Why Are More Dental Labs Launching Their Own Aligner Brands? Insights from Nipun Kathuria

Jul 3, 2025

Why Are More Dental Labs Launching Their Own Aligner Brands? Insights from Nipun Kathuria

The dental aligner market is rapidly evolving, with digital labs increasingly launching their own aligner brands. In conversations with leading orthodontic labs and clinics across the UK, a clear trend has emerged: labs want to control their value chain, build trust, and boost margins by owning their own brand identity.

The Shift Toward Brand Ownership

Traditionally, labs sold aligners as white-label products, generic aligners without a unique brand. This allowed them to focus purely on manufacturing and operations. But this model limits pricing power and customer engagement.

Nipun Kathuria explains it well: labs are learning from Invisalign and other market leaders. They realize the only key difference between themselves and big brands is the brand itself. By launching proprietary aligner brands, labs can:

Command higher prices
Build trust with clinics and patients
Control the customer experience and brand narrative

However, owning a brand also means investing in marketing and operational costs. Some labs prefer to remain white-label providers for simplicity, but those ready to grow and differentiate are stepping into brand ownership.

Is the Aligner Market Still Growing?

Absolutely. The aligner market is growing at an impressive 28-30% annually, a pace that dwarfs typical GDP growth rates. This rapid growth means the market size doubles every 3-4 years.

This boom has triggered a surge in startups and traditional labs entering the aligner space by investing in printers, hiring technicians, and adopting advanced case management software. Notably, this growth is shifting market share from monopolistic giants to regional micro-brands, manufacturing locally and connecting directly with clinics.

Why Bring Aligner Manufacturing In-House?

Quality control, compliance, and faster shipping are key motivators for labs moving from outsourced manufacturing to in-house production. Local manufacturing means labs can:

Ensure consistent product quality
Avoid customs delays
Control costs better
Deliver superior customer service

Digital Workflows Are Game Changers

Digital workflows, from 3D printing and scanning to sophisticated case management platforms like Smile Genius, are transforming the aligner industry. Adding AI layers boosts efficiency further, enabling labs to scale faster and reduce operating costs.

This shift away from manual tools like Excel and email towards integrated digital systems enables labs to:

Improve productivity
Scale operations without proportionally increasing staff
Enhance transparency and communication with clinics

The Role of DSOs in Aligner Sales

Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) are becoming major players in the aligner market. Many DSOs now launch their own aligner brands to control pricing, margin, and branding while providing dentists with technology and training support.

This ecosystem benefits everyone, patients get affordable treatment options, dentists can increase revenue, labs see more cases, and DSOs expand their service portfolio.

What Do Clinics Want From Labs in 2025?

Clinics want transparency, fast turnaround times, and easy communication. They prefer labs that provide clear visibility into case progress without daily back-and-forth messaging on WhatsApp or email.

Labs that invest in automation and digital solutions can deliver better service, helping clinics focus on patient care.

Growing Revenue Without Hiring More Staff

Efficiency is key. Automation and digital case management allow labs and clinics to handle more cases without adding headcount. Investing in scalable workflow systems reduces administrative overhead and accelerates turnaround times, enabling growth and better customer experiences simultaneously.

The Biggest Missed Opportunity for Labs?

Many labs still don’t offer aligners, despite having established relationships with thousands of dentists. Dentists forced to look outside their trusted labs to buy aligners are a missed revenue opportunity.

Labs that provide a comprehensive portfolio including aligners can:

Retain customer loyalty
Capture local market share
Increase revenue and margins

Labs must listen to their customers and provide seamless, one-stop solutions to avoid losing business to competitors abroad.

Conclusion

The aligner market is booming and evolving quickly. Labs that invest in brand ownership, digital workflows, and integrated solutions are positioned to capture significant growth and build lasting partnerships with clinics and DSOs.

As Nipun Kathuria highlights, the labs that adapt and innovate today will lead the aligner market tomorrow.