SmileDirectClub

What SmileDirectClub does

SmileDirectClub was a Nashville-headquartered, direct-to-consumer clear aligner company founded in 2013 that operated a teledentistry model to bypass traditional orthodontic office visits. Customers obtained treatment through home impression kits or 3D scans at SmileStudio locations (including NYC and Nashville), after which state-licensed dental professionals remotely reviewed the scans and authored a digital treatment plan; aligners were then manufactured in-house and shipped directly to the customer. Core pricing was $995 for a complete aligner treatment (compared with $5,000+ for traditional braces) over an average 4–6 month duration, supplemented by subscription retainers, night guards, and an oral care accessory line. The platform combined 3D scanning, digital treatment planning, and proprietary manufacturing covered by more than 100 dental patents, with the company claiming over 2 million smiles transformed worldwide. SmileDirectClub was publicly listed on NASDAQ under ticker SDC, completed a $380M pre-IPO equity round in October 2018 (led by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice) and a $255M secured debt facility in April 2022 through its SDC U.S. SmilePay SPV subsidiary. The company ceased operations in 2023 following sustained net losses and EBITDA deficits, and its technology, patents, manufacturing systems, and customer-facing assets were acquired by SmileSet.

Name

SmileDirectClub

Legal name

SmileDirectClub Inc.

Website

https://smiledirectclub.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Orthodontic Clear Aligners

NAICS

Dental Laboratories (339116), Dental Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (339114)

SIC

Dental Equipment & Supplies (3843), Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)

akta.pro primary industry

Clear Aligner Orthodontics (HLABABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Orthodontic Appliances & Aligners Fabrication (HLABAJAD), Intraoral Optical Scanning & Digital Impression Centers (HLABAIAE), Medical & Dental 3D Printing Services (patient-specific devices, dental labs) (IMAAADAG)

Keywords

• Clear aligners
• Teledentistry platform
• Orthodontic treatment
• Dental aligner manufacturing
• At-home orthodontics

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Clear Aligner Treatment: One-time purchase of complete clear aligner treatment program for teeth straightening
2. Subscription Retainers: Recurring revenue from subscription-based retainer orders for customers who completed initial treatment

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

SmileDirectClub manufactured and sold FDA-cleared custom clear aligners direct to consumers through a teledentistry model. Customers purchased home impression kits or visited SmileStudio locations for 3D scans, which were reviewed remotely by state-licensed dental professionals who created custom treatment plans. The company also offered subscription retainers, premium night guards, and oral care accessories.

Product overview

SmileDirectClub was a direct-to-consumer teledentistry platform offering a unified portfolio of clear aligner treatment, retainers, night guards, and oral care products. The core offering centered on FDA-cleared clear aligners manufactured using proprietary 3D printing technology with over 100 patents, complemented by subscription-based retainers, premium night guards, and oral care accessories. The company operated a teledentistry model where customers used home impression kits or 3D scans reviewed by state-licensed dental professionals to create custom treatment plans, eliminating the need for in-office visits. SmileDirectClub ceased operations in 2023; its technology and assets were subsequently acquired by SmileSet.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clear Aligners

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 million+ smiles transformed
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SmileSetcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2023SmileSet acquired SmileDirectClub's technology and assets including innovative patents and manufacturing systems following SDC's cessation of operations in 2023. The acquisition enables SmileSet to continue providing clear aligner treatments using the same proven technology platform that transformed over 2 million smiles.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Align Technology: Manufacturer of Invisalign clear aligners and iTero scanners; the dominant incumbent in the clear-aligner category and a former strategic investor in SmileDirectClub. Directly comparable on product category, manufacturing technology, and 3D treatment planning, but distributes via dental professionals rather than direct-to-consumer.
• SureSmile (Dentsply Sirona): Dentsply Sirona's digital orthodontic treatment system combining 3D imaging, custom aligners, and robotic wire bending; comparable product category and digital workflow but professional-channel distribution.
• ClearCorrect (Straumann Group): Clear aligner brand owned by Straumann Group; competes in the same orthodontic appliance category but distributes through dental and orthodontic offices rather than direct-to-consumer.
• 3M Clarity Aligners: Clear aligner system offered by 3M's oral care division; competes on the same appliance technology but primarily through orthodontist and dentist channels, with broader portfolio of dental supplies.
• Invisalign: Consumer-facing brand of Align Technology's clear aligner system; most-recognized alternative in the same product category and the gold standard against which SmileDirectClub positioned its $995 value proposition.

Direct peers

• Candid: Direct-to-consumer clear aligner company using a hybrid in-network orthodontist model; competes for the same price-sensitive adult orthodontic customer as SmileDirectClub and was an early-stage rival in the D2C orthodontics category.
• SmileSet: Acquired SmileDirectClub's technology, patents, and manufacturing systems in 2023 and now operates the inherited D2C clear aligner platform. Most directly comparable on business model, technology stack, and target customer, with overlap in brand and customer base.
• Byte (Dentsply Sirona): Direct-to-consumer clear aligner brand acquired by Dentsply Sirona in 2020; offers at-home impression kits and remote orthodontic monitoring with comparable value proposition, target demographic, and price point to SmileDirectClub.

Emerging players

• Uniform Teeth: Tech-enabled orthodontic service combining in-office visits with remote monitoring; comparable target demographic and digital treatment-planning workflow, but with a hybrid retail-clinical model rather than pure D2C.

Regional players

• SmileDirectClub Canada: Canadian operating entity of SmileDirectClub's parent business; historically operated the same D2C teledentistry model and serves as the regional extension of the same platform prior to cessation of U.S. operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smiledirectclub
• Facebookfacebook.com/smiledirectclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smiledirectclub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SmileDirectClub