Mimicking SmileDirectClub

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We often get questions by people that write or call to ask what would be a good replacement for SmileDirectClub. Some of them were just looking for something like it because they never got to use it. Others were left stranded by the company after they folded. Here is the problem with that. Any company like SmileDirect will have the same problems.

People went to SmileDirect because it was cheaper than Invisalign. Why was it cheaper? Because you didn’t have to see a dentist. You’d send them pictures and have an impression made. They’d design your treatment and send you the aligners throughout your treatment. However, a lot of things can go wrong with treatment when you are not under the care of the dentist.

One huge danger was people being treated even though they had gum disease, which can lead to the patient losing their teeth. While they’d say that they can tell from the images whether or not someone has gum disease, that is just not true. There are countless other issues that could happen as well. And they did.

Most people didn’t hear about it because SmileDirectClub had a habit of squelching negative reviews. They’d make patients sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in order to get a refund. It wasn’t until June of 2023 that patients were released from those due to a court decision in the District of Columbia, as well as them no longer being allowed to require them. This released around 17,000 previous NDA’s. With that information out in the open, they were bankrupt by the end of the year and they closed their doors.

Unfortunately, that meant patients were left out in the cold without getting the completion of their treatment that they already paid for. Hence them searching for another inexpensive solution.

I’m a firm believer that the best and safest way that you can get an aligner based orthodontic treatment is through your dentist. This will you protect you from all the things that could go wrong because you are being monitored by the dentist throughout, who can make the subtle changes needed to get your treatment back on track.

A second benefit is that the aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. This will allow you to straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time for a fraction of the cost.

This blog is brought to you by Mt. Dora Dentist Dr. Michelle Stillman.