SmileDirectClub has disrupted dentistry, and created the solution if you are afraid of the dentist -a series of clear plastic aligners that can be prescribed and fitted without a visit to the dentist.
I had braces as a child but my teeth were never perfectly straight, especially the bottom ones. SmileDirectClub offered me a set of their plastic aligners as well as a whitening kit, and I have been amazed at the results.
Australians are notorious for avoiding the dentist. Smile Direct is an alternative for people who are terrified of the dentist,” SmileDirectClub Vice President ANZ & New Zealand Jason Coglan explained over coffee. “62% of Australians say they are considering straightening their teeth or having dental work, but over 2 million put it off.” And it is not just far that put them off according to Jason. “Australians do not want to spend on their teeth,” he says. “But SmileDirectClub is up to 60% cheaper than traditional braces.”
SmileDirectClub is a clever company disrupting the dental industry, and creating a short cut to a great smile at a fraction of the price of their competitors. They offer clear plastic aligners without the need for a face to face appointment with the dentist.
It is revolutionary for anyone afraid of the regular dentist.
“This is a real alternative for people who are in terror when it comes to the dentist,” Jason says. “Tele Health is something consumers want, which we have seen during covid as both dental and medical services have shifted online. Over 4.3 million people in Australia saw a medical professional online during covid.
You can sign up for SmileDirectClub and complete treatment without every needing to leave the house.
“Treatments take anything from 6- 10 months, and the aligners can be worn day and night or just at night. They are worn for 22 hours a day or alternatively nighttime which only wear for 10 hours It is a great value proposition and is changing the face of dentistry.”
The negatives are that you have to take the aligners out every time you eat or drink anything other than water but from personal experience, that’s no major issue.
The business was found in 2014 by two American friends, determined to find an easier way to straighten teeth after meeting on a summer camp and sharing a frustration with braces. The aligners are still made in the US.
To sign up, you either jump online and fill out a smile assessment, and order an impression kit which is sent to you to make an impression of your teeth or to fast track things, you can go in person to a smile shop, and have your teeth photographed and the plans sent to the US where “registered entities” (Jason’s words) review your teeth and create a dental plan for you.
The aligners are then made using 3D printers in North America, and then sent to you in a cleverly crafted box which holds the series of straighteners until you are finished the series. Whitening is an additional option at minimal cost. Your progress is monitored by an Australian dentist; “The whitening goes hand in hand with straight teeth, it is an additional benefit,” Jason says.
“The straightening is a gradual process and doesn’t come without a little discomfort.” Jason said, “as you are moving teeth around. There are people it doesn’t work for if a tooth needs to be extracted for example and depending on how much movement is required.”
And the results are fantastic – my teeth are looking straighter than ever after 8 months, with minimal hassle or discomfort.
