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Straight Teeth Direct Press Kit

Company Overview

Vision

Our vision is to democratise access to a beautiful smile

We strive to be the highest quality orthodontic and dental health platform in Europe providing convenient and affordable mobile solutions.

Mission

Our mission is to make orthodontics more accessible and affordable through technology

How we’re achieving our mission

We’ve digitised the whole cosmetic teeth-straightening experience, reducing the cost of treatment by up to 70% and making it faster and easier for adults to achieve a naturally straight smile non-invasively, from the comfort of home. We deliver premium, invisible aligners directly to users' front door, while connecting them with world-class dentists and orthodontists who guide and supervise the entire treatment on the app. For the time poor, our ‘at home’ system makes accessing premium, affordable teeth-straightening more convenient than ever.

The Story

In short

We don’t think getting straight teeth should be painful, costly or inconvenient. That’s why we started Straight Teeth Direct™. Years of running our own dental practice told us that people need to be able to access treatments in a way that fits in with their busy lifestyles, so we worked with top dentists and experts in cosmetic orthodontics to create an app that delivers world-class teeth-straightening directly to people’s door, at a fraction of in-clinic prices. We give people who’ve lived too long feeling unhappy and self-conscious about their smile a world-class quality solution that’s also convenient and affordable. And we empower dentists all over the world to offer next generation dentistry digitally, pairing technology with their honest expertise to bring cosmetic teeth straightening and oral care directly to users' doors.

Why we exist

People want great teeth. Straight, white and healthy. It shouldn’t be expensive, confusing or an inconvenience to get professional support, but it is. Procedures are incentivised for dentists, not patients. Costs vary hugely across the industry and often a busy life can mean that dental care becomes inaccessible.We exist to change this.

What we do

We’re a tech company that uses data, AI systems and advanced manufacturing to democratise teeth straightening. We provide a service that gives access to the best dental care and guarantees results at a cost more people can afford.

Fact Sheet

Timeline

2009: The foundation

We were looking to create the type of dental practice experience we wanted ourselves. High tech clinic with TVs in the ceiling offering state of the art smile enhancement using the latest cosmetic orthodontic technologies.

2014: Going Digital

To help more people access their dream smile we created an online assessment system, and also helped more clinics do the same using the latest digital education, booking and automation systems to grow their orthodontic practices.

2015: Going Direct to Consumer

We saw the possibility to integrate our online assessment systems with state of the art 3D printing technologies to create a comprehensive teledentistry platform enabling at home cosmetic teeth straightening for a 1/3 of the cost of in clinic solutions. We launched in April 2016 and got enquiries from around the world.

2017-2019: Fully Mobile and Global Solution

Straight Teeth Direct™ went live and global with iOS and Android apps, starting the journey to data driven smiles delivered in 60+ countries. This is just the beginning.

Our values

Innovative & informed | Honest experts | Accessible & convenient

Innovative & informed

From AI to 3D manufacturing, we constantly search for new ways to use technology and data. This means we provide a better experience, guarantee results and minimise costs to customers.

Honest experts

We have experieced dentists at our heart, with a proven track record of achieving ideal smiles. We use research and data to make decisions and provide our customers with advanced tools and support so their end-to-end journey is easy and convenient.

Accessible & convenient

We use technology to meet customers on their terms so we can provide an uninterrupted programme of dental support. We own the entire end-to-end manufacturing process which allows us to adapt quickly to customer needs.

Our Founders

Dr. Aalok Y Shukla co-founder and CEO and Lucie Marchelot Shukla, co-founder and Managing Director of Straight Teeth Direct™

He started studying medicine, then quickly switched to dentistry, when he realised this was a field in which he could apply his interest in business and tech. After graduating, he worked in a state-of-the-art clinic that gave him first-hand experience of the downsides of standard cosmetic dentistry – costs were high, which meant a few people could make the changes they wanted, and harsh and unnecessarily invasive measures (think drills) were default. Aalok knew that this wasn’t the only way. Gentler, but equally effective, options were out there; he just had to find a way to get them to people.

She’s a trained lawyer and art historian, and is now co-founder and Managing Director of Straight Teeth Direct™. After training as a lawyer in the South of France, she got a coveted place on Christie’s degree programme and landed her dream job at a leading auction house after graduating. But Lucie realised she wanted to combine her lawyerly practicality with her art historian creativity in a business that would meet a modern market need.

After years of running their own London-based dental practice focused on cosmetic orthodontics, the Shuklas knew they could harness their combined expertise in orthodontics, biomimetic dentistry, 3D printing, remote consultations and dental marketing to create an innovative remote orthodontics system that made teeth straightening with custom invisible aligners more accessible, modern, affordable, and hassle-free. However, their passion and innovation were initially met with pushbacks: as a married couple, they faced sceptical investors, and the industry itself labelled their unique approach as too innovative to succeed.

Determined to overturn the “cheaper means lesser” paradigm, Straight Teeth Direct™ invested heavily in their high quality, fully personalised and monitored treatment, in-house manufactured and hand-finished orthodontic devices, and their innovative teleorthodontic platform and have now set new standards for the booming market across the UK and Europe.

Straight Teeth Direct™ in numbers

Milestones

Compare the options

Why choose Straight Teeth Direct™ at-home system over in-clinic approach?

Straight Teeth Direct™ is a professional alternative to the in-clinic teeth straightening approach, offering several additional benefits. By taking a more data-driven approach to cosmetic orthodontics, users are provided better insights into their treatment before and during their treatment.

Every step of the journey is reviewed and monitored by an experienced orthodontist, providing constant, ongoing support through the app rather than being limited to intermittent appointments. This comes in handy especially when travelling, as users are not bound to a specific location for their treatment to proceed as planned. Additionally, the user’s app account stores all their conversation and treatment history, documents and progress information, facilitating clinical support in case of questions.

Finally, all Straight Teeth Direct™ aligners are produced in house, so we have full quality and product control. Clinics need to outsource all the production aspect to an experienced lab. Having our own lab also means that we are able to position ourselves at the forefront of teleorthodontic innovation, with our dentists and technicians working together to innovate as well as constantly improve product quality.

Reasons to love the at-home system

As a user:

  • Aligners are a non-invasive cosmetic dental treatment. While other forms of cosmetic dental treatment can cause long-term damage to teeth, aligners are as gentle as they are effective.
  • We care about your individual goals. If you have a specific goal in mind for your smile, your orthodontist will take it into account while devising your Straight Teeth Plan to make.
  • The app-based model provides more contact with dental professionals and smile coordinators, with questions being answered within 24h. No need to make an appointment or call the clinic.
  • After each monthly review, we adapt and adjust the aligners before sending them out, guaranteeing results by making sure everything is on track. The app stores all information, allowing you to check the percentage of treatment you’ve completed through the progress tracker.

As a dentist:

  • With the world becoming more and more digital every day, customers expect to have products at their fingertips online - including healthcare. We help dentists that to digitise their services while helping more people get the smiles they want.
  • Our platform allows dentists to maximise their downtime by seeing patients digitally. Working in this way can grow their income by more than 20%.
  • Dentists working with us love the freedom of being able to earn money improving smiles without having to be based in the clinic.

Our Users

Users in 60+ countries across 5 continents

Years of running our own dental practice taught us a lot about people and their smiles. Some had been hiding their teeth for years, fixated on what they saw as “imperfections”, noticeable usually only to them, but enough to make them hide away their smiles. We met others who had assumed that cosmetic teeth-straightening would cost them the Earth, so dismissed the idea early. Those who were too embarrassed to wear braces as adults. There were brides and grooms finally biting the bullet ahead of their wedding days. People who’d finally found the time and money to do something for themselves they’d been meaning to do for years. The ones who’d had fixed braces as kids but “hadn’t worn their retainers”.

But as diverse as people’s reasons for wanting braces, there were common themes. First – teeth are a deeply personal, often character-defining part of your appearance, and they matter to people no matter what their age. Second – almost everyone considering straightening was daunted by the cost, most were pushed for time and almost a third hated coming to the actual practise (no matter how friendly and gentle we are, there’s still fear around going to the dentist). These are the people who inspired us and they collectively told us what they needed – professional teeth-straightening, in less time, for less money, guided by experienced orthodontists, and a simple system for accessing it all that wouldn’t add hassle to their already busy lives. And so Straight Teeth Direct™ was born.

Our user-centric approach

We want to positively impact the lives of our customers, as we know that getting a smile they love more can boost their self-esteem, confidence and many other aspects of their life.

Sustainability Commitment

Time to make our planet smile

Most aligner companies still send aligners in plastic bags, which can take up to 450 years to degrade in a landfill. They don't break down completely and turn into toxin absorbing microplastics.

  • Our new biodegradable pouches can be decomposed by microorganisms in biowaste or residual waste bins⁠.
  • All aligners are made of recyclable, BPA-free plastic material⁠.
  • We have sourced grip-seal bags that are eco-friendly and return envelopes that are 100% recyclable, biodegradable, compostable and plastic-free
  • The SmileBox and StraightBox are made of cardboard and can be reused as great storage boxes⁠ - for your old aligners perhaps.

We have been working hard to improve our eco-friendly purchasing activities. That is why we have also established corporate campaigns and events related to sustainability, all forming part of this work in progress that we are highly committed to continue working on!

We hope to lead the way to more sustainable processes in the orthodontic field.

From our lab straight to consumer's door

In short

1. Free e-consultation | Initial dentist screening and evaluation

2. SmileBox™ | At-home impression kit

3. Report & 3D Simulation | Personalised orthodontic report & results prediction

4. Aligners delivered in stages according to monthly progress

5. Ongoing monitoring | Final dentist review and retainer delivery

6. Maintainer Plan | Optional: new retainers every 6 months

Steps

Free E-Consultation

A quick but comprehensive questionnaire about the user’s dental history and 5 pictures of the teeth from different angles. This consultation will be reviewed by an experienced dentist within 24h to determine suitability for at-home teeth straightening with invisible aligners.

SmileBox™ Dental Impression Kit - £42 / 47€

The SmileBox™ includes everything needed to make 6 dental impressions, as well as return shipping to the lab, a 3D smile simulation to show how the smile will transform over the treatment period, as well a comprehensive Straight Teeth Plan put together by an orthodontist, outlining the details of the case and treatment (diagnosis, predicted results, potential limitations, treatment duration).

StraightBox™ Invisible Aligner Treatment - £1,350 / 1.500€

Includes all aligners necessary to achieve the results outlined in the Straight Teeth Plan, as well as a complementary set of retainers once the end position is achieved. The aligners are sent in batches according to progress, which is monitored monthly by an assigned dentist via the Straight Teeth Direct™ app.

The aligners | 70% cheaper, 50% more comfortable

The transparent aligners are produced through a multistep process involving 3D printing in our state-of-the-art lab. They are then trimmed and hand finished to ensure maximum clarity and comfort so that they can gently straighten teeth with minimum impact on daily life.

Maintainer Plan - £139 / 150€ a year

This subscription aftercare plan provides users who have completed teeth straightening with bi-yearly retainer deliveries to keep their smile straight.

Teeth Whitening Upgrade - £269 / 299€

KöR Teeth Whitening system - the world’s most advanced at-home teeth whitening formula goes hand in hand with invisible aligner treatment. A safe, dentist prescribed whitening gel is placed inside the aligner and worn overnight for 3-14 nights to achieve gentle, thorough teeth whitening results.

Press FAQs

How did you come up with the concept of Straight Teeth Direct and what is it that makes the company so unique?

Why do you recommend for potential customers to go down this new and modern route of straightening their teeth, rather than the traditional way of signing up to and visiting an actual orthodontist?

What is your main goal for customers (apart from getting the perfect smile)?

How much does the entire treatment cost?

How do users get started with the process?

What are the next steps for Straight Teeth Direct in the industry? Anything exciting coming up?

How can you differentiate between a legitimate review and fake reviews when it comes to finding the right orthodontist?

How can you tell who a legitimate Orthodontist is? Are there any qualifications you need to look/ask for?

Are there any generic red flags you should look for when seeking help for your teeth?

Can you provide any case studies and pictures of users who have finished their treatment?

What sets you apart from your competitors?

Can you provide a brief overview of where the business originated, whose idea it was, how it was funded and set up, and how it's grown?

How does one choose the right type of dentistry/orthodontics?

What are the top 5 things to consider when seeking out the right dental or orthodontic solution?

Press Features

Contact

Lucie Marchelot Shukla lucie@straightteethdirect.com

Images

All photos to be credited.

Instant Dentist™ Press Kit

Straight Teeth Direct™. All rights reserved

Credits:

Straight Teeth Direct™