New York-based teledentistry company Grin is taking a bite out of the Canadian market. The digital orthodontic platform announced September 2 that its teledental teeth-straightening system is now available to local orthodontists across Canada.
“COVID-19 supercharged the need to have a reliable technological platform that can help me serve more patients in less time.”
Grin’s solution consists of the Grin App, Grin Scope, and Grin Scope mini. All are FDA listed medical devices, and certified through Health Canada.
The Grin Scope is an orthodontist-created device designed to fit most smiles. It retracts the cheeks, and allows a full view of the patient’s mouth. The Grin Scope mini is 18 percent smaller in width than a standard scope, and is designed for smaller jaws.
The Grin App allows patients to self-scan their teeth for an orthodontist-ready video. Patients launch the app, and then following prompts position the scope for self-scanning. Patients and orthodontists can also send messages and images through the app.
“COVID-19 supercharged the need to have a reliable technological platform that can help me serve more patients in less time across an expanded geography,” said Dr. Moe Razavi, a certified orthodontist in Ontario, and a Grin investor. “Grin’s capabilities allow doctors to effectively monitor patients from anywhere, just like they’re in the office.”
During the pandemic, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario issued instruction to dentists, advising: “For the duration of the COVID-19 crisis, dentists should consider the use of teledentistry for the remote assessment, triage, and provision of dental care where possible and appropriate.”
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Grin CEO Adam Schulhof, along with Pamela Oren-Artzi and Alon Lipnik, founded Grin in 2019. Schulhof has more than two decades of orthodontic experience.
Grin’s COO Oren-Artzi previously worked with Apple and C3.ai, among other Fortune 500 companies, while Grin CPO Lipnik was employed in lead roles in electrical and software engineering at Cisco.
Grin recently closed a $10 million USD ($12.6 million CAD) round led by Triventures with participation from Procter & Gamble Oral Care, and SpringRock Ventures. Combined with financial backing from leading independent orthodontists, this brings the company’s total funding to $14 million USD ($17.6 million CAD).
In Canada, Grin is not the only teledentistry provider. Toronto-based Dentist Online, for instance, provides virtual care appointments as well as a directory of clinics for in-person appointments at over 96 locations in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia.
Grin’s recent funding helped the company expand into Canada. As well, it will use the money to add more platform features.
Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash