Several dental offices and companies have offered alternative treatment options to patients left without care after SmileDirectClub's abrupt shutdown.
SmileDirectClub announced Dec. 8 it would be shutting down its global operations immediately after efforts to recapitalize the business failed. The company said it was unable to provide support to its existing customers but that more information about refunds would become available once next steps are determined. Patients under the company's SmilePay Plan are still expected to continue their monthly payments until payment for their clear aligners has been made in full, according to an FAQ page.
The American Association of Orthodontists provided guidance to these patients Dec. 15, advising patients of mail-order orthodontic companies to make an appointment with a licensed orthodontist.
"The best thing SmileDirectClub patients can do at this point is to book an in-person exam with a licensed orthodontist in their area," AAO President Myron Guymon, DDS, said. "Most SmileDirectClub patients have not had an X-ray or in-person exam, which are critical to ensuring an accurate diagnosis and safe and effective treatment plan."
Several dental offices have begun offering discounts to former SmileDirectClub patients to help them continue treatment.
Ellie Farahmand, DDS, of Santa Monica (Calif.) Dental Office, posted on her social media pages that her office is offering discounts on Invisalign and will look into patients' insurance to see if they can be covered for continued treatment.
Smile Culture Dental, which has five offices in Pennsylvania, is offering SmileDirectClub patients $1,500 off their orthodontic treatments. Delray Beach, Fla.-based Spodak Dental Group is also offering $1,000 off Invisalign, complimentary assessments and discounted retainers.
"What makes it all worth it is the patient enjoying their smile at the end of their orthodontic journey," Craig Spodak, DMD, said in a Dec. 14 news release. "So for all those SmileDirectClub patients who now don’t have the straight and healthy smile they signed up — and paid — for, it’s unfair. This is why my team has decided to step up to help serve."
Clear aligner therapy company OrthoFX also partnered with Teledentistry.com to offer SmileDirectClub customers the opportunity to transition their treatment and continue in traditional brick-and-mortar dental offices. Patients will be able to schedule a virtual appointment with Teledentistry.com and receive referrals to a local OrthoFX dentist for further treatment.
Smile Doctors, an orthodontics-focused DSO, announced Dec. 15 that it's partnering with its affiliated doctors to give out 50 treatments with the Smile Express aligner system to patients.
Patients can enter the giveaway until Dec. 31 and winners will be announced in January.
"This situation is unthinkable to me and my peers in the orthodontic profession as SmileDirectClub patients were essentially abandoned," Smile Express creator Zachary Casagrande, DDS, said. "Our community is focused on helping these patients who have been left high and dry and we're offering these free treatments as a way to help impacted patients get the results they wanted safely, in the care of experienced orthodontists."