Frequently Asked Questions

Our clear aligner therapy includes several sets of tight-fitting, custom-made, BPA-free clear plastic trays that gradually shift teeth into their desired position.

Our clear aligners come as a set of multiple aligners. Each aligner will make slight adjustments to tooth position, a process that is mapped out in advance by a SmileDirectClub affiliated, Irish registered dentist or orthodontist who reviews your case. You’ll begin wearing a new set of aligners as prescribed, advancing you to the next stage of your new smile. We make it even easier by shipping your aligners directly to you.

Our aligners are made of a smooth, comfortable, BPA-free plastic that won't irritate your cheeks and gums like traditional metal braces often do.

SmileDirectClub clear aligners are trimmed in a straight fashion across the top, allowing us to get optimal turning force to straighten your teeth. This also eliminates the need for buttons or attachments, which are generally considered unsightly or uncomfortable.

Every SmileDirectClub order begins with a free Smile Assessment and is followed by an at-home impression kit or SmileShop appointment to determine whether you're suitable for the aligners. The clear aligner system is designed for minor to moderate teeth correction, including space between teeth, crowding, rotations, and some bite correction.

If you're eligible for treatment, you will typically need to wait 6 weeks after having your third molars (or wisdom teeth) extracted before starting with SmileDirectClub clear aligners. You may be able to start earlier if your dentist provides a signed letter confirming that it is safe for you to undergo our treatment.

If your dentist has recommended removal of wisdom teeth, then please follow their direction. If not, you can purchase our remote impression kit or book a 3D image appointment, and an Irish registered dentist or orthodontist will review your smile for you. If they determine that remote aligner treatment isn’t right for you, we will refund the cost of your impression kit.

The Irish registered dentist or orthodontist assigned to you will review your smile and determine if SmileDirectClub aligners are the best fit for you. If they determine you are not eligible for treatment, the cost of your impression kit will be refunded in full.

The Irish registered dentist or orthodontist assigned to you will review your smile and assess your eligibility for SmileDirectClub aligner treatment. If they determine you are not eligible for treatment, the cost of your impression kit or a 3D image appointment is fully refundable.

Nighttime Clear Aligner™ therapy is a safe and effective path to a straighter smile. Like any clear aligner treatment plan, customers should follow their Irish registered dentist or orthodontist’s prescription of 10 consecutive hours of wear per night. While the average time of treatment may be longer than the average 22-hour-a-day aligner therapy, this discreet and flexible alternative will safely achieve desired results.

Nighttime Clear Aligners™ provide a more discreet, flexible treatment plan for customers with mild to moderate spacing and crowding issues. SmileDirectClub’s custom-made, BPA-free clear aligners will safely straighten your teeth with at least 10 hours of continuous wear each night. Traditional 22-hour-a-day clear aligner therapy is a faster option for customers seeking treatment for a scheduled event like a graduation or a wedding.

Each aligner set is custom-made to safely move your teeth within the prescribed time provided by your Irish registered dentist or orthodontist. Any deviation from the prescribed treatment plan is not advised.

Nighttime Clear Aligners™ is the first aligner system on the market that safely allows customers to wear clear aligners for only 10 continuous hours per night. Wearing Nighttime Clear Aligners™ while you sleep is more convenient to many people's lifestyle.

There are three key reasons to take advantage of SmileDirectClub’s Nighttime Clear Aligners™:

• Convenience: Customers can get the smile they’ll love while only wearing aligners for 10 hours per night;

• Affordability: Nighttime Aligners™ cost 50% less than braces.* You can get a smile you love for a flat fee.

• Accessibility: Customers using Nighttime Clear Aligners™ may have careers or lifestyles that preclude them from wearing aligners during the day. These customers now have the flexibility to only focus on straightening their teeth at night. 

Nighttime Clear Aligner™ therapy provides a more discreet, flexible teeth straightening solution for customers who cannot commit to 22 hours of daily wear. 10-hour aligners are safe and very discreet to wear because customers only wear them at night and when they sleep.

A free 3D image appointment can be done at any SmileShop. During the 30-minute appointment, a SmileGuide will create a 3D image of your smile and send it directly to our lab to generate your custom treatment plan. This will then be reviewed and approved by an Irish registered dentist or orthodontist. Find a SmileShop near you on our Locations page. If you are not located near a SmileShop, or if you’d rather get started remotely, we'll send a prescribed impression kit to your door. Simply use the kit to take impressions of your smile, then send the impression kit back to us. Return shipping postage is included. All you have to do is drop your completed kit in the post!

You can purchase an impression kit for €49 here.

Remote clear aligner therapy isn't right for everyone. That's why we'll refund the cost of your impression kit if the Irish registered dentist or orthodontist determines our clear aligners aren't a fit for you. Simply call our Customer Care team at 1800 851 076 after learning about your eligibility, to have your refund processed.

We can help! Give us a call at 1800 851 076 or send us a message. All you'll need is your receipt. Simply provide the date of the purchase and your order number, and we can generate a new code for you.

If our lab receives distorted impressions that prevent them from creating an accurate 3D model for our Irish registered dentist or orthodontist to assess your eligibility for treatment, we will contact you to send another impression kit. We'll refund the price of the replacement impression kit at the time of aligner purchase.

We can help. Your all-in-one aligner box features an instructional booklet, but we also have video support here.

Once impressions are complete and ready to be shipped back, customers can choose one of the following two free options.

1. Schedule a collection.

   Customers will need to provide their return tracking ID located on the returns label on the bottom of their box.

   Customers can call 0345 607 0809 and press ‘0’ if they do not have a FedEx account to arrange a pickup (return ID is not located on the bottom of the box – it will be on the FedEx envelope)

   Or schedule a pickup online using link: https://www.fedex.com/en-gb/shipping/global-returns/how-to-return.html

Customers do not need a FedEx account to return their IK. The only number needed is the FedEx Tracking # printed on the return label. When customers ring FedEx if they don’t have an account, number advise them to press 0.

Please direct customers to FedEx customer services on 1800 535 800 or email ie@fedex.com

To speak to FedEx directly to arrange or discuss a pickup please call:

Ireland - 1800 535 800

(Press 0 if the customer doesn’t have an account number)

For all Republic of Ireland customers who ordered an IK after the 21st December 2020, they will receive an A5 Insert included in their IK box. This will explain to ROI (Republic of Ireland) customers how to return their IK’s.

Customers will need to put their IK’s in the provided FedEx envelope and seal for return.

Their tracking ID is located on the shipping label on the front of the FedEx envelope

The commercial invoice is fully completed and inside the document pouch attached to the FedEx envelope. (This is for the FedEx drivers reference, customers must NOT remove)

Once impressions are ready to send back, ROI customers can choose one of the following two free options:

Schedule a collection:

They can call - 1800 535 800

Find a drop off location using link:

Fedex.com/en-ie/customer-support.html

If you are eligible for treatment, it’s your first step to getting a straighter smile. During your visit, a SmileGuide will take a 3D image of your current smile, which will be used to create a treatment plan that will be reviewed and approved by an Irish registered dentist or orthodontist. The best part is you only have to go once, and it’s just 30 minutes. Say goodbye to waiting rooms!

Our SmileShops are located in Ireland and the UK. For a list of shops, visit our Locations page.

Simply book a SmileShop appointment on our Locations page. You’ll be given a few dates and times to choose from, and our team will follow up to confirm your scheduled appointment.

Life happens, and sometimes you run late. Please call us at 1800 851 077 and let us know when we can expect you to arrive at the SmileShop. We'll do everything we can to fit you into the schedule.

Give us a call at 1800 851 077 at least 24 hours before your appointment time to reschedule your appointment and avoid a cancellation fee.

About 20 to 30 minutes, give or take.

Our SmileGuides use a highly accurate 3D optical camera to capture an image of your smile, including your teeth and gumlines. This 3D image helps our Irish registered dentists and orthodontists determine if you are eligible for SmileDirectClub treatment and allows our lab to create a personalised treatment plan that is reviewed and approved by one of our Irish registered dentists or orthodontists.

SmileGuides come from a variety of backgrounds and are trained to efficiently and accurately capture a 3D image of your smile. Many of our SmileGuides are registered Clinical Dental Technicians. We actively monitor and evaluate the quality of their work – including your experience. Our SmileGuides are able to answer any questions you have about our service, our process, our technology, and most questions about straightening your smile using clear aligners.

That’s no problem at all. We also offer an easy-to-use, at home impression kit that includes an online photo assessment and dental impressions.

Yes. Your new treatment plan will be reviewed, approved, and prescribed by an Irish registered dentist or orthodontist. This ensures your new treatment plan corresponds with the Code of Practice established by the Dental Council of Ireland. Source.

Yes, after we receive your impressions or 3D image, we create a custom treatment plan that shows a before and after 3D visualisation of how your teeth will move with treatment. If our dentists determine that our clear aligners aren't the right fit for you, we'll be happy to refund the cost of your impression kit. You can see examples of how our custom treatment plans work by visiting our Results page.

The Irish registered dentist or orthodontist assigned to review and approve your treatment plan will determine the required treatment length for your needs, but we straighten most smiles in an average of 4-6 months⁴ for traditional clear aligner therapy, and in an average of 10 months for Nighttime Clear Aligners^TM.

It’s possible. The Irish registered dentist or orthodontist assigned to your case will decide what the safest and best treatment option is for you.

We include Chewies with your aligners to help you get a tighter fit. Simply insert your aligners, put your Chewie between your teeth, and chew as if it were a piece of gum.

Because we custom-make your aligners to fit your mouth, our goal is to make your aligners the appropriate size to realign your smile while being as unobtrusive as possible. Your aligners should cover at least one-third of each molar.

Wear your aligners all the time as directed by your prescribed treatment plan. Take them out for eating and drinking.

Much like the days after a good workout at the gym, most people experience some tooth soreness for a few days after wearing new aligners. This is perfectly normal. It is a sign that your aligners are working by moving your teeth into a straighter position. This soreness should gradually go away after the first few days. If the pain doesn't go away, contact our Customer Care team at 1800 851 076.

Most SmileDirectClub customers don't need to make any additional visits to a dentist during their clear aligner treatment (for reasons related to the treatment), aside from regular dental cleanings.

We understand that mistakes happen. For starters, give our customer care team a call at 1800 851 076 so we can understand where you are in your smile journey and our dental team can provide the best recommendation for your care based on your unique situation. Your treating dentist and our dental team may advise you to wear your last set of aligners or to move on to the next set. If we determine you need a replacement aligner, we will send the first set to you for free. Subsequent replacement aligners may be subject to a €90 surcharge depending on the circumstances. Either way – give us a call and we’ll work with you to develop the best path forward for your treatment.

Protect your investment! We strongly recommend you safeguard your new smile with our custom-fit SmileDirectClub clear retainers. Without retainers, teeth have a tendency to shift back to their original positions. One set costs €90 and is available to purchase towards the end of your treatment. Call our Customer Care team at 1800 851 078 about 4–5 weeks before you finish your treatment plan to place your order.

As with any orthodontic treatment, you should wear a retainer regularly to maintain your new smile. You'll wear your retainers 24 hours a day (except for eating and drinking) for the first 2 weeks. After that, you should wear your retainers only while you sleep. We recommend replacing your retainers every 6 months to keep them fresh.

Making changes to your account information is easy. Log in to your account on our website or call us at 1800 851 076 to update your shipping address, email, phone number, or credit / debit card on file. We’re happy to help you keep your contact information current.

You can keep track of your aligners by logging in to your account on our website. Click on your dashboard to enter the date on which you start wearing your first set of aligners and let the dashboard do the rest. You can log in to see when you’re scheduled to change to your next set, which aligner you should be wearing, and how many days and aligners you have left in your treatment plan. If you ever get off course because of a vacation or forget to wear your aligners, you can always reset your dashboard by clicking the "Get Back on Track" button.

SMILECHECK is our proprietary technology system that connects you with your prescribing Irish registered dentist or orthodontist and manages your treatment plan and dental case records. Through a secure provider portal, your dentist can view images and dental impressions, and prescribe your treatment. These tools equip SmileGuides and lab technicians in performing their work and managing your case file. And SMILECHECK provides you, the customer, direct access to upload photos and images, manage your account, and view your treatment plan.

Our minimum age requirement is 12 years old, and patients must have all permanent teeth present, except for the upper right 3rd molar, upper left 3rd molar, lower right 3rd molar, and lower left 3rd molar. For patients under the age of 18, SmileDirectClub requires a parent or guardian's consent on the Medical / Dental History Form in order to proceed with clear aligner treatment.

No. At the moment, SmileDirectClub clear aligners are only available to eligible customers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, the UK and Ireland.

Yes. We have several before and after photos and video testimonials on our Results page.

Yes, you may purchase impression kits and aligners for more than one individual. The best way to do so is for each patient to have an account tied to a unique email address, regardless of who made the purchase. While we’re actively working to update our platform to allow a single user account to manage multiple customers, for now you will need to purchase each kit under a different email address to ensure proper prescription and monitoring of treatment. If you only have one email address, there are many free email services available that you can use.

Yes! If you cancelled your order, you can restart with SmileDirectClub at any time. To get started, submit another Smile Assessment by selecting Am I a Candidate?

If you’ve addressed the eligibility concerns raised by the Irish registered dentist or orthodontist, you may be able to restart the eligibility assessment process. To get restarted, submit a new Smile Assessment by selecting Am I a Candidate?

We’re here to help you get a straighter, brighter smile. If you have followed the treatment plan as recommended by your Irish registered dentist or orthodontist and, at the end of treatment, you don’t achieve a straighter smile or the results you had hoped for, please contact us so your Irish registered dentist or orthodontist can re-evaluate your results. If your re-evaluation is approved, you may be eligible for additional aligners to continue your journey. Learn more about our Club Warranty on the Returns page.