The global clear aligner market has been valued at $4.7 billion in 2021 by Grand View Research. They have projected that the market will increase at a CAGR of 29.5% between the years of 2022 and 2030 to reach a projected value of $32.3 billion by 2030. Clear aligners are an alternative to braces which offer a greater degree of discretion and flexibility as they are removable and typically made from clear plastic. They are however not always suitable for severe cases of misaligned teeth.
Factors which have contributed toward the growth of the clear aligner market include the increase in the occurrence of misaligned teeth, the technological advancements which the clear aligner has experienced and the increase in demand for the service of customized clear aligners. Surprisingly, the pandemic actually had a positive impact on the clear aligner market as clear aligner revenues continued to increase in 2020. This is attributed to the fact that many clear aligners products do not require as much in office treatment as traditional orthodontics which allowed patients to remain more socially distanced during the pandemic.
Major Players in the Clear Aligner Market
When it comes to clear aligners, Invisalign has always been one of the dominant players. As of 2018 they had been used to treat over 5 million people in total. Invisalign is the brand of clear aligner which has been developed and marketed by Align Technology. The popularity and prevalence of Invisalign as well as the growing popularity of clear aligners generally has led to a wide range of competitors emerging to establish themselves as a threat to Invisalign. These competitors vary widely in their capabilities and products and it is clear that some of these competitors are increasing the fierceness of the competition in the clear aligner industry.
Candid
Candid initially debuted as a fully remote option for teeth straightening but has since changed their service to be a hybrid of in-office and at-home treatment. While the majority of the treatment will take place at home, Candid requires that their customers go into a dentist or orthodontist’s office for their first consultation to have their teeth scanned and examined. From here most of the treatment will take place at home with occasional checkups necessary to monitor the progress of the treatment. Price wise Candid is more expensive than other remote options but less expensive than traditional orthodontics costing at least $3,500.
Byte
Byte is one of the newest fully remote options for clear aligner treatment having been founded in 2017. They do offer the shortest average treatment times of any clear aligner product on the market with a four month estimate for full time treatment and a five month estimate for nighttime only treatment. The speed of the treatment is facilitated by what Byte has called HyperByte technology. This is a product which the customer bites down on and the product gently vibrates the customers teeth to facilitate their shifting into the desired locations. This process takes five minutes for full time users and ten minutes for nighttime users.
Smile Direct Club
Smile Direct Club has a very aggressive marketing strategy to boost their name recognition and popularity of their brand. As a result of this they have been able to treat over a million customers since their launch in 2014. Smile Direct Club has proprietary retail locations called SmileShops in which their customers may receive a scan of their teeth for free. For customers who are out of reach of these physical locations Smile Direct Club also sells the kit which is necessary to develop an impression of a customer’s teeth to begin treatment. The company also offers a nighttime only treatment option for customers who would prefer the convenience which this provides.
AlignerCo
AlignerCo is the cheapest clear aligner brand which is currently available on the market charging their customers a price of $1,145 for their basic level of service. This low price does not mean that these aligners are made cheaply as AlignerCo uses the dental manufacturer Essix. This is one of the top dental product suppliers in the market and is used widely in the industry. AlignerCo also offers flexible payment options to make their product more accessible to a wider range of customers. The company is also reported to have strong customer support and this is in part due to their recent founding in 2019.
Final Thoughts
The trouble with being too upbeat about any particular player in this market – is that the growth of competition may well outpace the growth of the industry. Indeed the clear aligner industry has seen a considerable boom in recent years and unlike many other industries actually continued to grow despite the conditions of the pandemic. The growth is projected to continue at a significant pace further increasing the prevalence of clear aligners. While Invisalign is the biggest name in the clear aligner industry many other companies have sought their place at the table by offering competing services and prices. This has spurned a great deal of competition in the clear aligner industry which will only continue to improve the prices and quality of products which consumers receive.
