Nashville, Tenn.-based SmileDirectClub will receive a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office covering the concept of its mobile dental clinics, the teledentistry company said Oct. 5.
SmileDirectClub launched its SmileBuses in 2018 as part of its mission to increase access to oral health care. The company also launched mobile dental clinics in the United Kingdom in 2020.
"For far too long, access to orthodontic care was limited to only those areas that could support an in-person practice. Thanks to the SmileBus and SmileDirectClub’s industry-first telehealth platform for teeth straightening, more communities than ever now have a premium, affordable, accessible option," said Susan Greenspon Rammelt, chief legal officer and executive vice president of business affairs at SmileDirectClub. "We are pleased the USPTO has acknowledged the novelty of our SmileBus concept by allowing this patent. The SmileBus has helped thousands of people in the U.S. and U.K. get started on their smile journey — many of whom live in 'dental deserts' without convenient access to orthodontic treatment."