to $90, depending on the item. One week of twice-daily treatments achieves results that should last for six months.

Refinements

You can receive refinements (aligner touch-ups) for free during your treatment. If you have a concern or your doctor notices something amiss during one of your regular virtual check-ins, your prescribing doctor can order new aligners shipped to your door at no extra cost.

Once your treatment is finished, you can continue to qualify for aligner touch-ups as needed by purchasing retainers every six months and wearing them as prescribed.

Smile Direct Club does accept insurance coverage. However, your insurance company may or may not cover this treatment. Most health insurance does not cover orthodontic treatments for adults — except in some cases when those treatments are considered “medically necessary.”

Insurance options that are in-network with Smile Direct Club include UnitedHealthCare, Aetna, Anthem, Empire, MetLife, and Dominion National. At the end of the day, whether or not your aligners will be covered simply depends on your insurance and your situation. In general, however, it’s probably best to assume that insurance will not cover your treatment.

If you’re unsure whether your particular insurance provider or plan will cover Smile Direct Club, you can check on the Smile Direct Club website by selecting your provider from a dropdown list and entering your email address to receive results. 

Remember, you can also use HSA or FSA funds to pay for Smile Direct Club. However, these accounts are valuable resources you may need to pay for other medical treatments or costs.

You can choose to pay upfront for Smile Direct Club or try to use a flexible savings account. But as we’ve seen, this option can get pricey fast — and if you don’t have to pay completely out of pocket or fight with your insurance about coverage, there’s no reason to.

The best way to pay for Smile Direct Club is Accrue Savings. Accrue Savings helps you save up and pay less for the things you love without debt, credit, or fees. You'll earn rewards on each deposit you make — recurring deposits, one-time deposits, or even by rounding up your spare change. 

And Accrue isn’t just for products: You can save up for services or opportunities, too.

Smile Direct Club and Accrue Savings have partnered up to make it easier than ever to afford a straighter smile. Get Smile Direct Club at a lower cost by:

• Opening an account: Set a target savings goal to work toward. Then start making deposits. These deposits can be completely customized — either one-time or recurring, and as big or small as you’d like. 
• Getting rewards: As you deposit money into your savings account, Smile Direct Club will chip in, adding up to 20% to help you reach your goal faster.
• Purchasing your teeth straightening treatment: Once you’ve reached your goal, you’ll get a virtual debit card with your savings and rewards. Use it to buy your Smile Direct Club aligners and start your treatment. 

Straight teeth and a brighter smile can go a long way to improving your confidence. With Smile Direct Club, you can complete the process from start to finish with impressions, aligners, retainers, and teeth whitening. But by the end of it, you’ll be out well over $2,000.

Get the smile you want at the price you can afford using Accrue Savings. It’s simple and fast to set up your savings account, and as you make deposits, Smile Direct Club will contribute up to 20% toward your goal of paying for aligners. Learn more here and start saving today.