Is Invisalign more profitable than metal braces? Here’s proof!

Everyone wants a beautiful and most importantly, straight smile. But for many, the process of achieving this dream becomes a daunting realization especially when they consider the traditional methods of teeth straightening. Braces have been around for centuries and for the most part, have been the go-to option for orthodontic treatment. Nevertheless, the 21st century has proven to be the most exciting time for orthodontic innovations, especially with the development and popularization of clear invisible aligners.

Clear aligners are our modern-day miracle. The last decade was a witness to an exponential growth of the global clear aligner market and with good reason. These clear and virtually invisible trays are custom-designed to suit each patient’s unique needs and offer a comfortable approach to achieving a straight smile.

With its gravitas on the ascent, clear aligners have now become the leading booster for adults seeking orthodontic treatment. And so, a curious question comes afloat; should you put all your ducks in a row and start providing clear aligner therapy through your practice?

Know your business’ profitability

The goal of any business is to make a profit with the services or products you provide. But to do this, it is crucial for you to understand your company’s profitability – current, past, and future. When you assess the profitability of your practice, what is it that you look at?

A business’s financial health can be affected by various key factors. Profitability is a measurement of efficiency. It calculates the ratio between your business’ income and its expenses and ultimately measures its success or failure.

As a business owner, you should regularly determine your expenses and income to keep the tabs in check. Your expenses should include the amount you invested in resources (money, time, and inventory) in order to provide your services, in this case, either clear aligners or traditional metal braces. Similarly, you can calculate your income by determining the amount that the business generates by providing either of these orthodontic services.

By scaling a rational ceiling, you can inspect which of these services would bring you the most profitability.

Why Invisalign clear aligners are more profitable than braces

The future of orthodontics is en route with the ever-growing advancement of clear aligners set afoot. Clear aligners carry the potential to transform the workflow of clinical practices with a combination of cutting-edge digital technology interplaying with clinical excellence. In fact, a study from 2012 presented at the American Association for Dental Research annual meeting, proved the hypothesis that Invisalign clear aligners were more profitable than metal braces.

The study ensues with the argument that while clear plastic aligners cost more in materials than conventional braces, they ultimately require shorter and fewer patient visits. The overall duration of treatment with clear aligners is also significantly reduced as compared to older edgewise devices.

For this study, the authors evaluated the records of 150 patients with mild to moderate class I malocclusion. An Invisalign and an edgewise group were matched for the amount of initial malocclusion and the number of rotated teeth. The researchers then measured the time taken by appointments for both types of treatments to complete with the help of a stopwatch.

They found that while the conventional metal braces required a median of 13.6 minutes for a routine visit, patients treated with Invisalign clear aligners only took 9.9 minutes. Emergency, initial, and final appointments all ran longer than regular visits. It was also found that conventional braces required 2.6 more visits than Invisalign aligners, 2.4 months longer for treatment, 1.1 more emergency visits, 9.7 minutes more chair time, 1.2 minutes more emergency doctor time, and 86.2 minutes more in total chair time.

To measure the profitability, the researchers examined the fees and eliminated the cost of materials from it. The result was that Invisalign clear aligners were significantly more profitable than conventional braces. This was even more amplified for Invisalign providers who charged USD 899 in lab costs.

Overall, Invisalign clear aligners provided about USD 1,000 of profit per hour of chair time with the first USD 2,750 in fees to the patient, rising to USD 3,250 with USD 6,000 in fees. This was the case even though Invisalign cost USD 500 to USD 1,441 more in materials than conventional braces. Braces were deemed less profitable as they started at USD 750 per hour of chair time with the first $2,750 in fees, but reaching only $2000 with$6,000 in fees.

The quality of clear aligners is second to none with new and improved versions of technology taking charge with each passing year. The increased efficiency and profitability of clear aligners far surpass that of conventional braces, allowing dentists to lower the costs for patients while achieving higher rates of treatment success.

If you are at a crossroads about ditching the old braces for shinier clear aligners, you may have stumbled upon a gold mine. Choose PlusSmile® clear aligners today for your practice; a new series of aligners made by doctors for doctors and give your patients a guaranteed chance at a happier smile.