Smile Direct Club shuts down

The firm’s decision, which offered teeth aligners to customers through the post, came during a court hearing last Friday that saw its attorney Spencer Winters tell Judge Christopher Lopez the liquidation came after a “Hail Mary” process of attempting to sell the company as a going concern, according to reports from Axios. 

Winters, however, added: “By yesterday afternoon, it became clear that it just wasn’t working.” He went to explain that any last-minute deal to save the operation during the liquidation process would be highly improbable.  
The US-based dentistry company was founded in 2014, styling itself as a disruptor to the “bricks-and-mortar" dental industry.  

In a statement on the company’s website, it said: “SmileDirectClub has made the incredibly difficult decision to wind down its global operations, effective immediately. For new customers interested in SmileDirectClub services, thank you for your interest, but aligner treatment is no longer available through our telehealth platform.  

“For existing customers, we apologise for the inconvenience, but customer care support is no longer available. Thank you for your support and letting us improve over two million smiles and lives.”