The global clear aligner market was valued at US$5.56 billion in 2023. The market value is expected to reach US$18.63 billion by 2029. Clear aligners are orthodontic devices that are transparent, plastic forms of dental braces used to adjust teeth. Clear aligners are a new alternative to traditional metal braces. They’re made of clear, thin plastic that goes over the teeth and gradually shifts them into place.
The factors such as the growing patient population suffering from malocclusions, rising technological advancements in dental treatment, and escalating awareness about dental hygiene coupled with the growth of beauty standards are expected to drive the overall market growth in the forecasted period. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of approx. 22% during the forecasted period of 2024-2029.
Market Segmentation Analysis:
By Procedure: The report provides the bifurcation of the market into two segments based on the procedure: Doctor-Directed and Direct-to-Consumer. In 2023, the doctor-directed procedure held the share in the market, whereas the direct-to-consumer is expected to be the fastest growing segment owing to the benefits such as ease of operation, affordable prices, and the convenience of having no mandatory in-office visits.
By Age Group: The report further provided the segmentation based on the age group: Adult and Teen. The adult segment held the highest share in the market. The market's expansion is aided by the increasing awareness among adults regarding malocclusion and associated problems with this disease. Moreover, the treatment of malocclusion among adults with a clear aligner is expected to increase in the forecasted period due to the more benefits provided by clear aligners over traditional methods.
By End-User: The report provides an analysis of the market based on end-users: Standalone, Group Practices, Hospitals, and Other End-User. The standalone segment is expected to be the highest growing segment in the forecasted period owing to the benefits such as a wider range of dental treatments, shorter wait times, specialist and quality service, and high adoption of the most recent technology and high-quality materials for both diagnostics and treatment.
By Material Type: The report provides the glimpse of the clear aligner market based on the following material type: Polyurethane, Plastic Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol, Poly-vinyl Chloride, and Others. Polyurethane clear aligners are witnessing increased usage due to their flexibility and durability. These aligners can be customized to specific patient needs, providing a comfortable fit. On the other hand, poly-vinyl chloride clear aligners are gaining popularity due to their affordability and ease of production.
By Treatment Cases: The report also provides a glimpse of clear aligner treatment cases. The number of treatment cases globally is expected to increase due to innovative headways coupled with the development of customized clear aligners, rising disposable incomes of the general population, etc. The treatment cases have been further analyzed based on regions: The US, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Rest of the World. The US had the highest number of clear aligner treatment cases in 2023.
By Region: The report provides insight into the clear aligner market based on the regions namely North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America held the major share in the market, owing to the growing availability of advanced dental care infrastructure and the availability of robust payment options. Within North America, the US is leading the market. The US clear aligner market is further analyzed based on treatment cases, age group (Adult and Teen), and end-user (Standalone, Group Practices, Hospitals, and Others). Europe held a second highest share in the global clear aligner market. According to an article, The State of Oral Health in Europe published by the Platform for Better Oral Health, over 50% of the European population suffers from some form of periodontitis and over 10% have severe disease, with prevalence increasing to 70-85% of the population aged 60- 65 years of age. An increase in the incidence of periodontitis would support the growth of the clear aligner market in Europe.
Market Dynamics:
Growth Drivers: The global clear aligner market has been growing over the past few years, due to factors such as rapid urbanization, increasing GNI per capita, increasing health spending, rising teenage population, escalating demand for aesthetics enhancement, increasing treatment rate, rising prevalence of dental malocclusion, and many other factors. The global malocclusion rate has been increasing over the past few decades, likely due to a change in diet habits (higher mix of delicate and soft food), the higher prevalence rate of dental decay, and higher adoption of bottle-feeding and lower breastfeeding rates. The rising prevalence of malocclusion cases is positively affecting the demand for the clear aligner and hence, boosting the market growth.
Challenges: However, the market growth would be negatively impacted by various challenges such as clear aligner restriction, undersupply of orthodontists and dentists, limited insurance coverage for orthodontic treatments, etc.
Trends: The market is projected to grow at a fast pace during the forecast period, due to various latest trends such as technological advancements, increasing involvement of private medical institutions, involvement of CAD/CAM technology, growing dental tourism, etc. In some countries, dental care is often not included in an affordable care act that was intended to make insurance cheap for nationals with lower incomes. Thus, people from developed countries are going for dental treatment to other countries such as Thailand and Mexico. Thus, the growing dental tourism is expected to stimulate the demand for clear aligners in the coming years.
Impact Analysis of COVID-19 and Way Forward:
In 2020, the global clear aligner sales have been weak and thus, the market declined in the initial period of the year 2020. However, as the countries reopened, the global clear aligner market witnessed the trend of a strong sales rebound. This is attributable to the gradual reopening of dental and orthodontists’ practices and patient volumes rebounding quickly. Moreover, orthodontists began to employ professional platforms for ‘‘tele-orthodontics’’ as a substitute for in-person regulation of their patients’ orthodontic treatment. Tele-orthodontics has increased the demand for clear aligners and this trend is expected to positively influence the market in the post-COVID era too.
Competitive Landscape:
The global clear aligner market is consolidated. The key players in the global clear aligner market are:
- Align Technology, Inc.
- Envista Holdings Corporation
- Dentsply Sirona Inc.
- Straumann Group
- Henry Schein, Inc.
- 3M Company
- Angelalign Technology, Inc.
- Danaher Corporation
- Argen Corporation
- Scheu Dental GmbH
- 3Shape
- Great Lakes Dental Technologies
Some of the strategies among key players in the market are product launches, mergers, acquisitions, and collaborations. For instance, in 2023, Angelalign Technology Inc. and Medit Corporation announced a software integration. With Medit’s IOS and Angelalign Technology Inc.’s intuitive iOrtho™ treatment planning software and aligners, clinicians gain access to a streamlined, efficient, and highly accurate workflow. Also, Angelalign Technology Inc. and 3Shape have announced a global strategic partnership aimed at strengthening both companies’ dedication to digital orthodontics globally. The partnership enables Angel Aligner’s clinicians around the world, when using 3Shape scanners, to effortlessly upload patient images to Angel Aligner’s cloud-based digital orthodontic platform with a simple click of a button. At the same time, 3Shape’s orthodontic clients worldwide stand to gain seamless access to Angel Aligner’s comprehensive clear aligner solutions, streamlining their workflows. Moreover, In 2022, Align Technology was the major shareholder in the global clear aligner market.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Orthodontics segment of dentistry deals with braces, which are used to align teeth and position them with regard to a person's bite. Besides braces, another upcoming technique is the clear aligners that move the teeth to give proper alignment, but are invisible and removable, unlike traditional braces.The global clear aligner market is expected to increase at high growth rates during the forecasted period (2021-2025). Over the historic years, the global clear aligner market was supported by various growth drivers, such as increasing urban population, rising healthcare expenditure, increasing youth population, Rising Demand for Aesthetic Enhancement etc. The market also faces challenges, such as, less number of dentists in emerging countries, limited insurance coverage on orthodontic treatment, etc.
However, Covid-19 has led to closure of dental clinics due to lockdowns in various countries. The dentists are refraining from carrying out physical dental therapies as they believe it could potentially lead to rapid spreading of the Coronavirus. This in turn has dampened demand for various dental products such as consumables with one being clear aligners. Moreover, it is expected that the market for clear aligners would showcase recovery once the impact of Covid-19 subsides and lockdowns are relaxed.
Companies Mentioned
- Align Technology, Inc.
- Envista Holdings Corporation
- Dentsply Sirona Inc.
- Straumann Group
- Henry Schein, Inc.
- 3M Company
- Angelalign Technology, Inc.
- SmileDirectClub, Inc.
- Danaher Corporation
- Argen Corporation
- Scheu Dental GmbH
- 3Shape
- Great Lakes Dental Technologies
Methodology
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