• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, May 9, 2023

AI has enabled SmileDirectClub to improve the customer experience by speeding the process from when a consumer decides to align their teeth to seeing a treatment plan -- from three weeks to three minutes.

The feature launched in Australia and will arrive in the United States this month, says John Sheldon, CMO at SmileDirectClub.

“There’s a tail on conversions, but we’re seeing conversion numbers that have significantly increased,” he said, declining to provide details.

The mobile app provides a preview of the plan and allows prospective customers to see what they will look like. Using AI in the app, the platform scans the person’s teeth and creates a 3D scan similar to what might happen in a physical SmileDirectClub location.

The 3D scan works through the app to take photos of the person’s teeth, bite and alignment.

“We had to slow down the process to get people to feel more comfortable about the treatment plan, because you can go from making the decision to seeing the plan in under five minutes,” he said. “It’s almost like rushing someone to the altar a little too fast.”

Slowing down the process meant educating consumers on aligners and what the package includes -- taking the time to educate prospective buyers. The consumers are sent into a waiting room to learn.

The plan will also see ads in search, television, and on TikTok, Facebook and other social sites, along with influencers who will demonstrate how it works. The media-buying strategy will replace today’s ads with new ones to get people to download the app and scan their teeth.

“Rather than focus on a smile assessment, which tries to find out of the person is a candidate for clear aligners, the ads will focus on showing consumers what their smile could look like in the app,” he said. “It’s a different call to action that we think will increase conversions.”

The company has been investing in AI technology for four years. Jordan Katzman, co-founder SmileDirectClub, from inception had a vision to make it as easy to strengthen teeth as buy a book off of Amazon.

The team of 14 people working on the core technology have a total of 16 doctorates in AI. The treatment plans take in to consideration anonymous data from more than 2 million customers.

Piloting in four markets, SmileDirectClub also has launched CarePlus targeting the traditional orthodontic customer such as higher household income, parents of teens. The virtual care product launched to give access to those who have not had access to the service in the past.  

Local dentists are part of the process. During the past three years, SmileDirectClub has built up its partner network. Local doctors and SmileDirectClub doctors work together. The goal is to launch this service across the United States this year.