Is white label aligner the new big thing?

Orthodontics as an industry has always been highly transformative, quick to fabricate innovative solutions and consistently remodel the way experts approach malocclusion and its many flaws. However, through these winding years of orthodontic upheaval and co-creations, clear aligners’ unhackneyed spirit has remained uncontested. Clear aligners, popularized through Align Technology’s 1997 system, Invisalign, are quickly becoming one of the mainstream treatment options for malocclusion, replacing fixed appliances once and for all.

Their widespread success in recent years can be accredited to their ‘invisibility’ and aesthetics, pushing more and more people into adopting clear aligners as a viable alternative for fixing orthodontic appliances. Today, the global market for clear aligner treatments is $3.2 billion and growing at a 15-20% annual rate. But with the exponential growth and development in medical technology, there has also been a ripple in the business model of this market. An increased number of dentists have now been reported to ‘white labelling’ clear aligners. Is this underground movement of white labelling a calamity on the already existing business models of clear aligner systems or are these models fronting a new revolution?

• Doctor-led model

Pioneered by Align Technology during their launch and promotion of Invisalign®, doctor-led business models have dominated the clear aligner market til date. Under this model, the treatment is offered to the patients directly at their doctors’ offices but the treatment planning and aligner production is performed by the manufacturer of the clear aligner system, in this case, Align Technology.

Orthodontists are expected to pay a fixed laboratory fee, varying anywhere from $700 to $3,000 depending on the complexity of the case and the experience with Invisalign that the dentist has under his belt. In addition to the strikingly high laboratory fees, some manufacturers also require the dentist to pay for training prior to working with their brand.

Today, the doctor-led model has been endorsed by many high-end dental aligner suppliers such as Ormco (Spark), Straumann (ClearCorrect), Dentsply Sirona (SureSmile), Henry Schein (Reveal, SLX), and 3M (Clarity Aligners). That being said, this model does come with its own set of limitations. Patients have to pay anywhere from $3,000 to $8,000 to complete the procedure under the supervision of a skilled orthodontist. These sky-high prices of clear aligner treatment with the doctor-led model are, therefore, simply inaccessible to most prospective customers.

• Direct-to-consumer (D2C)

Significant changes in the business model for clear aligner systems gave rise to a new innovative approach, the direct-to-consumer model. In line with the hefty charges incurred by customers and dentists alike to avail doctor-led clear aligner models and also the lack of accessibility, the D2C model was created to address these limitations. This trend allows patients to avail of clear aligner services from the comfort of their own homes.

Patients can be sent an impression kit through which an orthodontic treatment plan can be constructed all at a very affordable price point, eliminating visits to the doctor’s office altogether. A patient may receive aligners at his/her home within just 48 hours! By cutting doctor’s visits out of the clear aligner treatment, D2C players have managed to slash the price of treatment for customers to below $2,000 per case!

The main baller of the D2C model in the market today is the SmileDirect Club (22% of market share) ever since they launched this model in 2014. Other players have quickly entered the aligner market namely Candid, SnapCorrect, and Smilelove. This model has also been named DTC, B2C (Business-to-consumer), or DIY clear aligners and while it has had an impressive acceptance by end-users, it has also garnered a huge fightback from professionals.

Professionals believe that the long-term survival of this particular business model appears bleak mainly due to a lack of intellectual property. However, offering a democraticized orthodontic treatment as an alternative to traditional, dentist-supervised alignment treatments has come at a cost for D2C players. This model has been widely lambasted and has been the recipient of numerous lawsuits filed by both patients and doctors.

• In-house aligners

While doctor-led models and D2C models have often been pitted against each other, another brilliant option has been flooding the market in recent years. In-office aligners have been developed to offer a counter-strike strategy to expensive orthodontist-supervised aligners and the unreliable principles of D2C aligners. Through in-office business models, dentists can ditch lab fees and bring the price of treatments to an affordable rate, making orthodontics more accessible and trustworthy for customers.

Dentists today make use of 3D printing to fabricate aligners at their offices without having to commission a laboratory to do the job. This in-house aligner model puts all the tools into the dentist’s hands, allowing the treatment process to be performed entirely by the doctor – from start to finish. With this model, aligners can be printed for less than $100 per case!

White labelling clear aligners

A modified model of the in-house aligner model has also been gaining rapid momentum. Doctors are now ‘white labelling’ aligners, a system in which the dentist determines a treatment plan and orders the fabrication of the aligners from an orthodontic laboratory.

Companies like K-Line and Straumann produce clear aligners for numerous other clear aligner providers. These brands have managed to penetrate the clear aligner market successfully by offering digital solutions to support dentists offering aligner procedures. Through their in-house aligner expertise, doctors can save an average of 50 to 75% on lab fees and still obtain ideal outcomes through white labelling aligners.

The evolution of clear aligner business models has allowed dentists and aligner providers to meet at a middle ground. In this way, the doctor can be fully involved in the patient’s treatment process and will also not have to compromise on quality. White labelling aligners may just be the next big thing in orthodontics’ aligner chapter. Partner with companies like K-Line and Straumann to take your aligner game to the next level!