Candid Company Overview

You may be asking yourself how you could possibly have a tooth filled over the internet. And the answer is – you can’t. While technology has progressed quite rapidly, we are not yet at the point where you can sit back in the comfort of your home while a dentist reconstructs your tooth from their offices. However, there is a certain branch of dentistry that lends itself to the telemedicine format – orthodontics. Orthodontics, or as it should be called in this case – teleorthodontics, is the straightening of teeth.

If you've been curious about how to get the smile you've always wanted, read on to learn more about Candid.

About Candid

As the story goes – one day, a group of five friends was chatting, and the topic of wanting straighter teeth came up. They wanted the perfect smile, but they weren’t too keen on the unsightly traditional treatment of wire braces and the many negatives that they bring, which include:

• High cost (approx. $5,000)

• Limit what the wearer eats and drinks

• Monthly visits to the orthodontist

• Make it much harder to maintain an acceptable level of oral hygiene

• Treatment period can stretch anywhere between 12 - 24 months

After a bit of research uncovered the option of clear teeth aligners, the Candid team partnered with Dr. C. Lynn Hurst DDC MS FACD, a highly regarded orthodontist who has since built up a team of 300 employees and has given tens of thousands of customers a reason to smile.

Over the last few years, clear aligners have increased in popularity, all thanks to being less aesthetically invasive than braces and straightening teeth faster than the traditional method.

Is Candid right for you?

Before getting started, Candid Co. recommends completing their short survey to find out if you are suitable. The survey asks which dental concerns you would like corrected (gaps, crowding, etc.), if you have had braces or retainers in the past, etc. In our opinion, it is actually refreshing for a brand not to recommend its product or service to everyone. 

There are three main reasons why Candid Co. may not be suitable for every candidate.

1. Your dental imperfections are more serious than the mild to moderate cases that Candid Co. is best suited towards

2. You haven’t been to the dentist in the last few months and had your gums and teeth checked or treated for decay and cavities

3. You are already using a permanent retainer

If you are a candidate for Candid Co., the first step is sending them accurate impressions of your teeth that their orthodontists can use to custom design your aligners. 

If you’re unsure that you are a fit for this type of orthodontic care, Candid offers their starter kit for $95. The starter kit contains everything you need to make and send in impressions that will ultimately determine your eligibility. Using the supplied cheek stretcher, you will also need to supply Candid Co. with eight photographs of your teeth. 

The Candid Co. Starter Kit contains:

• Cheek stretcher

• Gloves

• Putty catalyst and base

• Bite guide

• Lower trays (2)

• Upper Trays (3)

• Return shipping box

• Instruction manual

Those who prefer to have their impressions taken by a professional can visit one of the 25 Candid Co. Studios found across the country at no additional cost. A Candid Co. orthodontist will use an optical laser to scan the inside of your mouth and create a digital model of your teeth. Whether you choose to take the impressions yourself or have them done at a Candid Co. Studio, the entire process should take about 30 minutes. No muss, no fuss. 

Once the Candid Co. orthodontist team has received the impressions and photos, they will decide if you are a Candid Co. candidate. If Candid Co. is not right for you, you will receive a full refund.

Once Candid Co. has received your impressions and you are determined a good fit, you will receive a physical 3D model showing you how your teeth will align and correct themselves over time.

In the final phase, you will receive a box containing your complete set of aligners delivered straight to your door. On average, you will switch from one set of aligners to the next every two weeks. Candid Co. also includes a whitening system, free of charge, to boost your self-confidence even further.

What’s In the Candid Co. Treatment Box?

The treatment box includes:

• All aligners

• Instructions

• Aligner carry case

• Aligner fit tool

• Whitening system
  
  

All Aligners

All the aligners you’ll need for your treatment program are included in your treatment box. Each aligner is clearly labeled with your doctor’s name, your name, and the aligner step number. 

Simply follow the instructions to start using your clear aligners. Progress to a new aligner every few weeks.

Carry Case

A carry case is also included should you need to remove your aligners for any reason (to sleep, eat, brush your teeth, etc.). 

Instructions

Everything you need to know about your treatment program is included in your kit. 

Aligner Fit Tool

Aligners are designed to fit snug against your teeth (fitted aligners are practically the entire program!). The fit tool is included to ensure you’re able to pop your aligners onto your teeth with ease. 

Scan Box

The scan box is one of the newest accessories included in Candid’s treatment system. This box looks like a virtual reality headset — just only for your teeth instead of your eyes. 

This box takes accurate photos of your straightening progression for your doctor. These photos are much more accurate than photos taken on a smartphone or other device. 

How much does Candid cost? 

Aligner Starter Kits - $95/kit (includes 2 sets of impressions)

Invisible Aligners - $2,400, which includes:

• FREE Starter Kit
• FREE whitening foam 
• 1 set of Retainers
• Ongoing support available 7 days a week
• Full refund if you're not a candidate

Monthly payment plans - $99 per month via Affirm, a 3rd party financing company

Retainers – $99/set (First set is FREE) 

We know that compared to traditional braces, the Candid Co. is significantly cheaper, but how do they compare to a more direct competitor that also offers clear teeth aligners? Perhaps the most established and well-known name in the aligner market is Invisalign. In comparison, the cost of the aligners at Candid Co. is just over $2,000. With Invisalign, you'll be asked to shell out at a minimum of $3,000 and up to as much as $8,000.

How is Candid Different?

• Firstly, while the competition may be happy to use dentists and dental practitioners, Candid Co. only employs orthodontists, specialists in teeth straightening, with over 20 years of experience. 

• Candid Co. strongly recommends that all patients book a video call with one of their orthodontists while the starter kit is en route. This video call allows their expertise to get an actual look at the current state of your teeth and gums to ensure your aligners are as accurate as possible. It also allows them to determine how long your particular process will take.

• Candid Co. sends their patients all of their aligners at once, rather than one by one, eliminating extra time and costs.

• Once you have completed your alignment program, Candid Co. supply you with a free set of retainers. These should be worn for 22 hours per day for the first 2 weeks and during the night thereafter.

• Candid Co. donates $25 from each aligner kit sold to Smile Train, an International Children's Charity that provides free cleft palate treatments to children around the world.

• Candid Co. offers a comprehensive support structure that is available every day of the week, at a time suitable to you, even if that happens to be outside of normal working hours.

• As proven by their extensive questionnaire that outlines your medical and dental history and requiring 8 photographs compared to the 3 most of the competition require, Candid Co. takes a deeper and more detailed look to provide you with the highest level of service and support.

Candid PROS

• Aligners are less noticeable than braces

• Candid offer one of the most transparent aligners in the market

• Can be removed when eating, flossing, and brushing 

• Candid provide you with a premium tooth whitening kit for free

• At just $2,400, Candid Co. invisible teeth aligners are significantly cheaper than traditional metal braces, which cost around $5,000 - $6,000

• Alignment treatment can be anywhere from 3-10 months, where treatment using traditional metal braces can be anywhere from 1 to 2 years

• The entire process can be done from the comfort of your home

• From start to finish, your program will be monitored by a board-certified orthodontist with a minimum of 20 years of practical experience

• Candid Co. donates $25 from each alignment set to Smile Train, a charity that provides safe and effective cleft palate treatment to underprivileged kids around the world

Candid CONS

• Transparent aligners are not suitable for everyone

• Aligners can be lost or misplaced

• There is no opportunity to update the molds if the teeth do not align exactly as expected

What Do We Think About Candid?

If we look at all of the above, it’s clear that teeth aligning is the best way a person can get a perfect smile. Transparent teeth aligners are far superior to traditional metal braces in every regard, and we think it is only a matter of time before they become the standard teeth straightening treatment.

The only choice that a patient needs to make then is where do they get their aligners from. With competitive pricing, a team of experienced orthodontists, a willingness to go the extra mile for their patients, and contributing a portion of their profits to a worthy charity, it would be hard for us not to highly recommend Candid Co.