Smile Direct Club customers left in the dark after company shuts down
Smile Direct Club said it was closing down ‘immediately’ and advised customers to see a dentist to continue treatment
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.British customers of a dentistry firm that provided teeth alignment services were left “disgusted” after the company halted all treatment.
Smile Direct Club, which offered teeth aligners for thousands of pounds told customers treatment was no longer available after it made the “incredibly difficult” decision to close down.
It comes after the firm filed for bankruptcy in October 2023 and a last-ditch rescue attempt to save the company failed in December.
One customer said she was “angry” and “disgusted” to find out she would not be receiving any treatment after making an initial payment.
“I have always been scared of the dentist so it was the perfect solution for me. But it was disgusting how we have all been treated,” Paige Louise Lines told The Independent.
Have you been affected by Smile Direct Club’s closure? Contact alexander.butler@independent.co.uk
“I didn’t even find out they had gone bankrupt until I went to log in to my portal to check the progress of when my aligners would arrive.
“I just had a message pop up onto my screen. I was quite angry I never actually heard from them directly,” Ms Lines added.
A statement on Smile Direct Club’s website read: “Smile Direct Club has made the incredibly difficult decision to wind down its global operations, effective immediately.
“For new customers interested in Smile Direct Club services, thank you for your interest, but aligner treatment is no longer available through our telehealth platform.
“For existing customers, we apologise for the inconvenience, but customer care support is no longer available.”
After offering a “lifetime smile guarantee”, the company recommended customers to contact their local dentist if they wanted to carry on with treatment.
Customers were drawn to Smile Direct Club, founded in 2014, because of its low prices compared to regular forms of teeth straightening.
Its services differed from traditional dentistry which saw orthodontists or dentists fit “train-track” braces and clear aligners after an in-person consultation.
Treatment with the company typically took between four to six months and customers had online check-ins with registered dentists.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments