Why We’re Adding Invisible Aligners to Our Orthodontic Offering at Tend (original) (raw)
Doug Hudson
Founder, CEO, Healthcare Entrepreneur, Builder, & Board Member
Published May 11, 2022
Our members and clinicians have asked for it, and we heard them loud and clear.
When it comes to oral healthcare, we want Tend to be the only name people need to think of. We take care of our members' smiles – and that includes helping them straighten their teeth.
With that in mind, we’ve got an exciting announcement to make: Tend members will now be able to receive aligner therapy at any of our studios. By adding the market leader in invisible aligners to our orthodontic offering, we’re giving our dentists and orthodontists a full toolkit to improve people’s smiles. We’re also giving our members a convenient way to straighten their teeth, in the comfort of a dental studio they know, trust, and have grown to love.
Huge demand, and a growing percentage of the market.
The addition of invisible aligners to our orthodontic offering is happening for a few reasons. The first is demand. When we launched our orthodontics offering with Breezy Braces, and were able to help thousands of patients straighten their teeth using lingual braces, or braces behind the teeth. Now, with the addition of clear aligners, we've further bolstered our orthodontic toolkit, allowing our dentists and orthodontists to select the product they feel best delivers a high standard of care for our members.
Invisible aligners are a growing percentage of the orthodontics marketplace. By 2030, the market size for them is expected to be worth $30.2 billion. We’ve seen this growing demand reflected on the ground, in our dental studios. More and more of our members come in and say, “I want to straighten my teeth. But I don't want to use braces; I want invisible aligners.”
We’re hearing the same thing from providers who are licensed in aligner therapy and eager to offer it as a solution for smile straightening. We’re even hearing it from parents of the increasing number of teenagers partial to what they see as the more modern version of braces.
The demand for invisible aligners is loud and clear. So we’re entering the space by utilizing the market leader, Invisalign.
Quality matters at Tend. We're bringing the best to our members: the highest standard of care, the best technology in our studios. That’s why we’re launching with the market leader, and the company that started the whole revolution in orthodontics with invisible aligners.
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Offering an option for folks who prefer a straightening solution guided by an orthodontist or dentist in a holistic full service clinical setting
Our members are already in to see us about teeth cleaning and oral healthcare. We have great relationships with them. By adding invisible aligners to our orthodontic offering, we can help make their lives even more convenient: cleanings, oral healthcare checkups, and smile straightening visits can be accomplished in one fell swoop. For our busy members, this type of convenience matters.
Then there’s the fact that so many of our members aren't comfortable with mail-order aligner options. They want full service orthodontics with physicians they see twice a year and have established relationships with. Our members are already in to see us about teeth cleaning and oral healthcare. We have great relationships with them. It makes sense that they’d want to get their teeth straightened with us as well.
Tend is the only name you need to remember for oral healthcare. That includes orthodontic care.
Our vision for Tend is that it will be the only name folks will need to remember for oral care. Our industry-leading dental studios, the Tend app, and full suite of products like mouthwash, toothpaste, and toothbrush are helping us achieve that vision.
Now, with the addition of invisible aligners, the vision is clearer than ever.
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Doug Hudson is the co-founder and CEO of Tend. Born out of the need for systemic change across the dental industry, Doug’s vision is for Tend to set a new standard for oral health, starting at the dentist. As CEO, Doug applies his past experience spearheading numerous high-growth healthcare ventures to bring a hospitality mindset to the dental industry. Previously, he was the founding CEO of SmileDirectClub. Prior to this, he founded and led several consumer health companies including DiabetesCareClub, CPAPCareClub, Inc., and HearingPlanet, Inc. He is currently on the Board of Directors at Modern Age and Relode.com.
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