SmileDirectclub - Intro!
So I decided to start SmileDirectClub. I never had braces when I was younger, and after my wisdom teeth all erupted, it caused some serious crowding issues near the front of my teeth. I'm rather self-conscious about my smile, but I promise to post a 'Before' and 'After' shot once I'm done!
I did go to a dentist and an orthodontist to see if I could get Invisalign or some other type of invisible aligners, but due to my insurance coverage (or lack thereof, for braces after a certain age), it would have cost me over $5k to do Invisalign. SmileDirectClub, on the other hand, is a flat fee regardless of how messed up your teeth are (provided that it's still within the "eligible" range of messed-up-ness; I think if your teeth require much more extensive work, you may not be eligible for SDC. You can always get a FREE consultation if you decide to go in-person into an office rather than do the mailed kit for impressions). You can either pay $1700 all up front or you can pay $1933 total if you pay in monthly installments ($250 down at the time of purchase, and then $99/month for 17 months). The reason it's so cheap is because they take the human element out of it--no orthodontist visits and stuff like that. I believe there is someone keeping regularly in contact with you to check your progress, though. (Update: There isn't. But you can call them if you've got questions!)
I went into the D.C. SmileDirectClub office on Connecticut Ave on April 24, 2017. Their office is actually really difficult to find, because there's no directory; you're only told in your e-mail that it's on the 10th floor as a part of the "WeWork" offices. So I got up to the 10th floor and then went to the side that said "WeWork" on the glass door, but upon entering, it was an absolute maze full of tiny-ass start-ups and small companies. So I guess "WeWork" is a "coworking" office space company. I swear there are about 50 "offices" crammed into a space of about 5,000 square feet, and they all look alike! Not sure if all SDC offices are contracted with WeWork, but for others' sake, I hope not. The office was really hard to find, and when I called customer service to ask them to transfer me directly to the D.C. office, they ended up accidentally not transferring me. I could hear background noise on the agent's end, with her talking to one of her co-workers. I kept shouting "HELLO?!" hoping that she'd hear my voice and realize that she never transferred me, but she didn't. That was kind of annoying. I ended up being 15 minutes late because I had to call back again, and the only reason I ended up even finding the place is because someone went out to search for me. But this person also asked me if my name was Sonia, and I said no, my name is Alice... and she said that the customer service rep (who I guess DID end up contacting the D.C. office and told them that a customer is wandering the halls) said that my name was Sonia. Get your customer service shit together, SDC.
The scan process was very painless and easy. They prop your mouth open using a mouthpiece and they just stick a probe in your mouth and go around your teeth from all angles to get an exact 3D image of your teeth and gums. You can also do this yourself at home; they send you an impression kit for $95 (not sure if this goes towards the total price or not) so that you can just do it yourself from home, but I didn't trust myself to do it correctly lol. Also, going in person is free anyhow.
NOTE: Do not go do this scan appointment if you are awaiting dental/orthodontal treatments such as root canals, crown replacements, cavity fillings, and anything else that may end up affecting your overall teeth appearance and surface; you'll otherwise end up having to go in and do it all over again.
Afterwards, they gave me the mouthpiece to keep (the one that propped my mouth open--I guess so that I can take pictures from home using it, and also to apply the whitening gel earlier), along with a sample teeth whitening vial (five comes with every SDC kit, I believe!), and an information booklet. That was it! I paid my $1,700 up front, got my receipt, and then went about my merry day. I got an e-mail with a copy of the "Consent and History" form they had me sign at the office, and then a Welcome e-mail was waiting for me when I got home as well. It was such an easy and quick process. The appointment took maybe 20 minutes max.
Also, as a bonus, I was watching the promo video they had on loop on their TV in the office, and I saw my friend Kelly from Mimosas & Manhattan on it (she's the beautiful blonde)! That was a cool little surprise. Also kinda embarrassing when I randomly shouted out "Oh, my God! I KNOW HER!!" at my attendant.
I did go to a dentist and an orthodontist to see if I could get Invisalign or some other type of invisible aligners, but due to my insurance coverage (or lack thereof, for braces after a certain age), it would have cost me over $5k to do Invisalign. SmileDirectClub, on the other hand, is a flat fee regardless of how messed up your teeth are (provided that it's still within the "eligible" range of messed-up-ness; I think if your teeth require much more extensive work, you may not be eligible for SDC. You can always get a FREE consultation if you decide to go in-person into an office rather than do the mailed kit for impressions). You can either pay $1700 all up front or you can pay $1933 total if you pay in monthly installments ($250 down at the time of purchase, and then $99/month for 17 months). The reason it's so cheap is because they take the human element out of it--no orthodontist visits and stuff like that. I believe there is someone keeping regularly in contact with you to check your progress, though. (Update: There isn't. But you can call them if you've got questions!)
I went into the D.C. SmileDirectClub office on Connecticut Ave on April 24, 2017. Their office is actually really difficult to find, because there's no directory; you're only told in your e-mail that it's on the 10th floor as a part of the "WeWork" offices. So I got up to the 10th floor and then went to the side that said "WeWork" on the glass door, but upon entering, it was an absolute maze full of tiny-ass start-ups and small companies. So I guess "WeWork" is a "coworking" office space company. I swear there are about 50 "offices" crammed into a space of about 5,000 square feet, and they all look alike! Not sure if all SDC offices are contracted with WeWork, but for others' sake, I hope not. The office was really hard to find, and when I called customer service to ask them to transfer me directly to the D.C. office, they ended up accidentally not transferring me. I could hear background noise on the agent's end, with her talking to one of her co-workers. I kept shouting "HELLO?!" hoping that she'd hear my voice and realize that she never transferred me, but she didn't. That was kind of annoying. I ended up being 15 minutes late because I had to call back again, and the only reason I ended up even finding the place is because someone went out to search for me. But this person also asked me if my name was Sonia, and I said no, my name is Alice... and she said that the customer service rep (who I guess DID end up contacting the D.C. office and told them that a customer is wandering the halls) said that my name was Sonia. Get your customer service shit together, SDC.
The scan process was very painless and easy. They prop your mouth open using a mouthpiece and they just stick a probe in your mouth and go around your teeth from all angles to get an exact 3D image of your teeth and gums. You can also do this yourself at home; they send you an impression kit for $95 (not sure if this goes towards the total price or not) so that you can just do it yourself from home, but I didn't trust myself to do it correctly lol. Also, going in person is free anyhow.
NOTE: Do not go do this scan appointment if you are awaiting dental/orthodontal treatments such as root canals, crown replacements, cavity fillings, and anything else that may end up affecting your overall teeth appearance and surface; you'll otherwise end up having to go in and do it all over again.
Afterwards, they gave me the mouthpiece to keep (the one that propped my mouth open--I guess so that I can take pictures from home using it, and also to apply the whitening gel earlier), along with a sample teeth whitening vial (five comes with every SDC kit, I believe!), and an information booklet. That was it! I paid my $1,700 up front, got my receipt, and then went about my merry day. I got an e-mail with a copy of the "Consent and History" form they had me sign at the office, and then a Welcome e-mail was waiting for me when I got home as well. It was such an easy and quick process. The appointment took maybe 20 minutes max.
Also, as a bonus, I was watching the promo video they had on loop on their TV in the office, and I saw my friend Kelly from Mimosas & Manhattan on it (she's the beautiful blonde)! That was a cool little surprise. Also kinda embarrassing when I randomly shouted out "Oh, my God! I KNOW HER!!" at my attendant.
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