Disclaimer - my SmileDirectClub experience was in 2017/2018. My Candid experience was in 2019. Maybe they have improved.
I had minor crowding. SmileDirect (SD) built a 7 month, 21 tray plan. SD delivered only 6 trays to start, promising others would follow on schedule. Trays were flimsy (thin) and rough, causing bleeding and irritation. Scheduled deliveries were HORRIBLY late, trays wore out before deliveries that were over a month late arrived. Ill-fitting trays along with late deliveries resulted in me having to abandon the treatment. My teeth just moved back to their pre-treatment positions.
I tried again later with Candid. 4.5 month, 9 tray plan. All trays delivered at once. Trays were sturdy and VERY comfortable. No irritation. Worked perfectly. 5 stars.
Most importantly, I had a chance to compare the actual planned movement of my teeth. SD plan in retrospect made no sense. Protruding tooth to be aligned without first making room for it!
Candid plan made room first, then aligned teeth. In shorter time.
In hindsight, it looks like my SD plan was made by a technician. It looks like my Candid plan was made by an orthodontist.
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
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Company Response from Smile Direct Club
Hi Tom, thanks for taking the time to leave us a review and share feedback about your experience. Our fully licensed dentists and orthodontists oversee treatment and approve each SmilePlan that is created. If a customer isn't quite happy with their SmilePlan, we can always send a revision request to the doctor assigned to the case. Currently, all aligners are shipped at once to the customer and shipping timelines have significantly improved. We truly appreciate the feedback and if you have any questions, we can be reached via private message or grinners@smiledirectclub.com. Best, Madison.