Dozens of banana-yellow robotic arms link together in a winding assembly line at SmileDirectClub’s production warehouse in South Nashville.
Mechanical and elbow appendages carry out repetitive responsibilities with uncompromising precision, without the need for lunch breaks or morale boosters.
They pluck jets of moon-shaped nylon washers from the treadmill, one at a time, and temporarily place them in cubes.
Each has a traditional QR code.
Robots and their related computer systems are inspected, cleaned and monitored by human workers.
The disruptive fitness generation company’s project to “democratize orthodontics” is served through a developing robot army employing state-of-the-art software powered by synthetic intelligence and informed through the knowledge of its 1. 5 million customers.
This spring, a production of the moment called “Smile Farm” will open in Colombia with a first fleet of about fifteen 3D printers.
The Nashville-based company’s new production line is making its debut after years of attacks from the demanding dental and government regulatory situations that complicate its global expansion strategy.
In January, SmileDirect announced it would make $120 million cuts and abandon nine new markets due to regulatory delays and the economic challenges of the ongoing pandemic.
Instead, it will do so in existing markets in the U. S. USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, France and Australia.
The 7-year-old company, valued at more than a billion as a startup, has noticed a drop in its inventory of more than 80% since its IPO two years ago.
But this period, he overhauled his production system.
SmileDirect’s new generation of technologies and software is more effective than its original production line that relied on other people to cut and polish oral molds.
“We have one of the largest 3D printing parks here in North America thanks to our collaboration with HP. It’s a very successful operation,” said Dan Baker, global supply chain manager. “These machines are the workhorses of our production process. . They are more reliable and more efficient. “
In a room at the South Nashville production plant called the “Smile House,” 60 traditional HP Jet Fusion 3D printers the size of an OFFICE quietly create stable flows of arched mouth molds.
“Behind the scenes of the production process, a lot of data circulates that starts with customers,” Baker said. and precision. “
SmileDirectClub moved to downtown Nashville in 2016 with immediate global expansion plans, arguing that new technologies can reduce costly dentist visits from the equation when treating misaligned teeth.
But dentistry retaliated, not easy federal investigations into the company’s practices in 2019.
At the same time, media reports have questioned its legitimacy as a healthcare provider and told stories of disgruntled customers.
Meanwhile, Georgia, Alabama and California have supported state dental boards. They imposed the requirement of in-person visits to the dentist for treatment. And short sellers, Hindenberg Research adds, have focused on the disruptive tech startup’s inventory.
The negatives have wreaked havoc.
The company’s consistent percentages have grown from over $20 to just over $2 over the past two years.
But SmileDirect officials assure investors that the tight cuts will allow for ongoing operations and expansion investments.
They rejected widespread claims by the dental industry that SmileDirectClubs are harmful.
They are suing NBC for $2. 8 million, alleging that the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act violated through a “Nightly News” program that wondered about protecting dental aligners.
More: SmileDirectClub slams NBC with $2. 85 billion lawsuit after the airs “hit” the company
The American Dental Association sought intervention from the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration to shut down the SmileDirectClub company, and the American Association of Orthodontists launched a competitive crusade against the company in 2019 and 2020.
The ADA and AAO argued that no one gets dental care without seeing a qualified dentist in person.
But some of the claims have since been dismissed by the FTC and others.
In March 2021, the National Advertising Division of BBB’s Independent Exchange of National Program Best Practices reported that the AAO terminated “unsupported messages from its marketing crusade indicating that SmileDirectClub’s direct-to-consumer teledentistry platform is risky. “
The independent regulatory board sided with SmileDirectClub that, as it should be, it represents its technology-enhanced remedy model, in which dentists review patients’ virtual scans and records, but cannot meet with the patient in person.
In September, the Alabama Council of Medical Examiners eliminated dentist assistance requirements for all orthodontic treatments after the FTC condemned efforts to prevent SmileDirectClub from operating in the state.
“The Alabama Board of Dental Examiners agreed to no longer require on-site supervision through licensed dentists of oral alignment analyses of potential patients seeking to treat misaligned teeth or gaps between teeth. These tests are given through dental hygienists and other people who are not dentists. ; the Dental Board’s resolution limited customer selection and excluded new providers in the state of Alabama,” FTC officials wrote in a statement. treatment through remote treatment. “
Cases in California and Georgia are still ongoing, and SmileDirect officials hope federal authorities will help states find favor.
While SmileDirectClub has noticed a drop in its profits during the pandemic, it has gained greater social acceptance thanks to the development of public acceptance as true in telehealth medicine.
Today, the company from a developing list of partners in the virtual fitness generation industry.
But, seven years after its creation, it is still not profitable.
The company’s new plan to refocus operations in a smaller number of key markets aims to reassure investors involved about its volatile monetary performance.
Give back: Mariachi Square co-founder Diane Janbakhsh learned valuable lessons from her mother
Company officials say customer demand will remain strong, despite a faltering economy, due to the increasing reliability of its technologies and low prices.
SmileDirectClub charges approximately $1,950 depending on the visitor to align and moderate asymmetrical teeth. An additional retainer to maintain the new alignment of the teeth costs $99 more.
Dental aligners submitted through competitor Invisalign, in partnership with dental offices, start at $3,000.
SmileDirectClub consumers get sets of 12 to 18 aligners made with tooth scans and molds made with their printers and robotic arms.
The arcs are cut with precision lasers before being sorted.
Customers then get a luminous violet box with their treatment, lip balm, and packages.
The company expects its 3D printer team to manufacture more than 6 million traditional dental aligners this year.
“Some markets are in a position for teleodontology and others are not,” Baker said. “Our product offering is much more focused on convenience and affordability. More than 60% of North American counties do not have a dentist. “
Sandy Mazza can be reached by email at smazza@tennessean. com, by calling 615-726-5962 or on Twitter @SandyMazza.