US teledentistry platform SmileDirectClub is to begin offering its services to Irish customers from Wednesday, opening two shops and linking customers with licensed Irish dentists and orthodontists.
The company’s medtech platform is a direct-to-consumer model for teeth straightening, offering clear removable aligners to customers in a more convenient and affordable way than traditional therapies.
The system works through a mixture of 3D scanning and doctor-directed treatment.
The SmileShops will be located in Dublin and Cork, employing 20 people in total. Customers can attend in person and have scans of their mouth taken. These are then used to create a 3D image and uploaded to the cloud to send to dentists. The scans are used to create a printed mouth mould and the aligners are custom made to fit.
The company’s network of dentists and orthodontists manage treatment plans and care while monitoring progress through remote check-ins on a regular basis.
How much is it?
Those who are unable to attend the shops can buy a dental impressions kit from SmileClubDirect and return it to have the custom aligners made.
SmileDirectClub’s therapy is priced at a flat rate of €1,750.
Founded in 2014 by Alex Fenkell and Jordan Katzman, the company already offers its services in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and recently extended its services to the UK. From there, Kay Oswald, president of International SmileDirectClub said the Irish market was the next logical step.
