Invisalign vs Smile Direct Club: What Every Australian Should Know Before Straightening Their Teeth

If you have been researching clear aligners to straighten your teeth, there is a very good chance you have come across both Invisalign and Smile Direct Club. They look similar on the surface. Both use clear plastic trays. Both promise a straighter smile without metal braces. Both sound appealing.

But the similarities largely stop there.

There is also a critical development that every Australian considering teeth straightening needs to know before making any decision: Smile Direct Club no longer exists. The company filed for bankruptcy in September 2023 and permanently shut down all global operations in December 2023, leaving thousands of customers mid-treatment, without support, without refunds, and without a clear path forward.

This blog is here to give you the complete, honest picture. We will break down how Invisalign and Smile Direct Club differed, what went wrong with the direct-to-consumer model, why professional supervision is not optional when it comes to moving your teeth, and what the Invisalign experience actually looks like when it is done properly at a trusted dental clinic like Bigger Smiles in Gymea, Sydney.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is the world’s most established and clinically supported clear aligner system. It was developed by Align Technology and launched in 1999, and in the decades since, it has been used to treat millions of patients across the globe for everything from minor crowding and spacing issues to complex bite correction cases.

Invisalign works by using a series of custom-made, removable clear aligner trays that fit snugly over your teeth. Each tray in the series makes gradual, carefully planned movements that shift your teeth into the correct position over time. Treatment is designed, monitored, and adjusted by a licensed dental professional at every stage.

The aligners are made from SmartTrack, a proprietary flexible thermoplastic material that is exclusive to Invisalign. This material is designed to apply consistent, controlled force to teeth and allows for more precise tooth movement than generic aligner materials. It is also BPA-free, latex-free, and gluten-free.

Invisalign can treat a very wide range of orthodontic concerns, including:

• Crowded teeth
• Gaps between teeth
• Overbite, underbite, and crossbite
• Open bite
• Generally misaligned smiles of mild, moderate, and significant complexity

What Was Smile Direct Club?

Smile Direct Club was a direct-to-consumer teeth straightening company founded in the United States in 2014. The company expanded to Australia in 2019 and positioned itself as a more affordable, more convenient alternative to traditional orthodontic care.

Their model worked like this: customers either visited a scanning location or received an at-home impression kit by post. Impressions or scans were reviewed remotely by a licensed dentist or orthodontist, a treatment plan was created, and a full set of aligners was mailed directly to the customer’s home. From that point, progress was checked virtually, typically every 90 days, and no in-person dental visits were required.

This was the core appeal, and it was also the core problem.

Smile Direct Club Is Now Closed

In September 2023, Smile Direct Club filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States, disclosing nearly $900 million in debt. Despite promises to continue normal operations through a restructuring process, the company was unable to secure a financial partner and permanently shut down all global operations on 8 December 2023.

The closure was immediate and with very little warning. All customer orders that had not yet shipped were cancelled. Customer support ceased entirely. The company’s “Lifetime Smile Guarantee” became worthless overnight. Customers who had financed their treatment were still expected to continue making repayments, even though no further service would ever be provided.

For Australian customers, the situation was compounded by the fact that Smile Direct Club had already attracted legal scrutiny here. In 2022, the Federal Court of Australia ordered the company to pay AU$3.5 million in penalties for misleading Australian customers about private health fund rebates. In 2024, the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia ruled against Smile Direct Club in a case brought by Invisalign, finding that the company had made false and misleading representations comparing its treatment quality and value to that of Invisalign.

The British Dental Association perhaps put it most plainly in a statement following the closure: “It shouldn’t have taken a bankruptcy to protect patients from harm. Dentists are left to pick up the pieces when these providers offer wholly inappropriate treatment.”

The Fundamental Difference: Supervision

Setting aside the company’s closure, the single most important distinction between Invisalign and Smile Direct Club was always the level of professional oversight involved in treatment.

How Invisalign Supervision Works

When you start Invisalign at Bigger Smiles, the process begins with a comprehensive clinical assessment. This includes:

• A full oral health examination to check for gum disease, decay, or other issues that must be addressed before orthodontic treatment begins
• X-rays to assess the roots, bone structure, and overall jaw health
• Digital impressions or scans of your teeth
• A thorough discussion of your goals, your timeline, and what Invisalign can realistically achieve for your specific case

Using advanced 3D imaging technology, your dentist creates a precise, customised treatment plan that maps out every stage of your tooth movement from your current smile to your final result. You can actually see a digital preview of your expected outcome before treatment begins.

Throughout treatment, you attend check-up appointments approximately every six to eight weeks. At these visits, your dentist assesses whether your teeth are tracking correctly with your aligners, makes any necessary adjustments to your plan, and ensures your gum and bone health is being maintained. If something is not going according to plan, your dentist catches it early and corrects it.

How Smile Direct Club’s Supervision Worked

Under the Smile Direct Club model, there were no in-person dental visits. There were no X-rays taken before treatment began. The remote check-ins that occurred every 90 days were conducted through photo submissions assessed by contracted dentists who had never physically examined the patient.

What this meant in practice was that conditions like active gum disease, bone loss, or bite problems that were contraindications for aligner treatment could be missed entirely. Teeth were being moved without anyone physically present to catch issues as they developed.

The American Association of Orthodontists noted after the company’s closure that most Smile Direct Club customers had never received an X-ray or in-person examination, which are critical to an accurate diagnosis and a safe treatment plan.

Orthodontists around the world saw the consequences of this model first-hand in their clinics. Reports of gum disease developing during treatment, bite problems worsening, tooth root issues, and patients presenting mid-treatment with nowhere to turn were well documented long before the company shut down.

Complexity of Cases: What Each Could Treat

This is another area where the differences were significant and clinically meaningful.

Invisalign is designed to treat a broad spectrum of orthodontic issues. Whether your case is straightforward or involves bite correction, significant crowding, or more complex tooth movement, Invisalign has the technology and the clinical support framework to manage it. Treatment plans are completely individualised, with the number of aligner trays and the duration of treatment adjusted to match the complexity of each patient’s needs.

Smile Direct Club was designed only for mild to moderate tooth misalignment. Their own materials acknowledged this clearly. Despite this, reporting indicated that the company accepted approximately 95 per cent of all applicants regardless of case complexity, a figure that orthodontists found deeply concerning given how small the proportion of genuinely suitable candidates is for a treatment model of that nature.

The result was that many patients were approved for treatment that their condition was never suited for, leading to outcomes that fell well short of what was promised and, in some cases, causing harm that required professional corrective treatment.

Treatment Duration

Smile Direct Club marketed treatment times of four to six months as an advantage over Invisalign, and this was one of the features that drew many patients toward the at-home model.

Invisalign treatment timelines are genuinely variable and are determined by the complexity of each patient’s case. Minor corrections can be completed relatively quickly, while more involved cases take longer. The difference is that the timeline for Invisalign treatment is built around what your teeth actually need, rather than being a fixed selling point driven by marketing.

Rushing orthodontic treatment is not a benefit. Moving teeth faster than they can safely and stably move increases the risk of root resorption, gum problems, and relapse. The pace of Invisalign treatment is calibrated around clinical safety and long-term stability. That is a distinction worth understanding.

The Direct-to-Consumer Model: A Broader Lesson

The rise and fall of Smile Direct Club raises important questions that go beyond one company’s financial collapse. It highlights the risks that can accompany any teeth straightening product that bypasses professional, in-person dental supervision.

Direct-to-consumer aligner companies continue to operate in various markets, some of them operating in ways that are very similar to the Smile Direct Club model. The lesson from that company’s story is not simply that this particular business failed. The lesson is that moving teeth without proper examination, without X-rays, and without ongoing in-person supervision carries real clinical risks that no amount of convenience or cost savings can outweigh.

Your teeth are connected to your jawbone by a complex system of ligaments, nerves, and soft tissue. Moving them without understanding what is happening beneath the gumline is not just imprecise. It can cause lasting damage to bone, to roots, and to your bite that is costly and difficult to correct.

What the Invisalign Experience Looks Like at Bigger Smiles

At Bigger Smiles in Gymea, Invisalign treatment is delivered within a full-scope, clinically supported environment. Our team uses Digital Smile Design and 3D imaging technology to create highly accurate, visually detailed treatment plans that give you a clear picture of your journey from day one.

Here is what you can expect:

Your initial consultation: A comprehensive examination of your teeth, gums, bite, and jaw. X-rays and digital scans are taken. Your Bigger Smiles dentist discusses your goals and determines whether Invisalign is the right treatment for your specific needs. Some patients may benefit from additional preparatory work before aligners begin, such as addressing gum health or existing decay, and your dentist will discuss this openly with you.

Your custom treatment plan: Using Align Technology’s ClinCheck software, your dentist maps out every stage of your tooth movement in a 3D simulation. You will be able to see a preview of your expected final result before you commit to treatment.

Your aligners: Your custom Invisalign trays are fabricated specifically for your teeth. You wear each set for approximately one to two weeks before progressing to the next, for at least 20 to 22 hours per day. They are removed for eating, drinking anything other than water, and your oral hygiene routine.

Your progress appointments: Every six to eight weeks, you return to Bigger Smiles for a check-up. Your dentist assesses how your teeth are tracking, ensures your aligner fit is correct, and makes any adjustments to your plan if needed. These appointments are not optional extras. They are where the clinical expertise that makes Invisalign work so effectively is applied.

Your retention: Once your active treatment is complete, your dentist will advise on a retainer to maintain your results. Without proper retention, teeth can shift back over time. This is a clinical reality that applies to any form of orthodontic treatment and is something your Bigger Smiles dentist will plan for from the outset.

The Bottom Line: Why Professional Invisalign Treatment is the Clear Choice

The comparison between Invisalign and Smile Direct Club ultimately comes down to this: one is a professionally administered, clinically supervised, evidence-based orthodontic treatment. The other was a direct-to-consumer product that removed professional oversight from a process that genuinely requires it.

Smile Direct Club is no longer operating. But the broader lesson it leaves behind is one that every Australian considering teeth straightening should carry forward when evaluating any option that promises similar convenience.

Moving teeth safely and effectively requires a licensed professional who examines you in person, understands your complete oral health picture, monitors your progress throughout, and can intervene if something changes. That is what Invisalign, delivered by the experienced team at Bigger Smiles, provides.

If you are ready to explore Invisalign or want to understand whether it is the right treatment for your smile, we would love to meet you. Visit us at biggersmiles.com.au or contact our Gymea clinic to book your consultation today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Invisalign suitable for complex orthodontic cases, or only minor crowding?

Invisalign is designed to treat a wide range of orthodontic issues, from minor spacing and crowding all the way through to significant bite correction and more complex tooth movement cases. The suitability of Invisalign for your specific needs will be assessed during your initial consultation at Bigger Smiles, where your dentist will examine your teeth, gums, bone health, and bite to determine the right treatment approach for your individual situation.

Since Smile Direct Club has closed, what happens to patients who were mid-treatment?

Patients who were still in active Smile Direct Club treatment when the company shut down in December 2023 were left without support, customer service, or any guarantee of refund. The American Association of Orthodontists advised all affected patients to seek an in-person consultation with a licensed dentist or orthodontist as soon as possible. If you were a Smile Direct Club customer and need help understanding where your treatment stands and what your options are, the team at Bigger Smiles is happy to assess your situation and discuss a path forward.

How long does Invisalign treatment take at Bigger Smiles?

Treatment length varies from patient to patient depending on the complexity of the case. Minor corrections may be achievable in a shorter timeframe, while more involved cases involving bite correction or significant crowding will naturally take longer to complete safely and effectively. Your Bigger Smiles dentist will give you a realistic, personalised timeline during your initial consultation after reviewing your scans and discussing your goals.

Do I need to wear Invisalign aligners all day?

For Invisalign to work effectively, aligners should be worn for a minimum of 20 to 22 hours per day. They are removed for eating, drinking anything other than water, and for brushing and flossing. Consistently wearing your aligners as directed is the single biggest factor you can control in determining how smoothly and quickly your treatment progresses.

What happens after Invisalign treatment is finished?

Once your active Invisalign treatment is complete, your dentist at Bigger Smiles will discuss your retention plan. Retainers are worn after orthodontic treatment to hold your teeth in their new positions while the surrounding bone and tissue stabilise. Without retention, teeth can gradually shift back over time regardless of how successful the treatment was. Your retainer options will be discussed with you as part of your overall treatment plan.