Nashville-based SmileDirectClub shuts down after filing for bankruptcy

SmileDirectClub, the international direct-to-consumer dentistry and orthodonistry company that sold teeth aligners, has shut down less than three months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The telehealth company, [which was] founded in 2014 [and went public in 2019], said in a statement posted on its website Friday that it “has made the incredibly difficult decision to wind down its global operations, effective immediately.” It thanked customers for their “support and letting us improve over 2 million smiles and lives.”

Because a typical SmileDirectClub teeth-straightening course takes 4-6 months, some existing customers may be stranded in the middle of treatment.