Smile Direct Club closed: what happened and what to do with your aligners

What happened to Smile Direct Club

SmileDirectClub sold clear aligners by mail from 2014, using at-home impression kits and remote review by a licensed dentist or orthodontist. It served more than 2 million people, according to AP coverage of its closing, but it lost money year after year.

The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2023. In December 2023 it shut down its operations. The telehealth platform stopped taking new patients, customer care closed, aligner orders that had not shipped were canceled and the Lifetime Smile Guarantee was dropped. In January 2024 a bankruptcy judge in Houston ruled that the company would be liquidated under a Chapter 7 trustee instead of being reorganized.

The legal fight is not over. In October 2025 the Chapter 7 trustee, Allison D. Byman, filed a lawsuit against the founders and top executives, alleging they paid themselves millions in bonuses and stock before the bankruptcy. In January 2026 the defendants asked the court to dismiss the case. At the time of checking (October 2026), PickedBox found no public report of a settlement. The case is in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, case number 23-90786.

Refunds and SmilePay: what customers got

Most customers paid through SmilePay, a monthly plan that usually totaled more than $2,500 including the down payment. After the shutdown, SmilePay customers were first told to keep paying even though treatment had ended. That led to the one refund program that did reach consumers.

• The New York settlement: in December 2024, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that her office had recovered $4.8 million for more than 28,000 SmilePay customers nationwide.
• How it was paid: the money was handled by Healthcare Finance Direct, the SmilePay service provider. Relief came as a partial or full refund of installments or a smaller remaining balance, based on when aligners first shipped, how much of the treatment was done and the balance owed.
• The deadline has passed: part of the relief was automatic, and the rest required a request by March 31, 2025.

Customers who paid up front, or who missed that window, are left with the bankruptcy case. In a Chapter 7 liquidation, secured lenders are paid ahead of customers, so a cash refund through the court is uncertain. If you are still being billed by any lender for SmileDirectClub treatment, ask that lender in writing what the balance covers, and ask your card issuer whether any dispute option is still open.

What to do with aligners you still have

Many customers were part way through a plan when support stopped. The company's own closing FAQ told people in treatment to continue with their treating doctor or a local dentist. That is still the practical answer.

• Stop and get checked first. Teeth can shift after a gap in wear, so an old tray may no longer fit the way it was designed to. A dentist or orthodontist can tell you whether the next tray is safe to use or whether a new plan is needed.
• Keep your records. Save your treatment plan emails, photos, receipts and any SmilePay statements. A new provider may ask for them, and they matter for any billing dispute.
• Retainers matter after treatment. If you finished your trays, a retainer helps hold the result. Ask your dentist what type fits your case.

To find a specialist, the American Association of Orthodontists runs a public orthodontist locator. This article is general information, not dental advice, and a licensed dentist or orthodontist who examines you in person is the right person to decide your next step.

SmileSet and the old smiledirectclub.com address

At the time of checking (October 2026), smiledirectclub.com redirects to a page run by SmileSet. The SmileSet page for former customers says the company acquired SmileDirectClub's technology and assets, and that it is a separate business.

The points that matter for former customers, as SmileSet states them:

• SmileSet cannot continue a treatment plan made by SmileDirectClub. Aligner treatment requires new impressions and a new plan.
• SmileSet says it cannot honor SmileDirectClub's previous guarantees or warranties. One FAQ heading on the same page asks whether it honors the lifetime guarantee and answers yes, but the text under it talks about aligner pressure, so get the answer in writing before you pay.
• Former SmileDirectClub customers are offered an $800 discount on aligner treatment, and retainers can often be ordered without new impressions.
• The page lists SmileSet aligners at $1,095.

SmileSet works the same way SmileDirectClub did: impressions at home and remote review by a state-licensed dental professional, with in-person 3D scans only in New York City and Nashville. If that model did not work for you the first time, a dentist-supervised option may be the better use of the money.

What the alternatives cost in October 2026

Several of the names that used to compete with SmileDirectClub have changed or closed, so older comparison charts are out of date.

The gap between at-home and in-office prices reflects what you get: in-office care includes exams, X-rays and adjustments. Invisalign's page notes that the cost of its treatment is in most cases comparable to braces, which also vary by city and case.

How to pay less for a new aligner plan

• Check your dental insurance. Many plans have a lifetime orthodontic benefit. Invisalign's cost page says insurance may cover up to $3,000 of orthodontic treatment, depending on the plan. Ask if any of it already went to SmileDirectClub.
• Use HSA or FSA money. Orthodontic treatment is a common eligible expense, and paying with pre-tax money lowers the real cost. Confirm with your plan administrator.
• Ask for the full price in writing. Get one number that includes records, aligners, refinements and the first retainer, then compare two or three offices.
• Ask about in-house payment plans. Many orthodontic offices spread fees over the treatment months. Compare the total, not the monthly figure.
• Ask about dental school clinics. University dental and orthodontic clinics often charge less, with residents supervised by faculty, though visits can take longer.

Be careful with any seller that promises to finish a SmileDirectClub plan with no new exam. Neither SmileSet nor any dentist can safely pick up an old plan without checking where your teeth are now.

How we checked this

At the time of checking (October 2026), PickedBox reviewed the page that smiledirectclub.com now redirects to, the SmileSet former customer page, the Byte website, the CandidPro patient page and Invisalign's cost page. Details of the shutdown, the SmilePay settlement and the bankruptcy case come from AP coverage published by Fortune and WFSB, the New York Attorney General's announcement, Bloomberg Law and Dentsply Sirona's SEC filings. Prices are the ones the companies published on those pages. No aligners were ordered or worn for this article.

• SmileSet: former SmileDirectClub customers
• AP via Fortune: SmileDirectClub refund from $4.8 million recovery (Dec 4, 2024)
• AP via WFSB: former SmileDirectClub customers may be eligible for a refund
• New York Attorney General press release (Dec 2024)
• NBC: SmileDirectClub shutting down, what patients need to know
• Bloomberg Law: trustee says insiders looted SmileDirectClub
• Bloomberg Law: founders move to end trustee lawsuit
• Byte website closure notice
• Dentsply Sirona Form 10-K for 2025 (Byte status)
• CandidPro patient homepage
• Invisalign cost page
• American Association of Orthodontists locator

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