SmileDirectClub

  This company has claimed this profile, is getting alerted on any new customer reviews entering this page, and may engage in dialogue with its customers to address their matters.

Companies cannot pay money or provide goods in order to remove or alter customer reviews.
SmileDirectClub

Overall Rating

3.3

671 Customer Reviews

Write a Review

Summary

SmileDirectClub promises to give you a straighter smile within six months of wearing its customizable aligners. While this procedure can straighten teeth for some people, it has limitations compared to traditional braces.

Pros

  • More cost-effective than braces
  • Many positive customer success stories
  • Simple pricing plan, often covered by insurance
  • Faster results than traditional braces

Cons

  • Only works for mild to moderate tooth issues
  • Didn’t work for everyone
  • Some customer complaints about quality, receiving the wrong aligners
  • You won’t undergo comprehensive medical testing beforehand as you would with traditional dental procedures

Customer Reviews

3.3 Stars out of 671 Reviews
5 Star:50% 4 Star:4% 3 Star:1% 2 Star:6% 1 Star:36%
56% Recommend This Company
Start your review of SmileDirectClub:
Sort Reviews By

Posted on Jan 2, 2018

No good, will take your money!

By Zoe, Myrtle Beach, SC, Verified Reviewer

So I paid for the kit and did perfect impressions, but I got an email saying it wasn’t deep enough, which is a lie and all they wanted was my money! And wanted me to buy ANOTHER kit, wasn’t even generous enough to lend me another one! Don't waste your money!

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Company Response from Smile Direct Club

Mar 7, 2018

Hi there, Zoe. We only reject impressions in the instance that they're too faulty to create a SmilePlan or aligners from. In many cases, impressions are too shallow, and we do need to see the full teeth and gum line in order to create an accurate model. This is determined by a licensed dental professional. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to us via grinners@smiledirectclub.com.

Helpful Review? 11 People Have Voted

Posted on Jan 8, 2018

Worked for a few aligners

By Patrick R, Las Vegas, NV, Verified Reviewer

In the beginning of my treatment, everything was going great. I was on a 4-month plan to realign both upper and lower teeth. Somewhere around month 2 and 1/2, the trays did not fit correctly on my upper teeth.

After contacting customer support, I was advised to send in the aligners that seemed to not be fitting correctly. Then they said the doctor would review the aligners and determine if something went wrong on their part. If not, I was to keep wearing the aligners and finish my treatment. Customer service said I would have to pay to ship them in and this whole process may take 3-4 weeks. In the meantime, I should wear the next set of aligners while this is all going on. I asked them why shouldn't I just wear the next set and skip all of the shipping back and forth of an aligner tray that would be obsolete? They agreed, and the matter was closed.

Every aligner tray after that, including the ones that created this issue, did not fit correctly at all. In fact, I began to wonder if I had the correct ones or was going backward in alignment. Nevertheless, I pressed on through the end of treatment. I even ordered retainers. Still, nothing fit correctly for the upper teeth. I double checked my 3D “new smile” that they had created on their website to see if I was somehow missing something, and sure enough, my upper teeth look nothing like the computer rendition.

Any type of response to an email I sent in about this? Nope. A small refund? Nope. An offer to take new impressions and somehow try to fix this? Nope.

I'm saddened and shocked this would be the outcome. Yes, my teeth WERE correctly adjusting. No, they are nowhere near what SmileDirectClub had shown me in their 3D "new smile" computer prediction. I think 1 or 2 more months of correct aligners would absolutely fix this issue. I'm out quite a bit of money and am extremely disappointed.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Company Response from Smile Direct Club

Mar 7, 2018

Hi there Patrick. We would like to clarify that aligner fit issues are indicative that the teeth aren't tracking as expected. This is a normal aspect of aligner treatment, as there's no way to predict exactly how teeth will move. In this instance, we would prescribe a midcourse correction or reevaluation through a photo assessment and new impressions and scans. We would never recommend wearing aligners that do not fit. If you'd like to speak specifically, please reach out to us via grinners@smiledirectclub.com.

Helpful Review? 16 People Have Voted

Posted on Jan 15, 2018

Risky, wasn't worth the wasted year

By Anthony Czarnik, Illinois, Verified Reviewer

To save you the read, they will send you aligners that don't fit. They will either be warped and twisted like they melted a little, or your molars will fit snug in the tray, but your front teeth aren't in, and when you push on your front teeth to make them snug in the tray, your molars will pop out. Like a see-saw. This WILL happen. It WILL take weeks for you to be able to resume your treatment. I had a four-month plan, it took six months to get this far, and I haven't even started month four yet.

If you want to hear more:

I had to go in for a mid-course correction at the end of month two. The scanned my teeth with a laser, and month three (when they arrived) they fit really well! Awesome, right? Not exactly.

When it came to putting on in month four, they didn't fit. The top row was the see-saw from the above paragraph, and the bottom row magically assumed my bottom teeth were already straight, when they knew they weren't. They said it was a manufacturing defect, and I waited yet again, and the new ones were EXACTLY the same.

I went back in for another laser scan (surprise, right?). This time, they realized that the plan they made was flawed and destined for failure. Although month three fit, so I was completely on track, month four was jacked up, and it was impossible for my bottom teeth to fit side by side.

So they sent me a brand new plan. This time, eight months. This new plan also leaves me with a gap in my front teeth because to correct for their screw up, they needed to push all of my teeth forward. Also, they wouldn't admit fault; they were trying to use the dentist who made this plan (whom I also have never met) as a scapegoat by constantly telling me they don't know anything, they aren't a dentist, etc.

This is a textbook example of a company that grew too big too fast and was unable to identify their growth plans and process gaps in order to deal with issues like this. They also, in my case, would go nine days without responding to be, and it takes time to make new aligners. Keep that in mind that you never really know if they fit like they're supposed to. In my case, that final aligner's gumline was a good 3mm above my actual gum line, and of course, this was because the teeth were crowded and not straight. It's like trying to shove 100 singles into your wallet and fold it in half. You can't. Too much bulk.

So remember me, friends, on your journey to straightening that smile. unfortunately, SmileDirectClub will not let you see each week's trays ahead of time to so can try to protect yourself from this nonsense. You're going to have to take a leap of faith, and I truly hope you don't get burned.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Company Response from Smile Direct Club

Mar 7, 2018

Hi there Anthony. Aligner Fit concerns are indicative of teeth not tracking as projected. Teeth do have a mind of their own, and as with any orthodtontic treatment, there's no way to predict exactly how they will move. In the instance that teeth don't track as projected, we do offer midcourse correction and reevaluation to account for this and help customers achieve optimal results. This is a normal aspect of all aligner treatment therapy. If you have any additional questions or would like to speak directly on this, please reach out via grinners@smiledirectclub.com.

Helpful Review? 20 People Have Voted

Posted on Feb 15, 2018

Big let down

By April, Ecorse, MI, Verified Reviewer

Hi. I ordered the SmileDirectClub impression kit, I did the impressions, sent them in, took the pictures, uploaded the pictures, and they told me I was a candidate. Then they received my impression and told me they are getting my smile plan ready and it would take 2 weeks. I was so excited. I waited 2 weeks, and then they say I’m not eligible. I am so dissatisfied and disappointed I wasted time and money, and they got my hopes up for a total let down. Don't waste your time on SmileDirectClub.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Company Response from Smile Direct Club

Mar 7, 2018

We're sorry to hear of your disappointment April. That being said, there are some cases that we deem as unqualified for treatment, due to safety concerns. There are limitations to our protocol, and there are some complex cases that cannot be safely treated with our aligners. This decision is always made by our dental professionals and serves, and is made with the safety and oral health of our customers in mind.

Helpful Review? 9 People Have Voted

Posted on Feb 24, 2018

Don't do it

By Aby, Dallas, TX, Verified Reviewer

If I could rate it with zero stars, that's how I would rate them.

Initial treatment was four months. Then I did a refinement for another three months. Teeth are still not aligned even after refinement.

I reached out regarding another refinement, and they wanted me to pay extra for this second refinement.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Company Response from Smile Direct Club

Mar 7, 2018

Hi there Aby. We do offer reevaluation when it's necessary, in order to maintain optimal results. That being said, if a customer is requesting movement outside of the original projection or what our dental team deems optimal alignment results, we will request additional payment for that treatment. If you'd like to speak directly, please reach out to us at grinners@smiledirectclub.com.

Helpful Review? 9 People Have Voted

Posted on Feb 27, 2018

Liars

By Tyra, Ohio, Verified Reviewer

I received four months of impressions. After my four months were up (beginning October 2017), I noticed my teeth were still very crooked. I contacted them and they said they will need photos of my teeth to see if I qualified for a readjustment, in which, they said I did, and it would be at no cost. The next step would be to purchase a retake kit. I submitted a total of five (FIVE) retake kits because each one they stated my impressions were not good enough. The last impressions they received back in the beginning of December 2017 they said it will be four weeks until I get my new aligners.

Here we are the end of February, no aligners. I contacted them at the end of January and I was told "you'll get it the week of February 12th." No aligners. I contacted them February 14th and said I haven't received any shipping from you guys and was told "oh don't worry, I'll make sure you get it by the end of the week. Nothing! I contacted them again on February 22nd and was told that they confirmed ("CONFIRMED" was the term used!) with THEIR SUPERVISOR that "you'll get your aligners tomorrow." February 23rd, NOTHING. I contacted them again, "Oh we don't have anything on tracking for your aligners and will give you a follow up in 48 hours."

So here we are February 26th and nothing still. I had been wearing the same aligners since October. They broke a few weeks ago, and my teeth have been shifting. Fortunately, I saved all my communications with them in case I have a case against them. They are the most unprofessional company, and they don't have their stuff together. If you are looking into them for work, check out ALL of their reviews.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Company Response from Smile Direct Club

Mar 7, 2018

Hi there, Tyra. We are experiencing a delay at the moment due to a couple instances of inclement weather. Our lab is working hard to get all shipments out ASAP, but they're currently taking about six weeks from the date they go into manufacturing. That being said, please reach out via grinners@smiledirectclub.com, and we'd be happy to speak more directly.

Helpful Review? 16 People Have Voted

Posted on Mar 7, 2018

Stay clear

By Anucha Thinthapthai, Ohio, Verified Reviewer

If I could give a zero I would. They lied to me to get me to purchase the treatment. "Scam" is just the right term for this company. The treatment failed, and they refused to refund. Please stay clear of them.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Company Response from Smile Direct Club

Mar 14, 2018

Hi there, Anucha. We're sorry to hear that you got this impression, as our team operates based on honesty and transparency. We would like to verify that results in any aligner treatment are never guaranteed. That said, we will continue to prescribe aligners until optimal results within our protocol are achieved. If a customer is still not happy with their results, they're able to apply for a refund through a review performed by our dental team. The team takes movement, compliance, etc into account to determine if a refund is warranted. If you'd like to follow up directly, please reach out to us at grinners@smiledirectclub.com.

Helpful Review? 7 People Have Voted

Posted on Mar 16, 2018

Bait and switch

By J. P., Minneapolis, MN, Verified Reviewer

I wish I had never gone through with this. I had braces years ago, and one tooth that was left turned funny that is crowded and uncomfortable. When my orthodontist for years quoted me $490 to replace my old retainer, it seemed really steep, but then I started seeing ads for SmileDirectClub. I wish I had stayed away.

All the ads that I saw, AND from conversations/messages with their sales staff on Facebook, portrayed it as $80-some a month. That this would be a much less expensive option because I had such a “minor” problem, so my treatment would only be a couple months and not cost much. Total bait and switch. Problems with every single set of retainers. Extremely painful to put in (again, I had metal braces back in the day, so fully knew what to expect, but this was something else). The edges literally CUT INTO my tongue, cheek, and gums each time. They give you one Emory board with the kit that doesn’t remotely fly to help fix this.

I wore my retainers diligently just the same and voiced my complaints but my teeth are exactly the same as before, and MORE CROWDED, and now I’m going to be out literally over $2000, over something their sales staff portrayed as being a few months at most.

Now my tooth crowding issue is even worse (yes I’m still wearing the retainer), they never did address all the pain I had through “treatment,” I have cavities I didn’t have before starting, and my crowded tooth pain has morphed into awful and frequent migraines.

This is one of the biggest regrets I’ve had in my life, and you CANNOT CANCEL. I tried during my treatment. Repeatedly. They do not let you cancel. Period.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Company Response from Smile Direct Club

Mar 16, 2018

Hi there, J.P. We'd like to clarify a couple points that were made in your review. As stated in the consent and history form, all customers sign before beginning treatment, there are always risks to the aligner therapy, whether in invisible aligners like ours or traditional orthodontics. Cavities are one, which is one of the reasons we ask customers to brush and floss each time they put their aligners on. In addition, having a foreign object on your teeth can certainly take some getting used to, as with metal braces, so dental wax is a commonly used tool among our customer base.

In addition, our representatives do not guarantee a time frame, nor do our dental professionals. Teeth have a mind of their own, and they don't always move in line with the projections offered. In this case, we do offer mid-course corrections or reevaluations to further treatment as is common in any aligner treatment therapy across the board. Lastly, we would like to clarify that customers are certainly able to cancel at any point in time, but we do request that they go through our formal cancellation process with an account manager. If you have any further questions on this, please feel free to reach out directly at grinners@smiledirectclub.com.

Helpful Review? 15 People Have Voted

Posted on Apr 22, 2018

Horrible

By Ryan Blakemore, Illinois, Verified Reviewer

I am almost done with my set, and my teeth look worse than when I started. Now I'm stuck paying for something I don't even like. Just get braces. Also, I needed to wear them for six months and it wasn't explained that you have to continue to pay even if your time of use is less than the two-year contract. I have horrible spaces between my teeth, simply horrible.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Company Response from Smile Direct Club

Apr 23, 2018

Hi there, Ryan. We're concerned to hear that you've gotten this impression and would like to provide some clarifications. We are incredibly up front that our payment plan is a financial plan to account for the full price of treatment and not a plan that corresponds with treatment time. This is also outlined in the paperwork signed by all customers. In addition, our Consent and History form details that there is no way to predict exactly how teeth will move, but we do have a process in place to account for teeth moving outside of the projection. This process is called reevaluation, it's a normal and common aspect of any aligner treatment from our aligners to traditional braces. We sure hope anyone interested in reevaluation will reach out to our customer care team to move forward with a review.

Helpful Review? 6 People Have Voted

Posted on May 6, 2018

They will take your money and then ignore you forever

By Dena, New Jersey, Verified Reviewer

I have been in been treatment since 2015 at Smile Direct Club/Smile Shop (they change their name often, they used to be Smile Care Club) located in Nashville, Tennessee. I've been in treatment for three years. I've been wearing the same aligner for ONE YEAR. These aligners are failing apart. My teeth will soon be reverting back to their former state. I cannot imagine the permanent damage this will do to the structural integrity of my teeth and jaw.

I finally received assistance in December 2017 and they agreed to provide me with a refinement kit. I gave them the kit back promptly. It's now been five months after getting run-around and I still do not have the new aligners.

When calling, I get hung up on, and emails go unanswered.

BUYER BEWARE. When you pay upfront, they will take your money and leave you by the wayside, in the middle of treatment, with no recourse. This is a part of my body they promised "care" for. Something that I have to live with daily.

Disclaimer: Please READ your contract! They now reserve the right to stop treatment at any time and just refer your to Invisalign! They will take your money and then not send you the orthodontics you need!

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Company Response from Smile Direct Club

May 7, 2018

Hi there, Dena. We would like to confirm that we've updated our Consent and History as many companies do. The information regarding the risks and limitations of our protocol and treatment is not new, nor is the information regarding referrals to Invisalign if the customer's current smile requires treatment outside of our scope. The update made is in relation to a financial change. We are always available to customers to ensure that optimal results are reached, and we sure hope you'll communicate directly so that we can discuss further.

Helpful Review? 9 People Have Voted

Posted on May 12, 2018

Do not fall for the satisfaction guarantee!

By Jenny Hamilton, Texas, Verified Reviewer

I did this to solve some simple alignment, no bite issues. I finished with severe bite issues (more than half of teeth don’t touch). They said nothing to do and buy retainers and talk to a dentist to have teeth shaved down. I would not recommend and wish we had never done this.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Company Response from Smile Direct Club

May 15, 2018

Hi there Jenny. As clearly outlined in our Consent and History documentation, alterations to bite can occur during any aligner treatment from our aligners to traditional braces. That being said, we aren't able to speak to a specific case publicly, so we hope you'll reach out directly to discuss specifics.

Helpful Review? 9 People Have Voted
Showing 12-22 of 671

Our Promise to You

In order to safeguard you and ensure helpfulness and relevance, our compliance team manually assess every customer review before it goes live.

We have a zero-tolerance policy for fake reviews, and companies cannot control or alter any reviews at any time.