Clear Aligner and Other Orthodontics Market Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis | Global | 2025-2031 | Includes Clear Aligners, Traditional Braces and 1 more

Description

List of Tables

The global total clear aligner and other orthodontics market was valued at nearly $12.9 billion in 2024. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.4 percent to reach over $22.6 billion by 2031.

This report covers clear aligners, traditional braces, and teeth retainers. It quantifies unit sales, average selling prices (ASPs), market size, growth rates, and company shares and analyzes procedure numbers, market drivers and limiters, recent mergers and acquisitions, product portfolios, and competitive dynamics. The study provides historical data to 2021 with forecasts to 2031.

Growth is supported by strong aesthetic demand, expansion of pediatric and teenage indications, and steady progress in digital workflows across imaging, software planning, and material science. At the same time, pricing pressure from DSOs and in-house 3D printing capabilities is changing how providers source aligners and retainers. The result is a market that is expanding quickly while also reshaping its cost base and channel structure.

Market Overview

Orthodontics has entered a new phase of adoption driven by clear aligners. For patients with simple to moderate malocclusion, aligners offer a less visible, removable alternative to bracket-and-wire braces. This visibility advantage is central to demand, especially among adults and image-conscious teenagers. Traditional braces remain essential for complex corrections and for cost-constrained settings, while retainers support treatment retention and long-term stability.

Two structural changes define the current cycle. First, digitization of orthodontic care has spread from elite clinics to mainstream providers. Intraoral scanning, cloud case planning, and automated staging have shortened the interval from case submission to tray delivery. Second, production is shifting. High-volume manufacturers continue to supply premium products, while in-house and private label 3D printing has grown for retainers and selected aligner cases, especially within DSOs and multi-clinic groups. These shifts increase treatment capacity and expand the addressable patient base.

The clear aligner category anchors value growth. Leading vendors are broadening indications to include pediatric and teen patients and are improving material properties to support complex finishing and refinements. Traditional braces remain widely used across metal and ceramic brackets, particularly where cost is the main constraint or where biomechanics require fixed appliances. Retainers are a stable, recurring revenue stream because long-term retention is standard of care.

Overall market growth reflects rising awareness, lower stigma, and better access through general dentists who now offer orthodontic services in collaboration with orthodontists or through guided workflows. While direct-to-consumer models have retrenched, the larger effect has been to elevate professional oversight and to focus innovation on clinical outcomes and efficiency.

Market Drivers

Aesthetic considerations

Clear aligners are preferred by patients who want a discreet solution. They are suitable for simple to moderate cases and are positioned as lifestyle friendly. The ability to remove trays for eating and oral care makes hygiene easier compared with brackets and wires. As cultural emphasis on appearance rises across regions, more patients who would have avoided braces are opting for aligners, sustaining case growth in professional settings.

Clear aligners for kids and teens

Pediatric and early teen products have expanded the market. Invisalign First introduced early treatment solutions for mixed dentition. In 2025, Align Technology launched an Invisalign system with mandibular advancement using occlusal blocks for Class II correction in growing patients aged roughly 10 to 16. Envista's Ormco followed with Spark Aligners with BiteSync for growing patients and adults. These offerings pull cases earlier in the care journey and help prevent more complex malocclusions later.

Product versatility and patient hygiene

Patients value the ability to remove aligners for brushing and flossing. This improves hygiene and reduces food trapping compared with fixed brackets and wires. The comfort of smooth trays, combined with fewer emergency visits for broken brackets, supports patient satisfaction and adherence, which encourages clinics to expand aligner indications where clinically appropriate.

Digital workflow and clinical throughput

Digital case submission, AI-assisted staging, and faster manufacturing cycles reduce chair time and increase the number of cases a clinic can manage. Clear documentation and remote monitoring tools improve compliance follow-up. These efficiencies allow both orthodontists and general dentists to add aligner capacity without proportionate increases in staffing.

Emerging market adoption

As incomes rise and private dental spending increases in Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and parts of the Middle East, aesthetic procedures become more attainable. Provider training, distributor networks, and financing options broaden access, while DSOs spread standardized protocols that support predictable results.

Market Limiters

High professional case cost

Aligner treatment is often priced at a premium. Many complex cases still rely on traditional braces. Although global malocclusion prevalence is high, affordability remains a barrier for large segments of the population. DTC pathways that initially promised lower cost have largely shifted to models with clinical supervision, raising price points and reducing the gap with professional care.

3D printing as both driver and limiter

Direct 3D printing reduces fabrication time and cost for certain aligners and for retainers. As adoption spreads to dental labs and DSOs, ASPs trend lower for commodity cases and for retainers. The ASP of directly printed aligners in qualified environments can be a fraction of premium trays from large manufacturers. This dynamic broadens access but compresses margins for branded suppliers and intensifies competition.

DSO purchasing power

DSOs negotiate 10 to 40 percent discounts when meeting volume thresholds and often bundle capital, software, and supplies. As more orthodontists and general dentists affiliate with DSOs, the purchasing leverage of these networks increases. This creates downward pressure on ASPs and encourages suppliers to differentiate through material performance, planning software, training, and support services.

Retrenchment of DTC

Several high-profile DTC brands exited or repositioned. Some now require in-person clinical oversight. The decline of unsupervised DTC reduces safety concerns but also removes a lower price anchor that had expanded the funnel. The main growth path now runs through professional channels, which can limit rapid low-cost expansion in price-sensitive markets.

Market Coverage and Data Scope

Quantitative coverage: Market size, market shares, market forecasts, growth rates, units sold, and average selling prices.
Qualitative coverage: Growth trends, market limiters, competitive analysis and SWOT for top competitors, mergers and acquisitions, company profiles, product portfolios, disruptive technologies, and disease overviews that inform demand.
Time frame: Base year 2024, forecasts to 2031, historical data from 2021 to 2023.
Data sources: Primary interviews with industry leaders, government and regulatory data, hospital and private practice inputs, import and export records, and the iData Research internal database.
Method note: Revenue is modeled as units multiplied by ASP, validated with procedure counts, capacity utilization, and adoption patterns across practice settings.

Care settings include private practices, dental clinics, dental service organizations (DSOs), hospitals, and supervised home pathways.

Markets Covered and Segmentation

Clear Aligner Market

Market type: Professional, direct-to-consumer
Device type: Digital submission, impression
Tier: Simple, moderate, complex
Setting: Private practice, dental clinic, DSO, hospital, direct-to-consumer
Material type: Thermoforming polymers and polymer blends, 3D-printed materials

Traditional Brace Market

Material type: Metal, ceramic, others

Teeth Retainer Market

Each segment is analyzed for market value, ASP, unit volumes, and forecast growth, with competitive context and regional views where data support consistent modeling.

Competitive Analysis

Competitive analysis focuses on the clear aligner market because traditional braces and retainers are highly fragmented across many vendors.

Align Technology led the clear aligner market in 2024. The Invisalign brand is widely used for malocclusion treatment across case types. Align continues to expand indications and age ranges. In 2025, it launched a new Invisalign system with mandibular advancement using occlusal blocks for skeletal and dental Class II correction in growing patients. This follows pediatric-focused innovations such as the Invisalign Palatal Expander System in 2023 and Invisalign First in 2018. The strategy is to deepen adoption among orthodontists and to support general dentists through guided planning and training.

Envista Holdings Corporation ranked second through its Ormco brand with the Spark clear aligner system. Spark offers TruGEN for surface uniformity and contact area, and TruGEN XR for a stiffer material aimed at finishing and refinements. Packages include Advanced, Spark 20, and Spark 10 tiers aligned to complex, moderate, and simple cases. In 2024, Envista launched Spark On-Demand, which allows practices to order aligners and Prezurv Plus retainers without subscriptions or volume commitments. This flexibility appeals to providers who want to match inventory to case mix and to avoid lock-ins.

Straumann Group held the third-leading position through ClearCorrect. The company expanded in orthodontics via acquisitions and then adjusted its portfolio strategy. In August 2024, Straumann agreed to sell DrSmile to Impress Group, retaining about 20 percent. This sharpened its focus on B2B orthodontic products and services. In 2024, Straumann launched ClearCorrect Sync 2.0, an updated app to streamline digital workflows for providers, reinforcing its emphasis on planning and case management tools.

Across the market, competition centers on material performance, software usability, training, and service. Vendors differentiate with teen-specific features, mandibular advancement options, and efficient refinement pathways. Pricing strategy balances list prices with DSO and multi-clinic discounts.

Technology and Practice Trends

Digital submission as default: Intraoral scanning and digital case submission reduce errors and remake rates. Impression workflows persist for price-sensitive settings but are declining as scanners spread.
Material innovation: Multilayer thermoforming films and higher-rigidity polymers offer better force delivery and crack resistance. Vendors tune materials for initial movement versus finishing control.
Pediatric solutions: Purpose-built designs for mixed dentition, palatal expansion, and mandibular advancement expand indications for younger patients and create new case pipelines.
3D printing workflows: Direct printing of aligners and retainers shortens turnaround and supports private label offerings. Adoption is strongest among DSOs and labs with validated printers and resins.
Software and remote monitoring: AI-assisted staging, compliance tracking, and photo-based remote checks reduce chair time and improve adherence. Clear reporting helps DSOs scale standardized protocols.
Cross-discipline integration: Aligners are combined with attachments, elastics, and limited fixed appliances for complex movements. Clear clinical pathways and conversion to fixed appliances remain essential for severe malocclusion.
Retention at scale: Growth in aligner cases increases demand for retainers. 3D-printed retainers and bulk ordering programs lower cost and improve replacement rates.

These trends support higher throughput, more predictable results, and broader access, while increasing the need for training and standardized protocols.

Geography

This edition covers North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.

Why This Report

Where are the largest and fastest-growing opportunities across clear aligners, traditional braces, and retainers.

How pediatric and teen indications will change case mix and treatment timing.

Which materials and software are most likely to gain share and why.

How DSO purchasing, discount tiers, and 3D printing will influence ASPs and supplier margins.

What lessons emerge from the repositioning of DTC models and how that affects provider-led growth.

How Align Technology, Envista's Ormco, and Straumann ClearCorrect are positioned and what their product roadmaps suggest.

What risks could limit growth, including affordability, training gaps, and fragmentation in braces and retainer supply.

How commercial teams can align training, service, and financing to accelerate adoption while protecting pricing.

The Global Clear Aligner and Other Orthodontics Market Report from iData Research answers these questions with procedure-aware models, company share analysis, and pricing detail. Use it to quantify demand, plan product launches, set pricing and contracting targets, and prioritize training and support programs that improve case outcomes.

Product Code: iDATA_GLCA25_MS

TABLE OF CONTENT

Table Of Contents

List Of Figures

List Of Charts

Global Total Orthodontic Market Overview

Competitive Analysis

Market Trends

Market Developments

Procedure Segmentation

Market Segmentation

Regions Included

Key Report Updates

Version History

Research Methodology

Step 1: Project Initiation & Team Selection
Step 2: Prepare Data Systems And Perform Secondary Research
Step 3: Preparation For Interviews & Questionnaire Design
Step 4: Performing Primary Research
Step 5: Research Analysis: Establishing Baseline Estimates
Step 6: Market Forecast And Analysis
Step 7: Identify Strategic Opportunities
Step 8: Final Review And Market Release
Step 9: Customer Feedback And Market Monitoring

Impact Of Global Tariffs

Procedure Numbers

3.1 Procedure Numbers
- 3.1.1 Total Orthodontic Procedures
- 3.1.2 Patients With Clear Aligners
  - 3.1.2.1 Patients With Clear Aligners With Age Below 18 Years Old
  - 3.1.2.2 Patients With Clear Aligners With Age 18 To 35 Years Old
  - 3.1.2.3 Patients With Clear Aligners With Age 35 To 55 Years Old
  - 3.1.2.4 Patients With Clear Aligners With Age More Than 55 Years Old
- 3.1.3 Patients With Traditional Braces
  - 3.1.3.1 Patients With Traditional Braces Age Below 18 Years Old
  - 3.1.3.2 Patients With Traditional Braces With Age 18 Years Old And Above
- 3.1.4 Patients With Hybrid Orthodontic Appliance

Global Orthodontic Market Overview

4.1 Introduction
4.2 Market Overview
- 4.2.1 By Segment
- 4.2.2 By Region
4.3 Market Analysis And Forecast
4.4 Drivers And Limiters
- 4.4.1 Market Drivers
- 4.4.2 Market Limiters
4.5 Competitive Market Share Analysis
4.6 Mergers And Acquisitions

Clear Aligner Market

5.1 Executive Summary
- 5.1.1 Global Clear Aligner Market Overview
- 5.1.2 Competitive Analysis
- 5.1.3 Procedure Segmentation
- 5.1.4 Market Segmentation
- 5.1.5 Regions Included
5.2 Introduction
5.3 Procedure Numbers
- 5.3.1 Patients With Clear Aligners
  - 5.3.1.1 Patients With Clear Aligners With Age Below 18 Years Old
  - 5.3.1.2 Patients With Clear Aligners With Age 18 To 35 Years Old
  - 5.3.1.3 Patients With Clear Aligners With Age 35 To 55 Years Old
  - 5.3.1.4 Patients With Clear Aligners With Age More Than 55 Years Old
5.4 Market Overview
- 5.4.1 Clear Aligner Market
- 5.4.2 By Market Type
  - 5.4.2.1 Market Analysis And Forecast
  - 5.4.2.1.1 Professional Clear Aligner Market
  - 5.4.2.1.2 Dtc Clear Aligner Market
- 5.4.3 By Device Type
  - 5.4.3.1 Market Analysis And Forecast
  - 5.4.3.1.1 Digital Submission Clear Aligner Market
  - 5.4.3.1.2 Impression Clear Aligner Market
- 5.4.4 By Tier
  - 5.4.4.1 Market Analysis And Forecast
  - 5.4.4.1.1 Simple Clear Aligner Market
  - 5.4.4.1.2 Moderate Clear Aligner Market
  - 5.4.4.1.3 Complex Clear Aligner Market
- 5.4.5 By Setting
  - 5.4.5.1 Market Analysis And Forecast
  - 5.4.5.1.1 Private Practice Clear Aligner Market
  - 5.4.5.1.2 Dental Clinic Clear Aligner Market
  - 5.4.5.1.3 Dental Service Organization Clear Aligner Market
  - 5.4.5.1.4 Hospital Clear Aligner Market
  - 5.4.5.1.5 Dtc Clear Aligner Market
- 5.4.6 By Material Type
  - 5.4.6.1 Market Analysis And Forecast
  - 5.4.6.1.1 Thermoforming Polymer And Polymer Blend Clear Aligner Market
  - 5.4.6.1.2 3D-Printed Clear Aligner Market
5.5 Drivers And Limiters
- 5.5.1 Market Drivers
- 5.5.2 Market Limiters
5.6 Competitive Market Share Analysis

Traditional Braces Market

6.1 Executive Summary
- 6.1.1 Global Traditional Braces Market Overview
- 6.1.2 Procedure Segmentation
- 6.1.3 Market Segmentation
- 6.1.4 Countries Included
6.2 Introduction
6.3 Procedure Numbers
- 6.3.1 Patients With Traditional Braces
  - 6.3.1.1 Patients With Traditional Braces Age Below 18 Years Old
  - 6.3.1.2 Patients With Traditional Braces With Age 18 Years Old And Above
6.4 Market Analysis And Forecast
- 6.4.1 By Material Type
  - 6.4.1.1 Metal Traditional Braces Market
  - 6.4.1.2 Ceramic Traditional Braces Market
  - 6.4.1.3 Other Material Traditional Braces Market
6.5 Drivers And Limiters
- 6.5.1 Market Drivers
- 6.5.2 Market Limiters