What major innovations or improvements are anticipated in aligner technology for 2026, and how will they impact treatment accuracy, duration, or patient comfort?
Ren Menon.
Ren Menon, co-founder and president of OrthoFX: In 2026, the most meaningful innovations in aligner technology will be those that align with real-world patient behavior. The industry is moving away from assumptions of perfect compliance and uniform biological response toward materials, staging strategies, and protocols that perform reliably under everyday conditions.
Winning innovations will deliver consistent results for the average patient rather than the ideal patient. This includes advanced aligner polymers such as AirFlex from OrthoFX, which provide more forgiving force profiles and a greater tolerance for reduced wear time -- an important consideration given real-world compliance patterns.
The impact is improved tracking accuracy; fewer refinements and midcourse corrections; shorter overall treatment timelines; and a more comfortable, predictable experience for both doctors and patients -- without relying on aggressive mechanics or frequent in-office intervention.
What trends are you seeing in patient expectations and outcomes, and how is your product road map adapting (or leading) to meet demands around speed, aesthetics, monitoring, and virtual care, especially in 2026?
Dr. Mark Lowe.
Dr. Mark Lowe: AI impact will increase in 2026 through the increased adoption of remote treatment monitoring software. Both DentalMonitoring and Grin products (endorsed by the American Association of Orthodontists' TechSelect program) and clear aligner apps can increase patient compliance by providing a platform to virtually monitor patient progress, assure that treatment progresses, and alert both the patient and doctor of issues that can be resolved in a timely fashion. In many cases, revisions can be reduced and office visits can be decreased significantly, which provides benefits to both the patients and the offices.
Patient expectations in orthodontics continue to trend toward high-tech solutions like clear aligners with remote monitoring. After 26 years, clear aligners have continued to evolve into a clear choice for patients, providing a high-tech, cost-effective, aesthetic orthodontic solution with less discomfort and more convenience to meet changing lifestyles.
Companies such as OrthoFX, which combines advanced aligner design with remote monitoring to keep treatment on track with fewer in-office visits, reflect this shift toward integrated digital care. As in most aspects of modern life, increased digital communication through apps, texts, and emails is now the norm in orthodontics.
Will AI impact the aligner industry in 2026? If so, how?
Dr. Mark Lowe: The knowledge around pushing teeth toward the desired position continues to grow after 26 years of experience and data. Tooth movement velocities (staging) and the predictable ranges of movements are better understood with AI reviewing large quantities of data, especially in the analysis of finished cases.
While the information is relevant for resolving intra-arch issues, such as crowding and spacing, auxiliary treatments are still needed to resolve inter-arch issues in a similar fashion when using fixed appliances. Auxiliaries like elastics to help resolve sagittal issues, bite ramps for vertical issues, and expanders for transverse issues now mimic their use with fixed appliances.
In the near future, incorporating 3D-printed attachments that mimic braces could help doctors use aligners for traditionally difficult movements, like extrusions and rotations.
AI-powered algorithms can now analyze input from remote patient phone scans to generate a production-ready STL file. Using new SmartSTL files can lead to a more seamless treatment with "refinements." This technology allows the doctor to detail and finish orthodontic results using a more traditional method of comparing the current tooth position with the final goal. It also allows aligner refinements without undermining patients' confidence in the process.
