SmileDirectClub

SmileDirectClub, a telehealth company that sold teeth-straightening devices through the mail and faced criticism from medical groups, said on Friday that it had shut down. The company, founded in 2014, sold teeth aligners online and in its shops for $1,850. It marketed them as a faster, cheaper alternative to braces. SmileDirectClub’s initial public offering in 2019 valued it at $8.9 billion. SmileDirectClub served more than two million customers over nearly a decade. But the company was not profitable and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2023 with nearly $900 million of debt. SmileDirectClub’s services, which did not require in-person visits, had drawn criticism from dentist and orthodontist groups. SmileDirectClub was founded in Nashville by childhood friends Alex Fenkell and Jordan Katzman.