Basma

Formed in Beirut and now offering clear aligners to customers in many countries around the world, Basma is an affordable provider of straighter smiles.

With a completely at-home service and extensive guarantees, they promise a seamless journey to improved teeth – but do they live up to their claims?

First Glance

Basma dental aligners offer remote smile straightening – there are no clinics to attend, and everything can be done at home. It’s also a simple one-size plan, so you might feel limited if you wanted more flexibility.

Pros

• Receive all your aligners up-front
• Progress monitored remotely by orthodontists
• Results guarantee – further treatment at no cost if needed

Cons

• Full-time aligners (22+ hours) only
• No in-person support
• Limited to 18+ years only

Who is behind Basma?

Basma was founded in 2019 by Cherif Massoud, an orthodontist in Beirut. Primarily targeting the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, they do ship throughout the world and are becoming a bigger name internationally.

Despite being one of the younger aligner companies, they are already garnering large numbers of positive reviews on independent websites, and due to their prominence in the Middle East, they have a large customer base.

Who can use Basma aligners?

Basma’s clear aligners can treat mild to moderate cases of overcrowding or gaps between teeth. They only move the front teeth – 8 on the top and 8 on the bottom. They can’t move molars or wisdom teeth. Other providers will claim to correct underbites and overbites, but Basma state that they cannot directly do this, although bite issues can sometimes be corrected as a side effect of treatment.

Not everyone will be suited to Basma aligner treatment. When you start the process you’ll use a molding kit to take an impression of your current smile. Professional orthodontists will review this and decide whether you are suited to treatment. If you aren’t, you’ll be able to get a full refund for the impression kit.

Basma’s aligners are only suited to anyone aged 18 or over. Other aligner providers can treat patients as young as 14, if you are looking for your teenager.

How are the clear aligners made?

The aligners provided by Basma are manufactured using FDA-approved medical grade plastic, which is sourced from the US and from Germany. They’re transparent, designed so that you can wear them comfortably without anyone else being aware.

Basma claim that their aligners are stronger and more hygienic than those provided by other providers, although they don’t provide much evidence to reinforce this claim. They are certainly as good as other aligners in the market.

What treatment options are available?

While you can choose to pay in different ways, there is only one course of treatment available with Basma. You’ll order the impression kit, and if you’re a viable candidate for treatment, you’ll then start treatment with all-day aligners, which must be worn for 22 hours per day, only being removed for eating, drinking or brushing your teeth.

If you’d prefer to only wear aligners at night, you may need to consider an alternative aligner provider, but be aware that treatment will normally last longer, or be more expensive for aligners that work faster.

The one extra that is available is whitening – for an extra cost, Basma offers whitening kits that are safe to be used alongside your aligners to brighten your smile as it is straightened. An introductory kit costs $60 while a year of whitening pens costs $100.

How long does Basma treatment take?

On average, Basma customers will receive 16 different sets of aligners to wear, with each one lasting two weeks. Some people require fewer sets, while others may need more. On average, expect to be using the aligners for around six to eight months.

Are there any other steps to take?

Once you’ve begun treatment with Basma, you’ll be asked to provide regular updates and photos through the app or website. This is to show the orthodontists how your teeth are progressing and to prove that you’re using your aligners as intended, and sticking to your treatment plan.

If you don’t provide the updates, and your treatment doesn’t work, you won’t be able to claim further treatment as part of the guarantee.

Once your treatment is complete, you’ll need to wear a retainer for the rest of your life – initially all day for the first two weeks, and then at night from then on. Your first set of retainers are free and included with your treatment kit.

How much does Basma treatment cost?

Basma aligners are reasonably priced when compared with other aligner providers. They aren’t the cheapest, but they aren’t the most expensive either.

Of the companies that only provide at-home service, and don’t offer alternative options, they’re on the more pricey side. They do have their guarantees which may make them more worthwhile, and they have benefits when it comes to replacement aligners too.

Impression kit

The first thing you’ll need to pay for is your impression kit, which includes everything you need to make an impression of your current smile. The cost of the kit is $94, which includes shipping. You’ll get a full refund if the orthodontists decide that you aren’t a suitable candidate for treatment.

Treatment

Once your impression kit is reviewed, you’ll be sent a 3D image of what your new smile will look like. If you’re happy to proceed you’ll need to pay for your treatment. The cheapest way is to pay upfront, which is a one-off fee of $1,699.

Replacements

If you break or lose an aligner, you’ll need to get a replacement. Almost every aligner provider will ask you to pay for an extra set, often costing over $100.

Basma stand out here as they offer free replacements as part of their guarantee. Just let them know about the issue, and they’ll likely recommend you switch to the prior set until your new ones are with you, at no extra cost.

Retainers

When your treatment is complete, you’ll need to wear a set of retainers. Your first set is free, but then you’ll need to replace them every six months. We’re looking into the cost of these and will update this review when we know more.

Are payment options available?

Most aligner providers understand that the cost of aligners is significant, and so offer a payment plan to make it more affordable. Basma is no different. While most providers will allow treatment costs to be spread over 12 or 24 months, Basma do only offer payments across 5 months.

Each payment is $363, for a total cost of $1,815. The difference of $116 between paying in full and choosing instalments is less of a jump than it is with other providers.

How old do you have to be?

Basma aligners are only available to adults aged 18 or over. Other aligner providers can treat younger patients if you need help for a teenager.

You might need to have your wisdom teeth removed before starting aligner treatment – your impression kit results will explain this to you.

Where is Basma treatment available?

As Basma is a purely at-home service, it’s available to any US resident. You simply place your order online and your impression kit, and then later your aligners, are shipped to your home.

What about customer service?

There are a number of ways that you can get in touch with Basma. If you’ve already started treatment, the easiest option is to use online support through the app or website. Otherwise, you can use the contact form on the website, email hello@basma.com or find them on social media.

You can also call between the hours of 8am and 7pm from Sunday to Friday, although note that the contact numbers supplied are international numbers for the offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Basma: The Verdict

Availability

Basma is a completely at-home service. There are no clinics to visit – everything is shipped to your home, and all customer support is carried out remotely, usually online.

This is ideal for making sure more people have access to the treatment. However some people prefer the in-person service of a clinic, and the reassurance of being able to have someone directly examine their teeth. If you want this to be included in your service, you may need to look at another provider.

Price

Basma’s total cost of between $1700 and $1900, including impression kit, is slightly higher than average for other providers who only work remotely, but it is still cheaper than providers that use 3D scan clinics. You can spread the cost, but only over 5 months, and $363 per month might still be out of your budget. On the other hand, it does mean that you aren’t tied into making payments for a long time.

Cheaper providers are available if budget is your main concern, but the guarantees offered by Basma may make their price worthwhile.

Ease of use

Because Basma’s aligners are a completely at-home option, they strive to make sure everything is as easy as possible. Your impression kit comes with step-by-step instructions, and you can refer to the customer service if you struggle.

You’ll then get a 3D preview, and if you’re not happy then you can decline to proceed. If you do go ahead, you’ll get all of your aligners at once, so there’s no waiting around for more shipments. You’ll also get free chewies, which are optional extras you can chew on to help get your aligners to fit in place, making it easier to get the right fit.

You will need to provide updates throughout your treatment in order to qualify for the guarantee, if that is necessary once your original treatment plan is concluded.

Options

There are not many options available to you as a Basma customer – the treatment is pretty standard, although tailored to your particular tooth alignment. You’ll use an impression kit, and then proceed with all-day aligners that need to be worn for 22 hours a day, only removed when you’re eating, drinking or brushing. There’s no clinic to visit if you want in-person support, and no option for nighttime-only aligners.

You do get options when it comes to payment, either upfront or over 5 instalments. And there are optional whitening kits that you can buy to complement your aligner treatment. However if you want more flexible treatment you may need to consider another provider.

Reassurance

Basma’s customer service is highly reviewed on independent websites, and you have plenty of options if you want to get in touch. The website has a set of FAQs to answer general questions, and then you can reach out via email, social media or telephone if you need more help, although customer support on the phone is based in the Middle East so you may get charged international dialing fees if you need to call.

One area where Basma excels is in their guarantees. They have three guarantees that they offer.

Basma’s customer service is highly reviewed on independent websites, and you have plenty of options if you want to get in touch.

The first is that, if you’re not suited to treatment after completing your impression kit, you’ll get a complete refund. Note that this doesn’t apply if you are suitable for aligners, but you decline to proceed – you won’t get your refund there. This is a pretty standard guarantee that many providers offer.

Then there’s the results guarantee. If you’ve followed all of the treatment steps as planned, switching aligners at the right times and provided updates as requested, and you’ve not got the results you were promised, you’ll be eligible for further sets of aligners to complete your treatment at no extra cost to you. Some aligner providers offer this, but not all.

The final guarantee is on replacement aligners – if you break or lose a set, you can request a new one and it’ll be shipped to you quickly at no extra charge. Very few, if any, aligner providers offer completely free replacements for errors on your part, and this helps Basma to stand out.