An @NBCNews investigation uncovered dozens of complaints from customers of SmileDirectClub associated with the company's at-home kits to straighten teeth, alleging the product can lead to broken teeth and nerve damage. nbcnews.to/2whEmB6 (1/6) #NBCNewsThreads
The Better Business Bureau reports more than 1,800 complaints nationwide involving SmileDirectClub. Most of the complaints involve customer service issues, but @NBCNews found dozens describing concerns about poor patient outcomes—including problems with biting and spacing. (2/6)
While SmileDirectClub customers are required to see a dentist within 6 months of starting online aligner treatment, @NBCNews hidden cameras recorded employees at SmileDirectClub shops in multiple states advising potential customers they didn’t have to see a dentist. (3/6)
Orthodontists say moving teeth without in-person supervision can lead to permanent harm.
"Things like bone loss, disease, loss of a tooth — you can't put it back in the mouth,” says Dr. Chung Kau, professor of orthodontics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. (4/6)
"Things like bone loss, disease, loss of a tooth — you can't put it back in the mouth,” says Dr. Chung Kau, professor of orthodontics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. (4/6)
SmileDirectClub says undesirable results may occur if patients aren’t adhering to the program correctly: "That could be because they weren't following the instructions for use, they didn't come in for a midcourse correction when they were advised to do that." (5/6)
But customers aren't the only ones who are skeptical. Last month, 9 members of Congress asked the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate SmileDirectClub “to ensure that it is not misleading consumers or causing patient harm.” (6/6)
