SmileSet Review: Accessibility, Monitoring, and Outcome Considerations

SmileSet focuses on making orthodontic and oral protection options more accessible outside traditional clinic-based options. It emphasizes convenience and flexibility, aiming to reduce the time, cost, and frequency of in-office visits.

The brand’s product range includes clear aligners, custom retainers, and night guards, along with supporting oral care accessories. These offerings are designed to address common concerns, including mild to moderate teeth misalignment, long-term smile maintenance after an orthodontic procedure.

In this review, we will explore SmileSet’s brand offerings in detail, compare the brand with similar at-home providers, and evaluate its key advantages and limitations. We will also examine real user reviews and feedback to better understand how the brand performs in real-world use and whether its approach aligns with different dental care expectations.

About SmileSet

As per the official website, SmileSet is centered on at-home smile correction and long-term maintenance, supported by remote professional oversight. It operates on a digital orthodontic platform powered by SmileDirectClub technology, positioning itself as an alternative to traditional in-office procedures by combining technology-led planning with licensed dental review.

The brand’s core focus is a clear aligner option designed for mild to moderate alignment concerns. It highlights that its aligners are FDA-cleared, manufactured in the USA, and made from BPA-free materials.

The brand states that the procedure typically begins with an at-home impression kit or a complete aligner package, after which a personalized plan is reviewed and approved by state-licensed dental professionals.

SmileSet also offers products aimed at smile retention and protection, including custom retainers and night guards. Retainers are available through subscription options to support ongoing replacement needs, while night guards are intended to help protect teeth from excessive grinding or clenching. These products combine the brand’s Comfort-Edge manufacturing approach, which focuses on smoother, precision-cut edges for improved wear comfort.

The brand also extends into oral care and accessories, providing supporting products such as ultrasonic cleaners with UV sanitization, whitening kits and gel pens, cleaning tablets, water flossers, sonic toothbrushes, replacement brush heads, whitening strips, floss picks, and lip care options.

SmileSet Offerings

1. Clear Retainers

   As per the official website, Clear retainers are designed to maintain tooth position after alignment by applying consistent, low-level holding forces across the dental arches. This option uses your existing digital dental records, so no new impressions or scans are required if you are a returning customer or previously completed a procedure with SmileDirectClub.

   The brand highlights that these retainers are made from clear, dental-grade thermoplastic materials commonly used in orthodontic appliances. These polymers are selected for their balance of flexibility and structural stability, allowing the retainer to fit snugly over the teeth while resisting deformation over time. Being non-porous and BPA-free, this type of plastic is designed to limit moisture absorption and reduce the buildup of oral bacteria when cleaned and worn as directed.

   Retainers help stabilize teeth during post-procedure bone remodeling. After orthodontic movement, the periodontal ligament retains a degree of elastic memory. Without retention, this tissue can gradually pull teeth back toward their original positions. Wearing a retainer may help counteract this tendency while the surrounding bone continues to adapt and harden around the new alignment.

2. Premium Clear Night Guard + Impression Kit

   The Premium Clear Night Guard may help reduce the physical impact of nighttime teeth clenching and grinding by creating a protective barrier between the upper and lower teeth. This option includes an impression kit so your night guard is made using your current dental anatomy, which is especially relevant if your teeth have shifted or if no recent dental file is on record. Once your impression is received, it is converted into a digital dental profile used to fabricate a custom-fit appliance.

   Teeth grinding places repeated stress on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), jaw muscles, and periodontal ligaments. The makers state that using this night guard alters the way opposing teeth make contact, reducing muscle hyperactivity by changing proprioceptive feedback to the jaw. This might help lower sustained muscle contraction during sleep, which is often linked to morning jaw stiffness, facial tension, and tension-related headaches.

3. Impression Kit First – Aligner Treatment

   The Impression Kit First – Aligner process begins with an at-home kit designed to capture the current shape and alignment of your teeth. This initial step allows a plan to be developed before you commit to full aligner therapy. The impressions are used to create a digital dental model, which may serve as the foundation for planning tooth movement based on your existing bite and spacing.

   The impression materials typically include dental-grade putty formulated to accurately record tooth surfaces and gum margins. These elastomer-based compounds are designed to set within minutes while maintaining dimensional stability, meaning they retain their shape during shipping and scanning.

   As per the official website, once your impressions are reviewed, a customized plan is developed and approved by a state-licensed dentist or orthodontist. After approval, your aligners are manufactured using precision forming techniques to ensure consistent thickness and fit. You receive all aligners in one shipment, along with access to virtual dental support and scheduled remote check-ins. At the end of the process, updated dental records can be used to create retainers, which help stabilize teeth as the supporting bone and connective tissues adapt to their new positions.

4. Aligner Treatment

   Aligner uses a series of clear, custom-made aligners to guide gradual tooth movement under remote dental supervision. You can choose between All-Day Clear Aligners, worn for most of the day, or Nighttime Clear Aligners, worn only during sleep. These options rely on the same planning process and materials, with the main difference being wear duration and timeline. Once your impressions are received, a personalized plan is created and approved before aligner production begins.

   As per the official website, both aligner options combine Comfort-Edge Technology, which refers to precision-cut and polished edges rather than sharp trim lines. Smoother edges reduce friction against the gums and oral mucosa, which may lower the likelihood of localized irritation during extended wear.

   Nighttime aligners are designed for approximately 10 hours of wear, relying on slightly adjusted force sequencing to accommodate reduced daily wear time. Meanwhile, All-day aligners are worn up to 22 hours per day, allowing more continuous force application and typically shorter timelines.

SmileSet Advantages

1. Doctor-Reviewed Plans

   SmileSet states that every aligner plan is comprehensively reviewed and approved by an orthodontist or a licensed dentist before the process begins. This review is embedded within the brand’s remote teledentistry model and is intended to ensure that each case is appropriate for at-home orthodontic care. Providers involved in this process are required to be licensed in your state, reinforcing regulatory compliance and professional oversight within an online delivery framework.

   The evaluation process combines digital tools with clinical judgment. You need to submit impressions or scans remotely, which are assessed using AI-assisted analysis to support case review. Licensed dental professionals then evaluate alignment feasibility, procedure suitability, and progression expectations before approving a plan or determining that a case requires in-person care. More complex orthodontic cases are screened out, highlighting the role of clinician discretion rather than automated approval.

   SmileSet has referenced experienced dental professionals in its broader tele dentistry context, including Dr. Robert Sims, DMD, MSD, an orthodontist with more than three decades of clinical experience and long-term involvement in orthodontic tele dentistry, and Dr. Kenneth Wolf, DDS, a dentist with over forty years in practice and experience reviewing orthodontic cases remotely. While public materials do not consistently present these individuals as the sole or exclusive providers for all SmileSet users, their mention reflects the brand’s emphasis on seasoned professional participation within its doctor review framework.

2. Guided Procedure Approach

   SmileSet structures its orthodontic service as a guided, end-to-end journey that combines AI-driven tools with licensed dental professional oversight. Rather than leaving you to manage the procedure independently, the brand builds in defined checkpoints across the care process, including digital assessment, professional review, plan approval, and monitored progression. This framework is designed to support clarity and consistency within a fully remote orthodontic model.

   The process begins with a SmileMaker™ AI 3D teeth scan, which can be completed in approximately two minutes through the app. This scan provides a personalized visual preview of potential alignment changes and supports initial suitability screening. You need to proceed to complete the full intake online, often through an at-home impression kit.

   These impressions are reviewed by state-licensed dentists or orthodontists, who evaluate alignment feasibility and approve plans before aligners or appliances are produced. Virtual doctor visits are included as part of this process to support progress monitoring and address questions during the process.

   This guided structure applies across SmileSet’s product offerings. Aligner procedure and Impression Kit First Aligner follows a clear sequence of impressions, professional evaluation, plan approval, and staged aligner delivery, with progress tracked digitally.

   Post procedure and maintenance options, such as Clear Retainer, use the same impression to review the delivery pathway to support long-term alignment. The Premium Clear Night Guard with Impression Kit also follows this guided flow, ensuring consistency in fit and professional oversight.

SmileSet Limitation

1. Short Operating History

   SmileSet launched in 2024 as a direct-to-consumer orthodontic brand following the December 2023 bankruptcy and asset liquidation of SmileDirectClub, from which it acquired technology, procedure workflows, and operational infrastructure.

   While this transition provides continuity in process design and digital orthodontic delivery, the brand itself does not yet have an independent operating history with long-term, brand-specific outcome data. As a result, its market presence remains early-stage rather than established through years of standalone performance.

   Longevity matters because tooth movement, retention stability, and relapse patterns often become evident only after several years. At present, there are no publicly available, SmileSet-specific longitudinal studies evaluating outcomes for offerings such as the Aligner procedure, Impression Kit First – Aligner, Clear Retainers, or the Premium Clear Night Guard + Impression Kit. Most available evidence reflects short-term procedure completion, customer testimonials, or general teledentistry claims rather than multi-year follow-up data on alignment durability or retainer effectiveness.

SmileSet Alternatives

1. Alignerco

   Alignerco and SmileSet both operate in the direct-to-consumer orthodontic space, but they differ in how they define value, scope of care, and long-term engagement. As per its official website, Alignerco positions itself around affordability and accessibility, explicitly promoting Clear Aligners at around $725 and bundled inclusions like free retainers, a whitening kit, and bonus gifts.

   The brand emphasizes that its plans are reviewed by U.S.-licensed orthodontists, presenting teeth straightening as a lower-cost, remote-first option with limited in-person requirements.

   Alignerco’s product range remains tightly centered on orthodontic correction and protection. Its core offerings include Invisible Clear Aligners and NightOnly Clear Aligners, the latter designed for 8–10 hours of nightly wear with an estimated 6–8 month duration.

   Supporting products such as custom retainers, night guards (available in soft, hard, and hybrid options), mouth guards, and teeth whitening kits are positioned as functional extensions of the procedure.

   The brand clearly states that its aligners are intended to address concerns, including crowding, spacing, overbite, underbite, crossbite, deep bite, overjet, and midline shifts, strengthening its focus on defined orthodontic cases.

   On the other hand, SmileSet adopts a broader smile-care positioning that extends beyond the aligner alone. While Aligners, Retainers, and Night Guards remain central, the brand significantly expands into oral care and maintenance. Its catalog includes products such as the Premium Ultrasonic Cleaner + UV Sanitizer, Premium Sonic Toothbrush, Premium Handheld Water Flosser, SmileSet Premium Whitening Kit, and Premium Universal Cleaning Tablets.

   Additional accessories like floss picks, whitening strips, brush head replacements, and lip care products further highlight the brand’s emphasis on daily hygiene and appliance upkeep.

   The process experience also reflects this difference in scope. Alignerco primarily follows an at-home model, beginning with a Dental Impression Kit priced as low as $25.99 during promotions, followed by remote planning and monitoring. Optional in-person 3D scans are available through partner scan centers, but the process is designed to minimize clinic visits, supported by digital tools such as the Aligner Track App.

   SmileSet offers a more hybrid approach, allowing you to start either with an at-home impression kit or a free in-person 3D scan at a SmileStudio located within a dental or orthodontic practice. Ongoing care is managed through telehealth check-ins, the SmileSet App, and a portal, placing greater emphasis on integrated provider oversight.

   Alignerco is structured around delivering orthodontic correction through a clearly defined, cost-focused model built on products like ALIGNERCO Clear Aligners and NightOnly Clear Aligners. SmileSet differentiates itself through a broader smile-care ecosystem, where the aligner procedure is complemented by maintenance tools, supporting ongoing smile care beyond active alignment.

2. NewSmile

   NewSmile follows a fully remote model centered on at-home impressions and self-managed procedure. You begin with an at-home impression kit, submit dentist-grade PVS impressions, and review a personalized 3D plan before moving forward. Its aligner options include Transparent Teeth Aligners for home, Clear Night Aligners, and monthly payment options such as the NewSmile Monthly Plan and Night Aligners Monthly Plan.

   The brand emphasizes quick turnaround, noting aligner shipment within 2–4 business days after approval, and highlights the potential use of insurance reimbursement along with HSA and FSA benefits. Beyond aligner procedure, NewSmile also offers an extensive range of retainers, night guards, whitening products, cleaning devices, and bundled oral-care accessories, positioning itself as a broader at-home smile maintenance platform.

   Meanwhile, SmileSet adopts a more guided approach while still operating primarily through remote care. You can either start with a $29.99 impression kit, which is credited toward the procedure, or pre-order the Complete Aligner with the impression kit included.

   The brand highlights that all its plans are reviewed and approved by licensed dental professionals, and SmileSet places notable emphasis on its patented Comfort-Edge aligner design and SmileMaker™ AI technology, which allows you to preview potential results through its mobile app.

   Compared to NewSmile’s expansive product catalog, SmileSet maintains a more focused portfolio centered on aligners, retainers, night guards, and select oral-care accessories, strengthening a procedure-first brand positioning.

   From a pricing perspective, both brands sit within a comparable range relative to traditional orthodontic care, though their structures differ slightly. NewSmile’s pricing generally begins lower, with the aligner system ranging from approximately $1,295 to $1,395 and multiple installment options that offer flexibility over time.

   SmileSet’s standard price is typically higher at $1,495 before promotions, though discounts often bring it in line with NewSmile’s entry pricing. NewSmile’s wider selection of add-ons and bundles can increase total costs depending on usage, whereas SmileSet’s pricing remains more streamlined around the aligner itself.

   As per their official website, NewSmile’s process is largely self-directed once impressions are approved, with limited interaction unless support is required. SmileSet integrates additional guidance through free 15-minute consultations with Smile Experts, app-based planning tools, and optional in-person evaluations at SmileStudio locations within affiliated dental practices.

   NewSmile prioritizes lower entry pricing, faster fulfillment, and a fully remote experience supported by a wide range of ongoing oral-care products. Meanwhile, SmileSet focuses on structured professional oversight, proprietary technology, and optional in-person touchpoints, even with a slightly more focused product ecosystem.

How Did We Evaluate?

1. Real User Experiences

   To evaluate SmileSet, we reviewed user feedback on Trustpilot, where the brand holds 4.2 based on approximately 49,000 reviews. Many customers describe responsive and personable support representatives who assisted with subscriptions, billing adjustments, insurance questions, and order setup.

   Some users also highlight ease of ordering, affordability, HSA eligibility, and a relatively smooth transition for customers seeking retainers or restarting procedures after SmileDirectClub’s shutdown. These patterns suggest that SmileSet performs strongly in accessibility and front-end service, especially for straightforward needs.

   At the same time, multiple customers report poorly fitting retainers or aligners, delayed deliveries, and repeated remakes that did not fully resolve fit issues. Some users even describe tooth movement or discomfort after use, while others cite slow resolution timelines or reliance on automated support processes. These complaints appear repeatedly, indicating potential variability in manufacturing consistency and case handling.

   The evaluation indicates that the brand demonstrates strengths in customer support availability and entry-level accessibility, but faces ongoing challenges related to product consistency, complex case resolution, and credibility among customers.

2. Brand Credibility

   Our evaluation of SmileSet focused on its business background, service structure, and publicly available consumer feedback. The brand offerings include at-home aligners, removable retainers, impression kits, and supporting oral-care products, along with its direct-to-consumer model built around remote procedure and third-party financing.

   On the Better Business Bureau, the brand currently holds an F rating and is not BBB-accredited, with several complaints remaining unresolved or unanswered. While some issues were addressed over time, the need for repeated follow-ups or external escalation was noted as part of the overall assessment. Many customers highlighted delays in order fulfillment, challenges with cancellations and refunds, record discrepancies related to impressions or photos, and limited responsiveness from customer support.

   These findings indicate that the brand faces ongoing service and communication challenges rather than isolated incidents. It highlights the importance of weighing convenience and pricing against consistency, responsiveness, and dispute resolution practices when considering the brand.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does SmileSet guarantee permanent teeth alignment results?
   No. The brand does not guarantee permanent teeth alignment results, as long-term stability depends on consistent, ongoing retainer use after the procedure. Like all orthodontic approaches, teeth can gradually shift without proper retention, making adherence to the prescribed retainer schedule essential.
2. Does SmileSet address long-term dental health beyond alignment?
   The brand frames alignment as a starting point rather than a standalone outcome. It also notes secondary benefits such as easier oral hygiene with straighter teeth and offers adjunct products like retainers and night guards to support ongoing dental protection. However, its approach remains focused on mild to moderate alignment and retention support, rather than comprehensive, in-person long-term dental care.
3. Does SmileSet provide in-person dental evaluations?
   Yes. The brand offers an optional in-person evaluation at SmileStudio locations within partnered dental or orthodontic practices, where you can receive a free 30-minute 3D scan with a Smile Specialist. This is the only in-person visit required, as procedure planning and progress monitoring are handled remotely through telehealth by a state-licensed dentist or orthodontist.
   If a SmileStudio is not accessible, SmileSet allows you to begin the procedure using a mailed at-home impression kit instead.

Conclusion

SmileSet operates as an at-home orthodontic care provider built around remote planning, clinician review, and ongoing smile maintenance. You move through a structured process that combines AI-assisted screening, virtual plan approval by licensed dentists or orthodontists, and digitally monitored progress to address mild to moderate alignment concerns.

The brand claims to support controlled tooth movement and post-procedure stability through dentist-reviewed plans, FDA-cleared materials, U.S.-based manufacturing, and comfort-focused design standards.

Although it claims to use established digital orthodontic workflows, there is limited long-term, brand-specific data on outcomes such as relapse patterns, retainer durability, and alignment stability over several years.

Before considering SmileSet, you should ensure that remote orthodontic care depends heavily on accurate impressions, consistent wear, and self-monitoring. It is essential to remember that at-home systems are not intended for complex bite or skeletal issues, and persistent discomfort, shifting, or gum irritation may still require in-person evaluation.