SmileDirectClub is no longer operating, but former customers who completed treatment still have options when a clear retainer is lost, worn or needs replacement.
Editor’s Note
This article was updated on September 2, 2026 to reflect current options for former SmileDirectClub customers, including qualifying STL and PLY digital dental scans, and to clarify the difference between passive retainer replacement and unfinished orthodontic treatment
The most important question is not whether the new retainer carries the SmileDirectClub name. It is whether your orthodontic treatment is complete and the tooth position represented by the new dental record is appropriate to maintain.
Can You Still Order SmileDirectClub Retainers?
No. SmileDirectClub shut down its operations in December 2023 and no longer provides its former aligner and retainer service.
That does not necessarily mean you need a SmileDirectClub-branded appliance to continue post-treatment retention.
Once active orthodontic treatment is complete, the role of a passive clear retainer is to help maintain the established tooth position.
A replacement can therefore come through another appropriate dental, orthodontic or custom-retainer provider, depending on your current treatment status and dental records.
First: Did You Finish Your SmileDirectClub Treatment?
This is the most important dividing line.
| Your situation | Best next step |
|---|---|
| Treatment finished and teeth remain stable | A passive replacement retainer may be appropriate. |
| Treatment finished but teeth have visibly shifted | Have the current position evaluated before making a new passive retainer. |
| Treatment was interrupted before completion | See a dentist or orthodontist for evaluation of the remaining treatment needs. |
| You are unsure whether treatment was complete | Seek professional assessment rather than assuming a retention appliance is the next step. |
Where Can Former SmileDirectClub Customers Get Replacement Retainers?
People who have completed orthodontic treatment generally have several potential routes for replacing a passive clear retainer.
You can consult a local dentist or orthodontist, particularly if you want the current alignment or bite evaluated before replacement.
If your teeth are stable and treatment is complete, you may also be able to use a custom-retainer provider such as Sentinel Mouthguards.
Sentinel makes passive clear dental retainers intended to maintain an established tooth position. We do not provide active aligner treatment and do not manufacture SmileDirectClub aligners.
Do You Already Have a Digital Scan?
Before automatically taking another dental impression, check whether you already have a usable professional digital scan.
If you have been scanned by a dentist or orthodontist since completing treatment, ask whether the scan can be exported as an STL or PLY file.
Sentinel accepts qualifying STL and PLY dental scan files for clear retainer fabrication.
If the file contains the anatomy our laboratory needs and represents the current tooth position you want to maintain, it may be possible to use that record instead of taking another physical impression.
What If You Don't Have Your SmileDirectClub Scan?
You do not need to have your original SmileDirectClub records solely to obtain a new passive clear retainer.
If no appropriate digital scan is available, a new dental record can be created from your current teeth.
Sentinel offers an at-home impression option for this purpose.
Clear retainer fabrication requires the necessary tooth anatomy to be captured clearly and completely. Sentinel's laboratory reviews impressions before fabrication and may request another impression when important anatomy is too shallow or incomplete.
For the complete process, see our Replacement Retainers Guide .
Can Sentinel Use Your Last SmileDirectClub Aligner as a Mold?
Your old aligner is useful information about your treatment history, but it is not the same thing as a current dental scan or an approved dental impression.
A replacement retainer should be based on an appropriate dental record of the tooth position that is intended to be maintained.
If you already have a qualifying STL or PLY scan, that may serve as the record. Otherwise, a new impression may be needed.
What If Your SmileDirectClub Retainer Still Fits?
If your existing retainer remains intact, seats normally and you have not noticed a change in your teeth or bite, continue following the retention instructions you were given unless a dental professional advises otherwise.
Replacement becomes relevant when the appliance is lost, structurally damaged, worn or otherwise no longer reliable.
Learn more about replacement timing in How Long Do Dental Retainers Last? .
What If Your SmileDirectClub Retainer Is Lost?
Start arranging a replacement rather than waiting for visible movement.
First check for an unused backup or a current digital scan. If neither is available, a new impression can provide the record needed for a replacement.
See I Lost My Retainer: What Should I Do Next? for the step-by-step process.
What If Your SmileDirectClub Retainer Is Cracked or Broken?
Do not attempt to repair a structurally damaged clear retainer with household glue, heat or do-it-yourself reshaping.
If the tray has split, warped, developed a loose or sharp area or no longer seats normally, stop forcing it and begin arranging guidance or replacement.
See Broken Retainer? What to Do If It Cracks, Splits or Warps .
What If Your Teeth Have Shifted Since SmileDirectClub?
This is different from simply replacing a lost or damaged retainer.
A passive replacement retainer made from a current scan or impression generally corresponds to the tooth position represented by that record.
If the teeth have already shifted, a new passive retainer made from the shifted position does not automatically recreate your previous SmileDirectClub result.
If you want visible relapse corrected, a dentist or orthodontist should evaluate the current position and determine whether active treatment is appropriate before another retainer is made.
Read Can Retainers Move Teeth Back? for a deeper explanation.
What If SmileDirectClub Closed Before You Finished Treatment?
If SmileDirectClub ceased operations while you were still moving your teeth, a replacement retainer is not necessarily the correct next appliance.
Retainers are intended primarily to maintain a tooth position. They are not a substitute for the remaining sequence of active aligners that may have been planned.
In this situation, arrange an examination with a licensed dentist or orthodontist. Bring any treatment records, aligners or digital files you still have so they can better understand where your treatment stopped.
The goal should be to determine your current dental and bite position before deciding whether to maintain it or continue orthodontic correction.
Can Sentinel Replace a SmileDirectClub Retainer?
Sentinel can make a custom passive clear retainer for someone who has completed orthodontic treatment and needs to maintain their current tooth position.
The retainer can be fabricated from a qualifying STL or PLY professional dental scan or from an approved at-home dental impression.
Sentinel does not provide active SmileDirectClub-style aligner treatment and does not recreate unfinished orthodontic treatment plans.
View current options here: Sentinel Clear Dental Retainers .
Do You Need the Same Retainer Brand You Wore Before?
Not necessarily.
Brand and appliance purpose are different questions. A person who has completed treatment may be able to maintain the established tooth position with another appropriately fabricated passive clear retainer.
What matters is that the appliance is appropriate for your current dental situation and made from a usable record of the position you want to maintain.
This is also why someone whose teeth have substantially shifted should not simply order a new passive retainer and expect it to reproduce an earlier alignment.
The Bottom Line for Former SmileDirectClub Customers
SmileDirectClub's closure does not mean former customers who completed treatment are without options for long-term retention.
If your treatment was complete and your teeth remain in the position you want to maintain, a custom passive replacement retainer may be appropriate.
Start by checking whether you already have a current professional digital scan available as an STL or PLY file. If you do not, a new impression can provide the dental record for fabrication.
If your teeth have visibly shifted—or SmileDirectClub closed before you completed treatment—see a dentist or orthodontist before creating a new passive retainer.
SmileDirectClub ceased operations in December 2023. Sentinel Mouthguards is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by SmileDirectClub.