https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWF7dQK6GMY

The newest SmileShops provide consumers with access to affordable clear aligner therapy in the U.S., Austria, Singapore, China, and New Zealand.

In recent months, the world-leading aligner therapy provider Smile Direct Club has continued its international expansion, opening SmileShops in Austria, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and even more locally in Texas. Smile Direct Club is dedicated to making affordable clear aligner therapy accessible around the world, particularly as many people don’t have access to orthodontic treatment. Prior to these expansions, Smile Direct Club had already successfully launched SmileShops in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Australia, and Canada. 

Kay Oswald, the president of international at Smile Direct Club, comments on Smile Direct Club’s latest expansions:

We have built a robust international infrastructure and will continue to seek opportunities to reach consumers around the world. Markets outside of the U.S. present a great opportunity for our business, and we look forward to helping people in other countries get a smile they love. Our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable, and convenient access to care to as many people as possible. We are pleased to extend this to people in these markets, as well as invest in these local economies.

Smile Direct Club’s 2020 International Expansions

This summer, Smile Direct Club has opened SmileShops in Vienna (Austria) and Singapore’s HarbourFront Centre. Smile Direct Club has partnered with specialist dentists Dr. Samintharaj Kumar and Dr. István Joó to manage the clinical practices in Singapore and Austria respectively. In addition to these openings, Smile Direct Club has also announced a new partnership with Watsons, a health and beauty chain store in Asia. Watsons is the first Asian retailer to partner with Smile Direct Club and launch in-store SmileShops. The partnership has already seen numerous SmileShops open in Mong Kok and Kwun Tong (Hong Kong). As Smile Direct Club develops this partnership, more SmileShops are set to open in Watsons stores throughout Asia.

“Our partnership with Watsons Hong Kong is built on a mutual commitment to provide a premium and affordable experience,” says Oswald. “With Watsons’ extensive network in Hong Kong, we are delighted to provide greater access to teeth straightening and enable customers to transform their smiles in a convenient way, without compromising top-level service from our affiliated network of dentists and orthodontists.”

“In view of the rising demand on telehealth solutions and awareness [of] digital oral care, we are excited to be the first Asia partner with Smile Direct Club to launch the in-store SmileShop in Watsons Hong Kong, providing a convenient and affordable method for personalized clear aligner treatment that puts a beautiful smile on our customers’ faces,” says Samuel Lee, managing director of Watsons Hong Kong. “Along with our integrated online and offline (O+O) customer experience, strong retail presence, and professional health team, the in-store SmileShops at Watsons will provide our customers with a one-stop solution for teeth straightening.”

Smile Direct Club’s 2020 Texas Expansion

Closer to home, Smile Direct Club has also just launched a partnership with DECA Dental, a Texas-based oral care service. DECA Dental manages more than 100 dental practices, which will now offer Smile Direct Club’s market-defining clear aligner therapy to customers across the state. The partnership forms the newest collaboration in Smile Direct Club’s Partner Network.

“DECA Dental and our world-class team of dentists and orthodontists are proud to partner with Smile Direct Club to increase access to affordable teeth-straightening options across the state of Texas,” says Dr. Sulman Ahmed, founder and CEO of DECA Dental. “As a clinician-founded and led organization, it is fundamental to DECA Dental’s core belief that all clinical decisions should be made by a dentist and that dentists should have full autonomy in deciding the best treatment options for their patients.”

Smile Direct Club’s 2019 New Zealand Expansion

Last year, Smile Direct Club also expanded its SmileShops into New Zealand, capturing an important market for the company. Although New Zealand’s public-funded dental care system provides the population with routine dentistry, the fund doesn’t cover orthodontia. Braces cost around $8,750 (NZD) in New Zealand, which is unaffordable for many of those who need orthodontic care. However, Smile Direct Club now offers its clear aligner therapy at a flat rate of $3,250 (NZD) in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Smile Direct Club plans to expand further throughout New Zealand in the coming months. 

“Traditionally, orthodontics around the world have been costly and inconvenient,” explains Oswald. “We are proud to extend Smile Direct Club’s safe, consumer-friendly teledentistry platform to locally licensed dentists and orthodontists in New Zealand. Through our affiliated network of doctors and 100 percent vertically aligned business model, Smile Direct Club increases access to affordable orthodontic care, already helping more than 700,000 people achieve a confidence-boosting smile.”

How to Access Smile Direct Club’s Clear Aligner Therapy

Smile Direct Club’s newest SmileShops in Austria, Singapore, Hong Kong, and New Zealand offer the same patented retail concept and clear aligner therapy as its U.S. retail partners, such as Walgreens and CVS. Australia’s Chemist Warehouse and Walmart Canada also offer the same clear aligner treatments. 

Those looking for an accessible and affordable teeth-straightening solution can get started with Smile Direct Club through one of three easy routes:

1. Book a free appointment with a local SmileShop. During your appointment, a dentist will capture a 3D image of your teeth so that one of Smile Direct Club’s licensed orthodontists can prescribe an aligner therapy treatment plan for you. There are no costs until you book your treatment plan.
2. Alternatively, order a doctor-prescribed, easy-to-use, at-home impression kit so that you can create and send off your own impression of your teeth. Smile Direct Club’s orthodontists can also use this to prescribe your aligner therapy treatment plan.
3. Via SmileDirectClub’s Partner Network. Customers can get started from an office chair with an affiliated dentist or orthodontist in their area.

Once a customer has signed up for a personalized treatment plan, a state licensed orthodontist or dentist will monitor the customer’s progress from beginning to completion. The treating doctor  will prescribe a series of made-to-fit aligners at intervals as the customer’s teeth gradually straighten. 

Customers can choose whether to opt for Smile Direct Club’s daytime aligners, which require 22 hours of wear per day and can be removed for brushing, eating, and drinking, or the Nighttime Aligners™, which require 10 hours of continuous wear. While the daytime aligners take approximately four to six months to achieve optimal teeth straightening, the nighttime aligners shift your teeth over a longer period but only need to be worn in bed.

Whichever route you choose, Smile Direct Club’s orthodontists will then prescribe custom-made clear aligners for you to wear. You will receive all of your aligners at once to your door, and you’ll be able to monitor your progress on Smile Direct Club’s acclaimed teledentistry platform. Smile Direct Club also offers 24/7 access to phone, live chat, video chat, and email support.

About Smile Direct Club 

SmileDirectClub Inc. (Nasdaq: SDC) (“Smile Direct Club”) is an oral care company and creator of the first medtech platform for teeth straightening, now also offered directly via dentist and orthodontists’ offices. Through our cutting-edge teledentistry technology and vertically integrated model with all aligner products made in the United States, we are revolutionizing the oral care industry, from clear aligner therapy to our affordable, premium oral care product line. Smile Direct Club’s mission is to democratize access to a smile that each and every person loves by making it affordable and convenient for everyone. Smile Direct Club is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and operates in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Spain. For more information, please visit SmileDirectClub.com.