Uniform Teeth, a startup revolutionizing modern orthodontics by bringing high-quality, fast and affordable orthodontic care into the mainstream, just opened its first Seattle location at 1270 Harrison Street in South Lake Union on September 1.
“We are thrilled to be launching in Seattle,” said Uniform Teeth CEO Meghan Jewitt. “It’s exactly where we want to be as a leader of innovation and technology-enabled healthcare. The market, demographics and tech focus of Seattle align completely with our services and who we are as a company.”
As the only startup where all patients meet in-person with a licensed orthodontist, Uniform Teeth utilizes advanced technology to move teeth fast and safely, on average, twice as fast as Invisalign. This unique approach allows Uniform Teeth to treat 99% of patients, while costing on average 40% less than Invisalign. Proprietary software predicts how teeth will move, eliminating time-consuming guesswork, and weekly check-ins via an app track progress and cut down on in-person office visits.
Founded by one of the world’s experts in modern orthodontics, Dr. Kjeld Aamodt DDS, MS, and led by Chief Executive Officer Meghan Jewitt, who has held key executive roles at major health care companies for more than a decade, Uniform Teeth believes in making orthodontic care higher quality, more patient-centric and more affordable.
Prior to planning any treatment, Uniform Teeth’s orthodontists perform a detailed assessment of the health of a patient’s mouth using its Uniform Lab Technology, including a 3D CBCT X-ray and 3D scan, along with a full dental health exam. This process uncovers underlying issues, such as cavities, gum inflammation or a root infection, which can worsen when moving one’s teeth, or cause irreversible damage. The 3D scan produces a model of the teeth down to the roots to predict the exact way each patient’s teeth will move.
“In a traditional practice, the average orthodontist sees 80-100 patients a day for only a few minutes each,” said Dr. Aamodt DDS, MS. “Our orthodontists see 15-20 patients per day and spend 30 minutes with each to focus on the details and ensure they’re getting the care they need. Patients check in every week through the Uniform Teeth App, using smile photos to track progress, and we modify care as needed.”
During the time of COVID-19, the app allows for natural social distancing with fewer appointments, typically just three throughout the entire treatment course. Strict health and safety clinic protocols assure patient confidence when visiting Uniform Teeth clinics in-person, such as:
- Private patient rooms, with complete sterilization between appointments
- Heightened deep-cleaning and sterilization procedures, including the use of COVID-19-killing Optim wipes, extremely frequent sterilization and disinfecting, and special virus-filtering attachments on dental equipment
- Air filtration systems that sterilize air and kill viruses
- High-speed suction attachments on all dental units to reduce any aerosols created from circulating into the air
- Protective equipment: Patients must wear face masks to appointments, while team members will be equipped with an N95 mask and face shield during all appointments, as well as protective clothing and head covers
- Health screenings for both patients and staff, including symptom-vetting, behavioral questions, and in-clinic temperature checks
- Social distancing strategies, including increased time between appointments for deep cleaning, staggered appointment scheduling, and rigorous adherence to honoring only on-time appointments (to head off patient overlap)
A Uniform treatment ranges from $2,500 – $5,000+, which is half of the cost of Invisalign. While slightly more expensive than DIY kits, Uniform Teeth can handle mild to complex cases which require an in-person orthodontist for best results. Mail-order orthodontic services can offer only a basic approach, being limited to simple, vanity cases with no orthodontic supervision. DIY kits can also be risky, so Uniform Teeth patients are paying for peace of mind by receiving treatment from a real orthodontist specializing in aligner treatments.
“We believe people shouldn’t have to choose between quality and convenience,” said Jewitt. “For too long, fixing teeth has been uncomfortable, embarrassing, and time-consuming. It’s also been expensive, which has excluded millions of people from seeking care. Our mission is to increase access to high-quality orthodontic care, and this also means bringing the cost down.”
Uniform Teeth has tripled in size from a year ago and expects to employ 10 people in the Seattle area by the end of 2020. With the Seattle opening, the company now has a total of 5 locations, including two in San Francisco and two in Chicago, and plans to be at nine locations by the end of the year.
Uniform Teeth’s new Seattle location will be open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. https://www.uniformteeth.com/seattle-bellevue/; 206-260-0883
With the help of a trusted professional, the overbite or under bite that you may be suffering from can be reversed. You will have better facial structure and your teeth will align properly so that you can speak and eat properly. All of these small things not only benefit the way that you look, but also the way that you feel about yourself as well.