SmileDirectClub, who went public at an $8.9B valuation in 2019, promised to straighten teeth for under $1,850 — about a third the cost of traditional braces — in as little as six months and all from the comfort of home. However, the aligners commonly damaged teeth and caused severe pain requiring some consumers to have expensive dental procedures. Thus, they dealt with legal fights from dissatisfied customers who accused it of false advertising and of violating Food and Drug Administration regulations. Saddled with $900M in debt the company shut down in 2023.
