The Global Clear Aligners Market Size Was Valued At USD 3.45 Billion In 2021. The Market Is Projected To Grow From USD 4.09 Billion In 2022 To USD 16.11 Billion By 2030, Exhibiting A CAGR Of 21.6% During The Forecast Period.

Clear Aligners Market Overview:

The global COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented and shocking. Demand for clear aligners is lower than expected in all regions compared to what it was before the pandemic. Based on our research, the global market grew 1.9% more slowly in 2020 than it did in 2019.

Clear aligners are the products used to fix mild to moderate orthodontic problems that are almost invisible. The number of people with misaligned teeth is going up by a lot, and these products help straighten teeth, which increases the demand for them. Align Technology Inc.'s 2021 report says that the number of Invisalign cases used by doctors around the world rose from 14.5 cases per doctor in 2020 to 17.5 cases per doctor in 2021.

The technology of clear aligners has also come a long way, health spending per person has gone up, and economic indicators are getting better. The growth of the market is also helped by the fact that key companies are moving into developing regions to meet the growing demand for aesthetics there. For example, an article in BMC Oral Health in 2020 said that Chinese adults spent USD 20.54 per person on dental care, and more than 90% of that came out of their own pockets. More people will use these products as the number of adults grows and they spend more on dental care, which will drive market growth across the region.

In developed countries, the number of adults getting orthodontic care is growing by a huge amount. People in these situations tend to choose these products over traditional wire braces because they are more comfortable and look better.

During the forecast period, the market is expected to grow because key players are getting more and more competitive when it comes to releasing new, high-tech products like scanners and 3D printers. For example, in December 2021, Henry Schein, Inc. released a new web-based treatment planning software called Studio Pro 4.0 for Reveal Clear Aligners so that treatment planning for clear aligners could have predictable results.

Market Dynamics:

Latest Trends:

Unmet needs of patients will make the market grow faster.

Misaligned and crooked teeth are becoming more and more common at a fast rate. But problems with getting orthodontic services and the high cost of treatment have left a huge gap, leaving a lot of unmet patient needs. According to an article published by the European Journal of Pediatric Dentistry in 2020, the number of people who need treatment for dental malocclusion is going up. This number ranges from 25% to 35% for all types of dental occlusion in teenagers in different European countries.

Many health reforms are being put into place to meet the needs of patients that aren't being met. Through partnerships and policies, many companies and public institutions, such as government agencies, have taken steps to fill the gaps in orthodontic care. For example, in May 2022, the Canadian government started a new national dental care program for low-income Canadians. This program will pay for dental care costs for 6.5 million Canadian families making less than USD 90,000.0 per year. Such government programs will help pay for dental care, which will lead to more people using dental products like clean aligners. During the forecast period, these things could help the global clear aligners market grow.   

Driving Factors:

Market growth will be driven by the advantages of new treatments over old ones.

Because these products are more effective than traditional braces at treating malocclusion, they are becoming more popular around the world. Some of the benefits of these products are how they look, how easy they are to use, how comfortable they are, and how easy they are to customise. Companies also put a lot of effort into R&D projects, which help them come up with new products and improve the ones they already have.

In February 2022, Bausch Health Companies Inc. released the OraFit custom clear aligner system, which is meant to fix malocclusion in the U.S.

Market players also train orthodontists, dentists, and general practitioners (GPs) to make them aware of the benefits of these products.

In January 2021, Henry Schein, Inc. finished its joint venture with Casa Schmidt, a company that helps dentists in Spain and Portugal with all of their needs. This partnership helped the company get the word out about its products and reach out to more customers. In the coming years, these things are likely to drive the market.

Market growth will be helped by more people wanting dental aesthetics.

Align Technology, Inc. released data in 2021 that said malocclusion is one of the most common dental problems, affecting between 60% and 75% of the world's population, and that straightening the teeth of about 500 million people would be helpful. Low awareness of the bad effects of malocclusion and the fact that most people don't take care of their teeth as much as they should offer a good chance for growth.

Also, higher beauty standards for oral health are driving up the demand for advanced orthodontics. Many studies show that the young or teenage population, especially the female group, is a key factor in market growth. This factor is caused by the fact that women are becoming more concerned with how they look.

A study published by Springer in 2019 found that 74% of people who needed treatment with clear aligners were women between the ages of 18 and 45. So, the product demand is likely to go up as more people use clear aligners for cosmetic reasons.

Restraining Factors:

Direct-to-consumer companies will increase competition, which will slow market growth.

Even though these products are becoming more popular around the world, the market is still not growing as fast as it could. For example, many companies that sell clear aligners directly to consumers (DTC) have been set up in the current situation. Patients don't have to go to the doctor in the direct-to-consumer model. Patients' teeth are moulded at home or in a company store. Remote orthodontists look at the molds and send the products to the patients by mail. This is likely to stop the market from growing very much.

For example, the price of direct-to-consumer (DTC) products is much lower than that of the business-to-business (B2B) model, which is used by the major players in the market. Clear aligners sold directly to consumers cost between $1,800 and $4,000, while treatment with these products from companies like Align Technology can cost between $3,000 and $8,000.

This difference in price will affect how many people buy direct-to-consumer products because they are cheaper. This means that more people will buy them. So, during the forecast period, this is hurting the sales of products sold through the B2B channel.

Segmentation Analysis:

By Age Group Analysis:

The market is split into two groups based on age: teenagers and adults.

In 2021, adults had the largest share of the global clear aligners market. This was because more people were using technologically advanced products to treat malocclusion. Also, an increase in the number of people with misaligned teeth who are adults is likely to help segmental growth. The segment's dominance is also due to the fact that adults are becoming more concerned with how their teeth look.

During the forecast period, the teen segment is expected to grow at a rate that is higher than average. Companies in this field focus on teaching patients, especially teenagers, about the benefits of treating malocclusion. Also, they are teaching doctors like dentists, general doctors, and orthodontists how to treat teens with these products and encourage them to use them.

By End-user Analysis:

The market is divided into dentist and orthodontist-owned practices and others, based on who the end users are.

During the period covered by the forecast, the dentist- and orthodontist-owned practices segment led the world market. This is mostly because orthodontists and other trained dentists are highly sought after because of their strong skills. Also, big companies are holding more training sessions in these settings to raise awareness of their products, which is likely to make this segment the most important. This segment would also grow if there were a lot of dentists with a lot of experience.

In the others segment are large hospital settings, which are expected to have a smaller share of the market over the next few years. The segment has a smaller share of the market because more and more people are choosing private clinics, such as dentist- and orthodontist-owned practices, because they are quick, comfortable, and easy to get to.

Regional Insights:

In 2021, the market in North America was worth USD 2 billion, and it is expected to be the biggest market in the world for the next five years. Some of the most important things that make the region so dominant are the presence of big companies like Align Technology and the fact that these key players are investing more and more in research and development. Other factors include an increase in the number of orthodontists who want these products, a rise in the number of GPs' clients, good reimbursement policies for dentistry, and the presence of well-established orthodontic clinics. For example, the Align Technology 2021 annual report says that the use of Invisalign in orthodontics in North America rose from 67.3 patients per doctor in 2020 to 98.1 cases per doctor in 2021.

Europe is expected to have a large share of the market in 2021. This is because more people are learning about how technologically advanced these products are for fixing crooked teeth, and more companies are expanding their facilities to make more of these products to meet the growing demand from teenagers in the region.

The fastest growth is expected in Asia and the Pacific, especially in developing countries like India and China. Big companies are putting a lot of effort into getting into hospitals and orthodontic dental clinics in the untapped Asian market, which has a large number of patients. Also, the strong growth rate in the region is helped by countries like India and Japan having more money to spend.

In 2021, the rest of the world is expected to have a small share of market revenue. This is because key Middle Eastern countries like Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria don't have many oral health interventions, like dental care. Because people in the area don't know much about oral health, they don't use these products as much as they could. But the rest of the world, which includes countries like Brazil in Latin America, is expected to grow in the coming years.

Scope Analysis

Recent Development:

• May 2022 – The Straumann Group has signed an agreement to acquire PlusDental, a European provider of physician-directed orthodontic treatment solutions, to expand its clinic network, particularly in the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
• March 2022 – Dentsply Sirona began offering the SureSmille VPro and SureSmile retainer as part of its Clear Aligner treatment in Canada, giving physicians a comprehensive treatment approach.
• November 2021: SmileDirectClub, Inc. introduces SmileOS, a next-generation treatment planning system, AI software that delivers improved treatment outcomes.
• July 2021 – Straumann Group acquired Smilink, one of Brazil's leading orthodontic solutions providers, to complement Straumann's existing clear aligners business.
• January 2021 – Dentsply Sirona announces the acquisition of Byte, one of the fastest growing companies. Through this acquisition, Dentsply Sirona will enhance the SureSmile Clear Braces business and support connections with dental professionals.

Market Segmentation

By Age Group:

• Teenager
• Adults
• Others

By End-user:

• Dentist & Orthodontist Owned Practices
• Others

By Companies:

• Align Technology, Inc. (U.S.)
• 3M (U.S.)
• Institut Straumann AG (Switzerland)
• Ormco Corporation (Envista) (U.S.)
• Dentsply Sirona (U.S.)
• Henry Schein, Inc. (U.S.)
• Argen Corporation (U.S.)
• Angelalign Technology Inc. (China)
• Others