Clear Aligners Market Information By Age Group (Adult and Teen), By Material Type (Polyurethane Plastic, Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol, and Poly-vinyl Chloride), By End-User (Hospitals, Standalone Practices, Group Practices, and others), By Distribution Channel Outlook (Direct Sales, Laboratories, and others), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World)—Forecast till 2030

Global Clear Aligners Market Research (MRFR Insights)

The clear aligners market size is projected to reach USD 9.3 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 22.09% from 2022 to 2030. Clear aligners are a sequence of tight-fitting custom-made orthodontic systems that help correct misaligned or uneven teeth. Clear dental aligners are virtually unnoticeable and have removable options for braces designed for patients' convenience and flexibility. Factors such as increasing patient populations suffering from malocclusions, growing technological advancements in dental treatment, and increasing demand for customized clear aligners are driving market growth of clear aligners.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

During the pandemic, the quarantine led various orthodontists and patients to communicate via online telemedicine services. According to the Frontiers in Medicine study, there was an increased volume of posts on online platforms that increased the demand for clear aligners during the COVID-19 pandemic. An article published by the Dental Tribune stated that one of the market players of Align Technology reported increased sales accounting for 1.6 million cases in 2020 compared to 1.5 million cases in 2019. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic helped the industry increase product adoption, and this trend is expected to continue during the forecast of clear aligners. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic positively impacted the overall market demand.

Clear Aligners Market Dynamics

The market report of Clear aligners includes the growing demand for aesthetics and an increase in demand for orthodontic clear aligners are likely to promote the market size during the forecast period. Significant technical advancement, progress in per capita spending, the improvement of economic indicators, and increased penetration by major companies in the developing nations are contributing to the market's growth rate during the forecast period. Furthermore, developed countries are witnessing tremendous growth in adults seeking orthodontic treatment, mainly driven by the availability of products, including clear aligners and lingual braces. Although most of the adults seeking therapy are women, there has been an increase in men opting to repair their misalignment of teeth.

Market Drivers

• Better treatment outcomes and strong competitive activity

The market is experiencing substantial activities in acquisitions, partnerships, training of new doctors, and technical advancement. These are anticipated to drive the growth of the clear aligners market. Over the past few years, major clear dental aligners companies have entered this lucrative market through acquisitions and product introductions. For instance, in January 2020, Dentsply Sirona Inc, a dental technology firm, acquired Byte, a developer of clear dental aligners, for USD 1.04 billion. Byte has demonstrated itself as a well-known online vendor that provides access to patients to clear aligner kits at home. Furthermore, clear aligners companies are focusing on developing new products and expanding the current product delivery through a substantial focus on R&D. There is a continuous struggle to make the products more comfortable and hygienic and bring improvements in the 3-D modeling software to design these products based on the patient's specified needs. The market players are also creating awareness about the product's advantages among orthodontics, dentists, and G.P.s through training.

• Rise in the prevalence of dental diseases


• Increasing products approval and launches by clear aligners companies

Market Restraints:

• Increased competition from direct-to-consumer companies

In the present scenario, various clear aligner companies that function on a direct-to-consumer business model have come up. In the direct-to-consumer model, patients don’t need to visit the doctor. Dental impressions of the patients are taken at home or the company stores and checked by remote orthodontists, and the products are dispatched to the patient. This is expected to limit the market growth strongly. The cost of direct-to-consumer products is extensively lower than the B2B model, followed by the major market players. For instance, SmileDirectClub, a company performing in the space of direct-to-consumer business, made USD 750.4 million in terms of revenues in 2019. It refers to a 77.3% growth from 2018. This is a prime example of the increasing demand for direct-to-consumer products, which might negatively impact the market as the products will be marketed through the B2B channel during the forecast period.

• Lack of knowledge about certain types of dental healthcare needs


• High cost of the treatment

Market Opportunities:

• The surge in technological innovations

Given the increasing cases of dental problems, there has been a massive surge in clear aligners cleaner and technological advancements, such as 3D impression systems, additive fabrication,  Nickel and Copper-Titanium wires, digital scanning technology, CAD/CAM appliances, incognito lingual braces, and clear temporary anchorage devices. These technologies have made orthodontic treatment far more predictable and effective than ever.

• Government initiatives to develop healthcare infrastructure in developing countries

Age Insights

The market segments of clear aligners, based on age, is adults and teens based on age. The adult category held a prominent share in 2021 due to an increase in the adoption of these technologically developed products as a means of treatment. Besides this, teens are the fastest-growing category due to the growing aesthetic requirement and the invisible nature of these product offerings corresponding to traditional braces and wires.

End-Use Insights

The market segments of clear aligners, based on the end-use, is hospitals, standalone practices, group practices, and others. The standalone practices category had a significant share in 2021 as standalone practitioners readily embrace clear aligner systems and are provided with cutting-edge digital technologies. However, group practices are the fastest-growing category during the forecast period as it helps in minimizing costs and maximizing their earning potential while embracing newer advanced technology.

Material Type Insights

The market segments of clear aligners, based on material type, is polyurethane, plastic polyethylene terephthalate glycol, and polyvinyl chloride. Polyurethane had a prominent share in 2021 and provided significant benefits when used as part of an aligner. Due to its broad range of properties, it can be used for both hard and soft parts. Besides this, polyvinyl chloride is the fastest-growing category as manufacturers are growingly focused on sourcing polyvinyl chloride to integrate it into clear aligners.

Distribution Channel Insights

The clear aligners market segmentation, based on distribution channel, is direct sales, laboratories, and others. In 2021 the direct sale category had a major share in the market, owing to the growing population adopting clear aligners during the forecast period. However, laboratories are the fastest growing due to increased clear aligners utilization for R&D activities.

Clear Aligners Market Overview, by Region

By region, the clear aligners market has been divided into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. North America accounted for the most extensive market share. Asia-Pacific is projected to exhibit the highest CAGR during the clear aligners review period.

North America

North America held a significant market share in 2021. This is attributed to increasing R&D investments, players' local presence, and their efforts to obtain new patents. A survey performed by the American Dental Association stated that 85% of individuals in the US genuinely value dental health and consider oral health an essential aspect of overall care. Furthermore, factors like increasing awareness regarding the recent development in dental hygiene, various convenient options available for treating teeth misalignment, and a surge in beauty standards have propelled people to opt for clear aligners in the region.

Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing region rate in 2021 due to the increasing demand for clear aligners in developing economies like India and China. Key players are adopting various strategies to stay competitive in this region. For instance, in January 2022, SheepMedical Co., Ltd launched KiyoClear in key Asian markets, starting from India as its international flagship brand, making the company's high-quality clear aligners accessible to the Indian dental community.

Clear Aligners Market Competitive Landscape

The market includes tier-1, tier-2, and local players. The tier-1 and tier-2 players have reach with diverse product portfolios. Companies such as Align Technology, Dentsply Sirona, Patterson Companies Inc., Institute Straumann, Danaher Corporation, and 3M EPSE dominate the clear aligners market due to product differentiation, financial stability, strategic developments, and diversified regional presence. The players are concentrating on supporting research and development. Furthermore, they embrace strategic growth initiatives, such as development, product introduction, joint ventures, and partnerships, to strengthen their market position and capture an extensive customer base. For instance, in September 2020, Align Technology Inc. introduced Invisalign Stickables, advanced sticker accessories that can be utilized with the SmartTrack material within Invisalign clear aligners. Invisalign Stickables are available in several colors, designs, themes, and shapes. Similarly, in January 2021, Dentsply Sirona acquired Straight Smile LLC, a leading provider in the direct-to-consumer, doctor-directed market. This will allow the company to strengthen its SureSmile aligner business.

Prominent market players include Argen Corporation, Henry Schein Inc., T.P. Orthodontics Inc., DynaFlex, Great Lakes Dental Technologies, SCHEU DENTAL GmbH, and Clarus Company, among others.

Scope of the Clear Aligners Market Report

Age Outlook

• Adults


• Teens

End-User Outlook

• Hospitals


• Standalone Practices


• Group Practices


• Others

Material Type Outlook

• Polyurethane


• Plastic Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol


• Polyvinyl Chloride

Distribution Channel Outlook

• Direct Sales


• Laboratories


• Others

Region Outlook

• North America
  
  
  
  • US
  
  
  • Canada
  
  
  • Mexico
  
  
  
  


• Europe
  
  
  
  • UK
  
  
  • Germany
  
  
  • France
  
  
  • Italy
  
  
  • Spain
  
  
  • Rest of Europe
  
  
  
  


• Asia-Pacific
  
  
  
  • China
  
  
  • India
  
  
  • Japan
  
  
  • Australia and New Zealand
  
  
  • Rest of Asia-Pacific
  
  
  
  


• Rest of the World
  
  
  
  • South America
  
  
  • Middle East
  
  
  • Africa
  
  
  
  

Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study are summarized in 5 stages. They are as mentioned below:

Clear Aligners Market Forecast & Size:

To identify and estimate the market size for the market segmented by age, end-user, material type, and distribution channel by value (in US dollars). Also, to understand the consumption/ demand created by consumers of clear aligners between 2022 and 2030

Market Landscape and Trends:

To identify and infer the drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges for the market

Market Influencing Factors:

To find out the factors which are affecting the sales of clear aligners among consumers

Impact of COVID-19:

To identify and understand the various factors involved in the market affected by the pandemic

Company Profiling:

To provide a detailed insight into the major companies operating in the market. The profiling will include the financial health of the company in the past 2-3 years with segmental and regional revenue breakup, product offering, recent developments, SWOT analysis, and key strategies.

Intended Audience

• Clear Aligners Manufacturers


• Raw Material Suppliers


• Retailers, Wholesalers, and Distributors


• Governments, Associations, and Industrial Bodies


• Investors and Trade Experts