Byte At-Night: A Brutally Honest Review

Let’s be honest: wearing clear aligners all day can be a hassle. You have to wear them everywhere you go, and make sure to remove them and brush your teeth every time you eat or drink. Fortunately, Byte has solved this problem. They’ve designed clear aligners specifically for nighttime-only wear.

That’s right, Byte At-Night claims to be able to straighten your teeth while you sleep. These innovative aligners only need to be worn 10 hrs/night instead of 22+ hrs/day.

But is Byte At-Night too good to be true? Let’s dive in to find out. In this review, we’ll give you the full scoop on Byte’s “At-Night” aligners, and everything else you should know before getting started with Byte treatment.

Is Byte At-Night Legit?

Byte isn’t as well-known as some larger companies like Invisalign or Smile Direct Club, but that doesn’t mean they’re a bad option. Byte has made a huge impact for such a young company. They started in August of 2018, and since then, they’ve introduced some innovative ideas and served thousands of customers.

Byte’s claim to fame is their treatment speed. Traditionally, at-home teeth aligners take an average of 6 months for treatment. That’s assuming you use all-day aligners. Nighttime treatments typically take longer simply because you wear your aligners for a shorter period of time each day. But that’s not true for Byte At-Night. Byte’s nighttime aligners use a thicker, medical-grade plastic specifically designed for nighttime wear. Pair that with their HyperByte system, and your nighttime treatment will be speedy. On average, Byte At-Night lasts just 5-6 months.

But they aren’t just fast. Byte also prides itself on giving back to the community. They offer nice military, student, and first responder discounts. But Byte doesn’t stop there; their “bytecares” program aims to provide a million-dollar smile to 10,000 people who wouldn’t be able to afford one themselves.

How Does Byte At-Night Work?

For the most part, Byte At-Night treatment looks similar to traditional aligners. You take an impression of your teeth, Byte creates a treatment plan for you, and you wear your aligners for the prescribed amount of time.

That’s the process in a nutshell. Here’s a more thorough idea of what to expect from Byte’s nighttime aligners:

• Step 1: Create impressions of your teeth using Byte’s Impression Kit. Essentially, you create 3D molds of your teeth, which Byte’s orthodontists use to create your personalized treatment plan.
• Step 2: Approve your treatment plan once you receive it from Byte. This treatment plan will show you a prediction of what your teeth will look like after treatment.
• Step 3: Wear the aligners Byte sends you. To be both successful and safe, you’ll need to wear your aligners for 10 continuous hours per night.
• Step 4: Immediately after you put in your aligners each evening, you’ll use your HyperByte tool for ten minutes. This device gently vibrates your teeth to help them move into a new position. With daytime treatment, you’d use this device for just five minutes. But Byte At-Night requires ten.

Byte At-Night is a touch slower than their traditional treatment (but not by much). Byte took their daytime aligners and optimized them for nighttime wear. They’re thicker and grind resistant, which means they’re stronger, too. As a result, Byte At-Night requires 5-6 months of treatment (that’s just 2-3 months slower than daytime treatment).

Advantages & Disadvantages of Byte At-Night

Byte’s At-Night aligners are a very convenient treatment option, but they’re not necessarily right for everyone. Below we’ll dive into the major advantages and disadvantages of using Byte At-Night.

Advantages of Byte At-Night

✔ There is less teeth-brushing with nighttime aligners. With Byte’s daytime treatment, you have to remove your aligners each and every time you eat or drink (excluding water). Before replacing the aligners, you need to brush your teeth and clean your aligners. If you snack or drink a lot of coffee, this can be a hassle. But with Byte At-Night, all you have to do is brush your teeth before bed like you normally do and pop in your aligners.

✔ Byte is buyer-friendly. Regardless of your credit score, you can get started with a $449 downpayment and a monthly payment of $99 for 29 months with Bytepay.

✔ Byte offers a lifetime smile guarantee: if your teeth shift after treatment, even years down the road, Byte sends you new aligners at no additional cost. The first set of aftercare retainers are free, too.

And, of course, there are some disadvantages:

✖ Byte At-Night requires a more thorough pre-check by Byte’s dentists. Nighttime treatment exerts a bit more force on your teeth in a shorter amount of time; as a result, not everyone is a candidate for this method.

✖ Byte At-Night is Byte’s premium offering, so it costs a bit more than their daytime treatment. It’s about $400 more, so the difference isn’t huge. But it’s important to keep in mind.

✖ Byte At-Night is still relatively new, so they haven’t been fully vetted by customers and external reviews.

Byte At-Night Treatment Speed

On average, customers using Byte At-Night can expect to see their perfect smile in about five to six months. Everyone’s experience is a bit different depending on the severity of their condition. As a general rule, if your teeth are mildly crooked, you’ll take five months. Tougher cases will require the full six months.

Once Byte receives your impressions, photos, and consent form, you can expect to receive your aligner kit in roughly four weeks.

Provided you wear your aligners for ten hours each night, use HyperByte for ten minutes a day, and wear each aligner for two weeks, you’ll have the smile of your dreams in 5 to 6 months. That includes shipping time, too.

Byte At-Night Customer Reviews

If you’re like a lot of online shoppers, you like to read customer reviews before making a purchase. That’s just good sense. For Byte, however, there are hundreds of reviews to sift through. To make your life a little easier, we’ve summarized what most customers had to say.

Just a note before we dive into the details: most of these comments are from people who went with traditional, 22-hour wear. But since Byte At-Night is fundamentally similar to Byte’s all-day method, we feel these reviews still apply.

Without further ado, here’s what customers loved about Byte:

• Easy to use the impression kit
• Noticeable results within a matter of weeks
• Excellent customer support thanks to personal Byte advisors

But there are occasional drawbacks, too:

• Treatment can take longer than expected
• Mixups can occur when billing dental insurance

On the whole, it seems that Byte is a pretty safe bet when it comes to customer satisfaction. There’s always the potential for something to go wrong, but in all the cases we’ve seen, Byte’s customer support team is always able to find a solution.

Byte At-Night Pricing & Features

Byte At-Night is Byte’s premium aligner offering. Their nighttime treatment used to be the same product as daytime (with a different wear schedule), but now the aligners themselves are different. Byte redesigned their aligners to be thicker plastic, exerting more force. As an added plus, these new aligners are grind-proof.

The catch? Premium aligners cost more than basic clear aligners. Here’s the impact Byte At-Night will have on your wallet:

• Impression kit, $95: With Byte, your only option to get your treatment started is to purchase an impression kit. If you buy one and it turns out that you’re not a candidate for treatment, Byte will refund you the cost of the kit.
• Base treatment cost, $2,295: This price includes all the aligners necessary for your treatment. You’ll also get one free set of Bright Byte, Byte’s whitening treatment.
• Post-treatment retainers, $0 (first set): To help keep your smile perfect, Byte includes your first set of retainers for free in your initial kit. If you ever lose or damage one, you can purchase a new set for $129.

If the total sticker price of $2,295 is more than your wallet can chew through, then don’t worry. Byte offers BytePay, a pay-as-you-go plan, which doesn’t even require a credit check, so everyone qualifies. You simply make a downpayment of $449 and then pay $99 a month for 28 months. That results in a higher total price of $3,336 (there’s a 7.76% APR), so it’s significantly cheaper to pay the whole price up front if you’re able to.

Bytepay-ers get default access to Byte’s Byte Protection Plan. With BPP, you’ll get comprehensive protection for your new smile. You’ll get 5 years of retainers at no cost. Normally, it costs $129 to get retainers, and over five years, you’d need 9 sets (the first set is free). So the retainers alone would cost you $1,161. You’ll also get free replacements of lost or stolen aligners during treatment.

Bought separately, the Byte Protection Plan for nighttime treatment costs $779 (if you pay for the whole treatment price up front, you can buy it à-la-carte). If you’re hoping to maintain your new smile for life, that’s a great value.

Byte At-Home Customer Support

With Byte, you never pay a visit to a dentist’s office. This might be incredibly convenient, but it also cuts down on the human interaction you’ll have during treatment. And it doesn’t mean you’ll never have questions, either. Whenever you need to speak with a human to get questions answered, you want reliable, friendly service that’s also helpful.

We briefly mentioned earlier that customers appreciate the service they receive when interacting with Byte’s representatives. In many of the reviews we read, customers mentioned their representative and thanked them by name.

When we tested Byte’s customer support ourselves, we found them to be pretty prompt, especially by phone. Email is a bit slower, but you can expect a response within 24 hours. You can also reach out to them on social media, but for specific questions, a phone call is the fastest and most secure method.

Byte At-Night Alternatives

Byte At-Night is a very convenient method to straighten your teeth while you sleep. However, they’re not the only option to consider.

Smile Direct Club

If nighttime treatment is a priority for you, then you can also check out Smile Direct Club. Smile Direct also offers nighttime-only treatment. Average treatment time with Smile Direct’s nighttime aligners is 10 months, so they’re slower than Byte At-Night.

However, their nighttime treatment is more affordable at $1,950. And as one of the most experienced home aligner companies out there, Smile Direct is a very well-known name in the industry. Odds are you’ve seen an ad for them on TV or social media.

AlignerCo

Another nighttime treatment option is AlignerCo’s NightOnly option. If you’re looking for the convenience of nighttime treatment and affordability, they’re your best bet. They charge just $1,345 for nighttime treatment. On average, their treatment takes between 8-12 months. So while they’re slower than Byte At-Night, they’re a little easier on your wallet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Byte ever offer discounts?

If you’re on Byte’s email list, you’ll receive their promotional emails from time to time, which often feature discounts on their aligners and/or impression kits. On top of that, they offer year-round discounts for students, first responders, and current/former military members, who can get up to $150 off their treatment.

What if I’m not happy with the outcome?

Byte is (largely) a non-refundable service. The only refund they offer is for their impression kit, which goes to individuals who buy the impression kit but aren’t good candidates for treatment.

However, Byte does promise that you’ll love your smile for life. That’s why they give you your first set of post-treatment retainers (also for nighttime) for free. But if your teeth still shift after stopping your treatment, Byte will give you new nighttime aligners, free of charge.

Does Byte Have Good Customer Support?

With Byte, you never pay a visit to a dentist’s office. This might be incredibly convenient, but it also cuts down on the human interaction you’ll have during treatment. And it doesn’t mean you’ll never have questions, either. Whenever you need to speak with a human to get questions answered, you want reliable, friendly service that’s also helpful.

We briefly mentioned earlier that customers appreciate the service they receive when interacting with Byte’s representatives. In many of the reviews we read, customers mentioned their representative and thanked them by name.

When we tested Byte’s customer support ourselves, we found them to be pretty prompt, especially by phone. Email is a bit slower, but you can expect a response within 24 hours. You can also reach out to them on social media, but for specific questions, a phone call is the fastest and most secure method.

How fast does Byte at night work?

On average, customers using Byte At-Night can expect to see their perfect smile in about four to six months. Everyone’s experience is a bit different depending on the severity of their condition. As a general rule, if your teeth are mildly crooked, you’ll take four months. Tougher cases will require the full six months.

Once Byte receives your impressions, photos, and consent form, you can expect to receive your aligner kit in roughly four weeks. Provided you wear your aligners for ten hours each night, use HyperByte for ten minutes a day, and wear each aligner for two weeks, you’ll have the smile of your dreams in 4 to 6 months. That includes shipping time too.

Do I need an X-ray before Byte treatment?

No X-ray needed! The impression kit is all you need to get started; it measures the spaces and orientation of your teeth, not your bone structure. That’s assuming you have a relatively normal bone structure, though. If you suspect that your jaw is a slightly misshapen or that you have a bad overbite or underbite, then you may want to get an X-ray to be sure.

How does Byte compare to Candid and Smile Direct?

Byte and Smile Direct both one-up Candid by offering nighttime-only treatment options. Candid and Smile Direct both have physical locations, which Byte doesn’t. But compared to any company on the market, Byte is the fastest—nighttime and daytime treatments alike.

Is Byte better than braces and Invisalign?

It depends on what you mean by “better.” Braces, Invisalign, and Byte will all get the job done and leave you with an impressive grin. The real questions are how fast does the treatment go, and how much are you willing to spend?

Of these three options, Byte is the cheapest and quickest way to get treatment. Even better: Byte is the only one that gives you the flexibility to wear your aligners solely at night. Braces are affixed to your teeth all day and night, while Invisalign requires 22+ hours of wear per day.

Is Byte At-Night cheaper than braces or Invisalign?

Yes! Byte is cheaper than both traditional braces and Invisalign. Before insurance, Byte At-Night costs $2,295. Invisalign can cost several thousand dollars before insurance. The same goes for braces. Ultimately, Byte At-Night can cost thousands less.

Does Byte treatment last forever?

Occasionally, teeth will shift after you finish treatment. As you age (or for women, during pregnancy), your teeth have a tendency to move. If that happens, Byte promises to help. Just let them know that your smile has changed, and they’ll provide you with new aligners free of charge. You’ll be able to wear these aligners as nighttime aligners, too.

Does Byte offer teeth whitening services?

Yes! Byte includes BrightByte with every new customer kit. If you ever run out, you can buy a new bottle for $30 each. Buy a 6-bottle supply to get a unit price of $20. Byte recommends that you use BrightByte only while you’re using your Byte At-Night aligners. The formula is safe to use with your nighttime aligners, and it doubles as an aligner cleanser, too.

I’m in a rush – is Byte At-Night the fastest at-home treatment option available?

Ironically, Byte At-Night’s biggest competitor for treatment speed is Byte! Byte At-Night treatment wraps up in 5 to 6 months. But if raw speed is all that matters, we’d recommend that you opt for Byte’s daytime treatment schedule, which typically lasts three months. Of the three companies offering nighttime treatment options, though, Byte is definitely the fastest.

Does Byte have a refund policy?

Byte does not offer refunds for their nighttime aligners or impression kits. The only exception to this: if you take impressions and turn out not to be a good candidate for treatment, they’ll refund the impression kit price.

What happens if I mess up my impressions?

We’ll let Byte speak for themselves here: “If you send your impressions back and we can’t create an accurate set of aligners, we’ll contact you and send another impression kit.” Simple, right?

Does Byte have upsells?

Byte doesn’t have any hard upsells during their order process. They do have a soft one by including a free bottle of their whitening treatment, but that’s it. And since there’s no commitment to buy the whitener, it’s not really a true upsell.

Does Byte have an age requirement?

Byte treats anyone ages 12 and up. However, they require written parental consent to treat anyone younger than 18. A related note: Byte recommends that you think about your wisdom teeth before getting alignment treatment. If you suspect you’ll need them removed, it’s in your best interest to take care of that first. Then your treatment will be the most effective.

Will Byte At-Night make me talk funny?

With any home aligner system, you have a foreign object in your mouth. That’s unavoidable. So, your mouth might feel a bit funny, and you could have the slightest hint of a lisp. For most people, though, the aligners are minimally invasive and practically imperceptible to others. But since you’re wearing these aligners at night, that shouldn’t be too much of an issue, right? If you’re a sleeptalker, that’s another story.

How many hours a day should I wear my Byte At-Night aligner?

Byte recommends that you wear your aligners for 10 hours each day. For the most part, you’ll wear them while you sleep. Unless you’re the rare person who actually gets ten hours of z’s each day, then you should put them in a few hours before bedtime to get the full required wear.

Can I drink coffee while using Byte?

We generally don’t recommend that you drink coffee while sleeping. The two don’t usually go together. In all seriousness, though, you shouldn’t eat or drink anything except water when wearing your Byte At-Night aligners. If you do decide to grab a late-night snack or drink, then you should take out your aligners and brush your teeth before replacing them. This helps avoid stains and keeps your aligners fresh and clean, too.

What happens if I lose my aligners (or retainers)?

Byte doesn’t offer free replacements for lost aligners. However, you can purchase a replacement for $99. Byte also recommends that you wear your most recent aligner in the meantime while waiting on the replacement.

Is Byte At-Night covered by insurance?

Byte works hand-in-hand with many insurance companies, but not all insurance types cover orthodontic treatment. Curious? Byte will run a free coverage check for you; just send them the details on your insurance card. They also accept FSA and HSA cards.

How can I contact Byte’s customer support?

You can contact Byte through their social media channels, but for more traditional support, it’s best to contact them via phone at 1 866.708.1557 for voice calling or 310.340.1241 for text. If you’d rather email, you can reach them at support@byteme.com. Just a note, though: even though you wear your aligners at night, you won’t be able to get support at night.