Byte is a teledentist company that offers at-home aligner products and programs designed to straighten your teeth faster—and at a lower cost—than traditional braces. It is aimed at people looking for a quick and affordable at-home dental alignment program.
With more than 200 licensed orthodontists and dentists across the U.S., Byte claims it only accepts people who are the right candidates for teledentistry—which generally includes patients who have minor bite problems. They do not recommend their products for people with problems such as severe overbite, open bite, overjet, malocclusion requiring surgical correction, or active caries. Byte dental professionals have an average of 12 years of experience with invisible aligners, according to the company.
Byte is ideal for those who do not have a severe occlusal anomaly (imperfect tooth alignment), are comfortable taking impressions at home and work with a dentist remotely to monitor their progress, want a short treatment time of a few months, and are looking for a more affordable option compared to braces or competing clear aligners.
How does Byte work?
Founded in 2017, Byte’s product line includes an all-day aligner that will be worn for 22 hours every day and a ‘Byte-at-Night’ system as an alternative to the all-day aligner (for 10 hours at night only). Each alignment kit includes the optional HyperByte technology device, used for five minutes a day in conjunction with either the day or overnight alignment. The timeline for all-day aligners is three to four months, while night system aligners promise a straighter smile in five to six months.
HyperByte is Byte’s exclusive High Frequency Vibration (HFV) therapy technology that aims to achieve faster and more accurate results with reduced discomfort. It works by transmitting soft micro-pulses through the roots of your teeth and their surrounding bone. Byte’s HFV therapy is FDA approved as a Class II medical device and only needs to be used for five minutes a day.
The Byte process begins by taking impressions of your smile at home. Byte sends you an impression kit with instructions and, once they receive your impressions, a 3D rendering of the current state of your smile and what it will look like after Byte treatment.
Once you purchase the modeling kit and send in your impressions, expect your aligners to arrive approximately four to six weeks after an orthodontist examines your impressions and creates the 3D rendering of your bite. You’ll also be able to log into the Byte Account Center online to see “before and after” graphics of your teeth’s progress.
As noted above, you have the option of using a day or night alignment. Adding HyperByte to your treatment plan will shorten your overall treatment time—the technology allows you to achieve a straighter smile in as little as three to four months. Byte notes on their website that if they determine that you are not a suitable candidate for their alignment system, you will receive a full refund of the cost of the kit.
You receive your custom aligners in the mail, which you progress under the guidance of a dental professional at a frequency of approximately one new alignment per week. You’ll be in touch with a dental professional as you upload photos every three to four weeks of your progress to your online account center.
After treatment is complete, you wear a Byte retainer full-time for the first two weeks. From there, you can wear your retainer at night and replace it once a year.
