I would not recommend Smile Direct Club to my worst enemy. During my first visit, I made it known my concerns with my bite and slight spacing/crowding issues, for which the lady doing my scan stated is something they see all the time and that it should be easily addressable. Leaving the office, I get a call because what I thought was a brochure she was giving me was actually the paperwork she needed me to sign and send her picture so that she doesn’t get in trouble (not the most professional).
From the beginning there were signs that I wish I would have paid attention to. Fast forward about 12 days from my first scan, I get my treatment plan and 30 days from my scan I get notification that my aligners are on their way to my house.
At I review of the 3D scan of my plan, I noticed no difference in my smile, specifically my bite and spacing, so I immediately contact a rep via their chat option to inform them of my concerns. The customer service rep just tells me to go through with my plan as it would be best to complete it and then revisit the concerns afterwards being they’ve already sent the aligners on their way. If they truly wanted to provide excellent service I wouldn’t have been told to just go through the plan anyway…the concerns I had would have actually been given some attention by smile direct club. They neglected to do that and as time went on, it got worse.
I wore the aligners religiously 23 hours a day only taking them out to brush and eat. Some of them weren’t cut properly causing bruising on my gums (I can understand that this may be a possibility), but after four days they also all seemed to rip. I complete my treatment and as originally suspected, my concerns were still evident with no change in my bite and spacing...the same concerns that were "easily addressable."
To correct the issue I had to go in for another scan which leads to a second treatment plan for two additional months. This second scan happened on March 14th, now over thirty days later, no aligners and horrible/nonexistent communication from Smile Direct Club.
I've since made an appointment to speak to a real orthodontist as you do not get proper care from Smile Direct Club, you do not get follow-ups from an actual license orthodontist, not even a phone call before or after treatment. They tell you someone will call you and that doesn't happen and soon after they ignore your emails altogether. You call and ask to speak to a manager and no one is available or the phone magically disconnects.
On top of that, you get different stories depending on who you talk to. It is my opinion that there are no true medical professionals running this place and is just "customer service" agents acting as subject matter experts. As I look back on all that has transpired with Smile Direct Club, I've determined that they will tell you "you are a good candidate" to simply get your money when in actuality, they cannot address your concerns. Save yourself the trouble, wasted money and headache and go to an actual orthodontist that can provide you with true candid advice and legitimate orthodontia services. Smile Direct Club is a scam! Run!
They cannot guarantee results as no professional can, but they do not even address the concerns you have but still expect to be paid in full. I was able to visit a true orthodontist and received a list of areas of treatment. A number of issues on this list was shared with Smile Direct Club before I even agreed to participate in their plan and not once did they say, "you aren’t a good candidate for Smile Direct Club because we cannot address the overbite and spacing/crowding issue." Secondly, after wearing Smile Direct Club for four months, there is absolutely no change in my teeth, and I still have a list of areas of improvement as long as the one I received from my ortho. Please, please, please save your money!
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
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Company Response from Smile Direct Club
Hi there, Erika. We would like to confirm that each customer's case is overseen by a dentist or orthodontist licensed in providing aligner treatment therapy in the state of the customer. In addition, we have a team of dental professionals available to speak to any clinical concerns via chat, phone, or email. In addition, there are limitations to what our aligner treatment can accomplish, as we do not use attachments or other methods used in traditional orthodontics. This means that we do not address bite issues in most cases.
In addition, the SmilePlan each customer approves before beginning treatment demonstrates the scope of treatment that the overseeing doctor has determined represents optimal results within our protocol. We do offer reevaluated and additional aligners in cases when necessary to achieve optimal results as is true with any orthodontic procedure. This is all clearly outlined in the consent and history that customers sign indicating they've read in entirety before beginning treatment. If you'd like to speak further, we sure hope you will reach out directly.