What’s the price of a perfect smile? US teeth-straightening start-up SmileDirectClub aims to shake up Hong Kong’s dental industry with its online solution
- The company claims its 3D-printed plastic aligners will sort out your wonky teeth for a minimum of HK$14,500 (US$1,870) – and you don’t have to visit a dentist
- Some local experts warn that clients are taking a risk because the overseas orthodontists in charge of their treatment are not regulated in Hong Kong
They say a smile costs nothing. But it seems a truly winning grin, revealing a set of gleaming, perfectly aligned teeth, can come with a hefty price tag.
SmileDirectClub, the latest American start-up to try to “disrupt” Hong Kong’s orthodontics industry, claims its 3D-printed plastic aligners will sort out your wonky gnashers for a minimum of HK$14,500 (US$1,870) – and you don’t even have to visit a dentist.
But such practices, in which a customer’s prescription and follow-up treatment is largely done over the internet, are not without their critics. Some local experts warned that clients are taking a risk because the overseas orthodontists in charge of their treatment are not regulated in Hong Kong.
Customers can order a DIY kit from SmileDirectClub’s website to make an impression of their teeth which they then send back to the company’s US office. Alternatively, they can visit one of two outlets the company recently opened in Hong Kong to have their teeth scanned to create a 3D image.
Either way, the images are then reviewed by a Canada-licensed dentist, who will prescribe a straightening programme within 48 hours, having determined that the customer is suitable for treatment.
