SmileDirectClub, Inc., the oral care company with the first medtech platform for teeth straightening, has been selected as the winner of the “Best Telehealth Platform” award in the sixth annual MedTech Breakthrough Awards programme conducted by MedTech Breakthrough, an independent market intelligence organisation that recognises the top companies, technologies and products in the global health and medical technology market.
Since the company’s founding, SmileDirectClub’s telehealth platform for orthodontia has democratised access to premium, safe, and effective teeth straightening. In less than eight years, this platform has helped over 1.7 million people get a smile that they love while saving them more than US$5 billion collectively over the cost of traditional braces.*
“We are proud of the telehealth platform we have built and are honoured to be recognised by MedTech Breakthrough for our leadership in the rapidly growing telehealth space,” said David Katzman, chairman and CEO of SmileDirectClub. “Our telehealth platform has served as the foundation of our innovative business model, removing cost and access barriers to teeth straightening and powering doctor-prescribed and monitored remote treatment. We will continue to build on our platform and portfolio of innovations to create the next generation of oral care.”
Since the start of the pandemic, SmileDirectClub has introduced additional advancements to its telehealth platform, including a video chat capability that quickly and efficiently connects dental professionals with customers and the SmileDirectClub App which helps customers stay on track throughout treatment. Additionally, the Company’s telehealth platform is further enhanced by its proprietary treatment planning software SmileOS™ that leverages AI to deliver enhanced treatment outcomes and more accurately predict tooth movements.
“From its inception, SmileDirectClub has been a pioneering innovator with ‘breakthrough’ telehealth technology, changing the game in providing access to care to large swathes of the US and global population,” said James Johnson, managing director, MedTech Breakthrough. “Their first-of-its-kind medtech platform for orthodontia has unlocked a smarter, better way to straighten teeth, making clear aligner therapy more accessible for everyone – and they continue to innovate with leading edge solutions such as their SmileOS™ treatment planning software. Congratulations to the SmileDirectClub team on being our choice for ‘Best Telehealth Platform’ in our 2022 MedTech Breakthrough Awards programme.”
The mission of the MedTech Breakthrough Awards is to honour excellence and recognise the innovation, hard work and success in a range of health and medical technology categories, including Telehealth, Clinical Administration, Patient Engagement, Electronic Health Records (EHR), Virtual Care, Medical Devices, Medical Data and many more. This year’s programme attracted more than 3,900 nominations from over 15 different countries throughout the world.
*Source: Calculated using the SinglePay price for SmileDirectClub aligners as of 20/4/2022 vs. average fees (including diagnostics and in-person exams) for treatment of mild-to-moderate malocclusion with braces as reported in a survey of orthodontists
