NBC News investigates complaints about at-home dental aligners
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- Published: Wednesday, 19 February 2020 07:34
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An NBC News investigation into a growing list of complaints about SmileDirectClub, the largest at-home dental alignment company, and others found that this new trend in straightening teeth is leading to painful problems for some people. The Better Business Bureau reports more than 1,800 complaints across the USA involving SmileDirectClub.
Most of the complaints involve customer service issues — such as broken aligners, delivery issues and payment problems — but dozens describe concerns about treatment results: complaints like broken teeth and nerve damage.
Last month, nine 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.” And in January, in an effort to protect patients, a law went into effect in California requiring all teledentistry patients to get an X-ray before undergoing online aligner treatment. Virginia is considering similar rules.
Dr. Chung Kau, chairman and professor of orthodontics at the University of Alabama, told NBC News that moving teeth without in-person supervision can lead to permanent harm. Problems with a person’s bite aren’t just cosmetic. “If you can’t get a proper bite, that affects the entire function of your jaw,” Kau said.
He added: “You could get migraines, jaw joint problems, disintegration of your joints. This harm is irreparable. I want to state that. It’s because things like bone loss, disease, loss of a tooth — you can’t put it back in the mouth.” It’s important for teeth straightening patients to see an orthodontist regularly to make sure their bite is correct and their mouth is healthy overall, Kau said.
SmileDirectClub said that they can’t comment on individual cases because of privacy concerns, but the company’s chief legal officer, Susan Greenspon-Rammelt, said the company has helped more than 750,000 people with its network of licensed dental professionals. “They’re subject to the same standards of care that a doctor in a traditional setting is,” she said.
But NBC News found complaints related to poor patient outcomes, including problems with bite and spacing. Greenspon-Rammelt said that SmileDirectClub’s network of dentists, not the company itself, is responsible for treatment plans, but said that undesirable results could 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, they didn’t follow up with the dental team," she said.
SmileDirectClub reviews all patient scans before sending the first treatment kits, and only sends them to patients that they think are good candidates, Greenspon-Rammelt said, adding that 95 percent of people reviewed for treatment are accepted. All customers are required to see a dentist within six months before starting, which Greenspon-Rammelt says offers proof that their teeth are healthy enough for the treatment.
But NBC News hidden cameras recorded employees at SmileDirectClub shops in Ohio, New Jersey and Alabama advising potential customers they didn’t have to see a dentist before starting treatment. One employee said “it’s not mandatory” to see a dentist first. Another said, “that’s what the scans are for.” Kau, however, said the scans are just a map of the teeth and don’t provide a full picture of someone’s oral health.
Report by Vicky Nguyen, investigative and consumer correspondent for NBC News.
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