GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — International telehealth company SmileDirectClub announced that it will be shutting down after nearly a decade.
The move turning smiles into frowns, as it's thrown people currently in the midst of their treatment into chaos.
"If you go on all the forums and social media groups, both for dentists and for patients and support groups for SmileDirectClub, it's so new and so fresh," Dr. Jared Van Ittersum said. "There's not a lot of direction on where to go."
According to the page that has now taken over the smile direct club website, those in the process of their plan are expected to continue all monthly payments despite both treatment and customer support being discontinued.
It's a situation that Dr. Elias Achey, who co-founded local dentistry Infinity Dental alongside Van Ittersum, compared to patient abandonment that likely would've cost them their licenses.
"If a general dentist with his license can lose his license and possibly go to jail, what's actually going to happen to this company?" Achey said. "It's gonna make a statement on what's going to happen."
13 ON YOUR SIDE reached out to SmileDirectClub on Monday for comment beyond what was included in their webpage, but did not receive a response by time of publishing.
The Michigan Dental Association also weighed in on the company's closure, saying they, too, shared concerns over what now lies ahead for those who used SmileDirectClub's program.
"The Michigan Dental Association (MDA) is aware of the the recent announcement of SmileDirectClub's bankruptcy and cessation of operations," the MDA told 13 ON YOUR SIDE. "Our association never believed that do-it-yourself teeth straightening was a good idea because of the potential harm to patients who might forgo necessary care from dental professionals."
"Our primary concern is the well-being of dental patients who now no longer have a right to care under SmileDirectClub’s 'lifetime guarantee' but who may find they need orthodontia in the future," the statement continued. "We encourage affected individuals to bring their dental care concerns to their dentists, who can advise them on treatment options."
While SmileDirectClub also encouraged patients mid-treatment to consult with their doctor or local dentist, Achey and Van Ittersum said it depends on a case-by-case basis whether treatment can be continued.
Because of pre-care standards adhered to by in-person dentists and professionals, they said many people may likely have to start their treatment all over again.
"It's a conundrum as a general dentist, because, obviously want to open our doors and help everybody in the community and take care of them, you know," Van Ittersum said. "But this situation, when you're taking over someone else's treatment, okay, and it hasn't necessarily been done right, it's hard not to just start over and say, 'Okay, we got to start from A to get to Z.' We can't start at L and go to Z."
Regardless, the two also encouraged people to talk to their dentists to get the knowledge one what to do now.
"There's nothing that a patient can individually do or give them advice, like, you can't just go out there and get some cloverleaf and make sure that their teeth are going to be okay," Achey said. "You know, it's a matter of, you need professional advice and in the next steps on what to do."
When reached for comment, the office of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said they had not received any complaints related to SmileDirectClub's closure.
However, they said that anyone who believes they are being treated unfairly by the company should file a complaint on their Consumer Protection website.
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