SmileDirectClub, Inc., the next generation oral care company with the first med-tech platform for teeth straightening, has announced that the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) will issue a patent on the company’s innovative SmileBus concept. SmileDirectClub’s investment in its SmileBus fleet and its SmileBus concept, which the USPTO has recognised as novel, underscores its commitment to its mission of increasing access to oral care. The patent will further strengthen protection for SmileDirectClub’s intellectual property as one of the methods for bringing premium, affordable, accessible oral care to more people through its telehealth platform.
Since its launch in the United States (US) in 2018, SmileDirectClub’s fleet of SmileBuses has travelled across the continental US. Subsequently, a similar SmileBus concept was launched in the United Kingdom in 2020. The US and UK fleets have made nearly 1,200 stops and empowered SmileGuides to take nearly 100,000 3D images to date, helping consumers get a smile that they love wherever they live, including the many areas without access to an orthodontist.
“For far too long, access to orthodontic care was limited to only those areas that could support an in-person practice. Thanks to the SmileBus and SmileDirectClub’s industry-first telehealth platform for teeth straightening, more communities than ever now have a premium, affordable, accessible option,” said Susan Greenspon Rammelt, chief legal officer and executive vice-president of Business Affairs at SmileDirectClub. “We are pleased the USPTO has acknowledged the novelty of our SmileBus concept by allowing this patent. The SmileBus has helped thousands of people in the US and UK get started on their smile journey – many of whom live in ‘dental deserts’ without convenient access to orthodontic treatment.”
This newest patent will join the company’s robust intellectual property portfolio, which includes SmileDirectClub’s patent-protected and innovative digital customer journey, ground-breaking advancements in the manufacture of clear aligners, award-winning whitening system and many other premium oral care offerings.
