SmilePath vs. EZ Smile: A 2022 Comparison Review

A million dollar smile is great and all, but what about getting one as an adult?

No one past their teen years wants to deal with the “brace face” life (or relive it if the effects of their braces have worn off).

Thankfully, home teeth aligners make it possible to straighten your teeth from the convenience of your house. No braces, no wires, no office visits.

These clear aligners have become a popular alternative to braces. Why? They’re much cheaper than braces and Invisalign. They’re also much more convenient.

There are a few popular home teeth aligner companies on the market today, including SmilePath and EZ Smile. In this comparison review, we’ll help you decide which of these two services is the better option for your unique circumstances.

Spoiler | SmilePath Wins!

Thanks to their affordable pricing, high quality, and excellent customer support, SmilePath wins!

Learn More About SmilePath Visit Site

The Rundown: How SmilePath and EZ Smile Stack Up

SmilePath and EZ Smile are pretty new companies in the grand scheme of things, but to be honest, so is the entire clear aligner industry. But for as new as they are, SmilePath and EZ Smile have both established a pretty good reputation.

It’s important to note that SmilePath might not have a massive online presence, but they operate in the U.S. as AlignerCo, and in the U.K. as Straight My Teeth. If you take the reviews for all three companies into account, you’ll find that SmilePath has a pretty solid reputation.

Intrigued? That’s just the flyby! Let’s dig into the differences between EZ Smile and SmilePath in more detail.

Product Quality

When you first begin your clear aligner research, the clear aligners themselves probably all seem identical. Which makes sense—after all, every provider we review uses medical grade, BPA free plastic to craft their aligners. But aside from their core similarities, there are some differences in clear aligner design from company to company.

There are two main ways to trim an aligner: straight across, or scalloped to match the gumline. There are advantages to each design. The straight cut overlaps with the gums, which helps it exert more force. However, the overlap does make the straight cut a little more noticeable. The scalloped cut is a little more discreet, just a bit less powerful. It’s a tradeoff either way, but we prefer the straight cut due to its effectiveness.

Some providers make their aligners from highly transparent plastic, while others use plastic with a slightly frosted appearance. You’d think that the clearer the aligner, the more invisible—but that’s not actually the case. Our teeth have a porous surface, so a frosted, matte aligner actually better mimics our natural smiles. Clear, shiny plastic tends to catch the light and be a bit more noticeable.

Let’s explore what design choices SmilePath and EZ Smile have made for their aligners:

SmilePath has their aligners manufactured by RaintreeEssix, a respected dental supplier that’s been making clear aligners since 2005. SmilePath uses the same aligners for their all-day treatment as they do their nighttime only treatment option. Some companies make their nighttime only aligners from thicker, more durable plastic, but SmilePath uses the same aligners across the board.

EZ Smile doesn’t disclose who makes their aligners, so it’s difficult for us to speak to the quality in that regard. However, we do know that their treatment is safe and effective, and that their aligners are made from medical grade, BPA free plastic.

Looks-wise, these providers make the same choices across the board. They both use scalloped aligners, so your trays will be discreet; albeit less powerful. Both SmilePath and EZ Smile use clear, shiny plastic for their aligners. Even though this is the more noticeable option, bear in mind that appearance is subjective. Some customers genuinely like having an added shine to their smiles! All that matters is you find the clear aligners that work for you.

Treatment Oversight

Just because these treatments occur remotely doesn’t mean you’ll be left high and dry. Remote providers keep an eye on your progress through photos you submit during your treatment. However, the frequency and level of sophistication of remote oversight varies across companies. Let’s take a look at what you can expect when you choose SmilePath and EZ Smile for treatment.

If you’re not sure how to approach capturing clear images of your treatment progress, don’t worry—both providers include a cheek retractor in your treatment bundle. This tool helps scoot your cheeks out of the way so you can capture quality photos of your smile.

With photo updates every 10-14 days (whenever you switch to a new set of aligners), SmilePath gets eyes on your treatment much more frequently than EZ Smile. EZ Smile only requires one photo update during your treatment (at the midway point). Depending on your priorities, less oversight could be a positive or a negative trait. Some people feel peace of mind that their provider has eyes on their treatment every 2 weeks. For others; the fewer obligations, the better. It all comes down to your personal priorities.

If you need anything outside of these check-ins, you can contact customer support.

Thanks to their small customer base, SmilePath can offer excellent support to each customer. Customers frequently thank their support reps by name. In our experience, webchat is the quickest way to get a response.

EZ Smile also does a great job with customer service. You’ll get prompt support most days. But if you’re in a rush for answers, phone is the quickest route.

SmilePath says that their all-day treatment wraps up in 4-6 months, and that their NightOnly treatment takes between 6-8 months. However, judging by their reviews and the reviews of their sister companies (which use the exact same alignment system), treatment can take much longer than these projected timelines.

EZ Smile’s treatments can take anywhere from 4-8 months. For reference, the industry average treatment length is 6 months for all-day wear, and 9 months for nighttime only treatment.

All in all, SmilePath offers more frequent treatment oversight; but both companies excel in their customer support teams.

Bang For Your Buck

One of the main draws to at-home clear aligners are their comparative affordability to traditional options like braces and Invisalign. But when it’s all said and done, what do these remote treatments actually set you back? In this section, we’ll dig into the pricing details for impression kits, treatment, and whitening from SmilePath and EZ Smile.

With any home aligner company, you’ll kick off your treatment by taking impressions of your teeth. Most companies require you to use an at-home impression kit. However, a few companies, including EZ Smile, maintain retail locations that make the startup process more convenient.

SmilePath’s $75 impression kit includes everything you’ll need to kick off your treatment: putty, trays, a prepaid shipping label, and of course, detailed instructions. The $75 price tag isn’t too bad, but if you decide to pay for all of your treatment up front, SmilePath will throw in the kit at no extra charge.

One of the biggest perks to EZ Smile is that they maintain retail locations where you can get a scan taken or you can order an impression kit. It’s your choice, either way it costs $99. A lot of customers find it’s much easier to get a scan, though. And with EZ Smile, if you buy aligners, you’ll get $100 off your treatment bundle. So in a way, this step is free.

Once you complete your impressions or scans, SmilePath or EZ Smile will create your personalized treatment plan. This includes all of the aligners you’ll need to shift your smile from meh to wow. 

SmilePath has the most affordable treatments in the industry. And as a nice plus, nighttime treatment only costs $100 more. Despite their low prices, SmilePath still manages to include your first set of aftercare retainers for free. After that you can purchase them in bulk through SmilePath.

EZ Smile has the second most affordable kit on the clear aligner scene, and they give you a great value. For that price, you’ll get all the aligners you need to treat your smile and one set of free post-treatment retainers. These will cost you $99 after the first set.

Can’t pay all at once? Thankfully, both services offer financing.

With SmilePath, each treatment option has two different financing plans: one that requires a credit check, and one that requires a downpayment.

Pending a credit check, for all-day treatment you’ll make 18 monthly payments of $117. Alternatively, you can make a $499 downpayment followed by 6 monthly payments of $300. NightOnly pricing is similar, the payments are just a bit higher. For NightOnly (pending a credit check), you can make 18 monthly payments of $122. Or you can make a downpayment of $555, followed by 6 monthly payments of $316.

EZ Smile has so many financing options that it would get tedious for us to list them all here. They have financing plans with and without credit checks, and there are payment plans to fit any timetable and budget. Their plans start as low as $38 per week.

All told, SmilePath and EZ Smile are pretty comparable in value. And both give financing plans that are friendly for those with glowing and lackluster credit scores alike. But if you’re looking for a downright budget-friendly option, you’ll spend less with SmilePath.

Customer Experience

Most people are accustomed to looking for a low price on a high quality item, but when we’re shopping for clear aligner treatment it’s also important to consider how the company treats their customers. After all, you’ll be working with your provider for a few months, you want to make sure they have a good track record with the customers they’ve already served.

Let’s take a peek at what you can expect from the customer experience when you choose SmilePath and EZ Smile for your treatment.

Reviews

For many shoppers, customer reviews can make or break purchase decisions. If you’re one of those shoppers, we’ve got you covered. We’ve done the legwork for you to see what customers across the web are saying about SmilePath and EZ Smile.

Both SmilePath and EZ Smile have pretty good online reputations, including on third-party review sites. And at first glance, it might look like EZ Smile has a few more. But one thing to note: SmilePath operates as AlignerCo in the U.S., and Straight My Teeth in the U.K. Between the reviews of their sister companies and for SmilePath itself, they have a very firmly established reputation for excellence.

Guarantees

As with any purchase, there’s always the nagging question: what if it doesn’t work out? SmilePath and EZ Smile both have very individualized approaches to guaranteeing your treatment.

SmilePath falls a little short in this department. They really only offer the industry standard refund on your impression kit. If SmilePath determines you aren’t a candidate for treatment, then they’ll refund you the cost of your impression kit (or anything you already paid for your clear aligners).

EZ Smile has a pretty generous satisfaction guarantee. Here’s how it works: if at any time during your first 90 days of treatment you decide that EZ Smile isn’t for you, they’ll refund your money. They’ll keep $300 to cover their costs, but the rest will be refunded to you once you send in your aligners (both used and unused).

What if I break an aligner?

Accidents happen—if you lose or break an aligner be sure to reach out to your provider right away.

SmilePath doesn’t replace aligners, so they typically advise their customers to move on to the next aligner in their set.

EZ Smile can assess where you’re at in your treatment, and if they determine you need a replacement, they’ll send one your way for $99. While you wait for the replacement be sure to wear your most recent aligner so your teeth don’t shift out of position.

Refinement Policy

If you reach the end of your treatment and your teeth still need a bit more movement, you’ll need refinements (extra aligners). Each company takes a different approach to handle refinements.

If you reach the end of your SmilePath treatment and you’re not pleased with your smile, SmilePath will give you an adjustment and send new aligners your way—but you’ll need to pay $270 for them.

Alternatively, if you reach the end of your treatment and your smile doesn’t look like what you were promised, EZ Smile will send you new aligners for free. That way, you’ll get back on track before you know it!

A generous refinements plan can give you some peace of mind during treatment, since your results are essentially guaranteed. If you end up needing refinements, SmilePath’s $270 fee brings their cost to $2,169 for all-day and $2,269 for NightOnly treatment. This means that if you do end up needing refinements, EZ Smile ends up being the cheaper option, since they include your refinements for free.

Which Is the Best Home Aligner for You?

When it all comes down to it, SmilePath and EZ Smile are both good options. But at the end of the day, you can only pick one.

If you want our honest opinion, we prefer SmilePath—we rate them #2 across all Australian providers. It’s not a huge difference, though, because EZ Smile gets our #3 spot. We just love SmilePath’s affordable treatment prices. But if you want an easier start-up process or the assurance of a fantastic satisfaction guarantee, then EZ Smile is a great choice for only a few hundred dollars more.

Choose SmilePath if:

You want the most budget-friendly (but still effective and safe) treatment on the market without lots of extra bells and whistles.

Choose EZ Smile if:

You want the easiest start-up process in Australia, or you want the practicality of choosing a company that will give you the most flexible financing options possible.

Final Verdict | SmilePath Wins!

From their industry lowest pricing, top-notch customer support, and affordable aftercare, SmilePath wins!

Learn More About SmilePath Visit Site

Frequently Asked Questions