Ep 80 - How Angel Aligner grew by offering an aligner alternative

Clear aligner orthodontics is evolving rapidly, and Angel Aligner is making waves in the North American market. On this episode of the Golden Age of Orthodontics podcast, hosts Dr. Leon Klempner and Amy Epstein welcome Jason Tabb, VP and GM of Angel Aligner North America, to discuss digital orthodontics, aligner treatment capabilities, and competitive market differentiation. Jason shares insights on Angel Aligner's innovative approach to complex cases, including mandibular advancement, unique aligner buttons, and digital workflow improvements. The conversation also addresses intellectual property concerns and how orthodontic practices can leverage aligner technology to enhance efficiency and patient outcomes.

What you will Learn in this Episode:

• How Angel Aligner has rapidly scaled in the North American market through orthodontic innovation and responsive case setup design

• The latest aligner technology advancements, including integrated aligner buttons, Angel Hook, and dual-material aligner systems for complex cases

• Strategies for orthodontic practices to improve efficiency with digital workflow solutions and treatment planning tools

• How to evaluate aligner treatment options based on clinical performance, turnaround times, and market differentiation

Subscribe to the Golden Age of Orthodontics and our sister podcast, Practice Talk, hosted by Lacey Ellis, wherever you listen to stay updated on orthodontic innovation and real-world practice strategies. Visit People in Practice for more insights and to connect with our team for practice growth solutions.

TIMESTAMPS: 

(00:00) Amy shares the upcoming guest schedule and invites listeners to the Practice Talk podcast

(04:11) Jason Tabb discusses Angel Aligner's entry strategy and why orthodontists responded to their market differentiation

(08:53) Latest aligner technology innovations, including aligner buttons, Angel Button, Angel Hook, and mandibular advancement systems

(13:56) Addressing intellectual property concerns and Angel Aligner's commitment to fair competition

(15:44) Future of digital orthodontics and how aligner treatment improves practice efficiency

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• Angel Aligner differentiates through ease of doing business, consistent case setup quality, and specialized solutions for complex cases, including mandibular advancement, premolar extraction, and molar distalization

• The aligner button and Angel Hook innovations are integrated directly into aligners, reducing emergency visits and enabling treatment planning for challenging Class II and Class III cases with aligner therapy

• Digital orthodontics investments typically show ROI within 12-18 months as orthodontic practices gain workflow efficiency, treat larger patient loads, and meet growing patient demand for clear aligner orthodontics

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

What follows is an AI-generated transcript. The transcript may contain errors and is not a substitute for watching the video.

GAOO Ep 80 - Jason Tabb Transcript

(00:00:00) Dr. Leon Klempner: Orthodontics is moving faster than it ever has. More technology, more aligner options, more choices to make. But progress isn't just about who moves first, it's about who moves well. Today's conversation's about innovation, competition, and what it actually means to build trust in a rapidly involving aligner market to help our ortho audience make the best decisions for their practice.

(00:00:24) We had Joe Hogan from Invisalign on the show just a couple of months ago. That's episode 78. If you haven't listened to it, you can uh, find it. Uh, today we're joined by Jason tab, vice President and General Manager of Angel Aligner North America. To unpack how Angel has scaled so quickly where Digital Orthodontics is heading, and how Angel aligner views innovation in this competitive market.

(00:00:50) This is the golden age of orthodontics. Let's get into it.

(00:00:56) Welcome to the Golden Age of (00:01:00) Orthodontics.

(00:01:13) One thing we know is that the future of orthodontics is digital for me. The KLON custom solution checks off all of the boxes, takes the guesswork out of treatment planning, reduces treatment time and appointments, and lets the team best support the orthodontist. If you haven't already, I suggest you check them out.

(00:01:34) You can get more information as well as a special offer on our website. Just go to PPL practice.com and click our partner tab. Welcome to the Golden Age of Orthodontics. I'm Leon Klempner, retired board certified orthodontist, director of orthodontics at Mount Sinai Hospital, part-time faculty at Harvard and Montefiore.

(00:01:55) Current president of the New York State Society of Orthodontics. 

(00:01:58) Amy Epstein: Congrats. 

(00:01:59) Dr. Leon Klempner: (00:02:00) Thank you. Uh, and most importantly, the CEO of people in practice. I practiced for about 40 years before co-founding people in practice with my partner, my daughter, and my podcast co-host Amy Epstein. Welcome, Amy. 

(00:02:16) Amy Epstein: Thank you. Yeah. I'm Amy Epstein and, uh, we do this podcast together, uh, because my background is brand marketing and communications.

(00:02:26) And, um, you know, as, as you know, my dad's an orthodontist and we, you know, we'd started people in practice and we do the podcast to bring together the knowledge of the business of orthodontics with professional strategic marketing that works. Um, and the. You know, the foundation of that is knowing what the technologies and opportunities are out there that we can market on behalf of orthodontists to attract new patients, um, and, and differentiate from all the other orthodontists that are out there.

(00:02:58) So before we (00:03:00) get into it, um, as we start out the new year, I wanted to make sure that all of you listeners know about the things that are happening, um, through people in practice media, both for the Golden Age of Orthodontics Podcast and for our other podcast, which is geared toward team members at Orthodontic Practices.

(00:03:18) It's called Practice Talk, and it's hosted by Lacey Ellis. For the Golden Age, upcoming guests include Dr. Neil Kravitz and Trey Lawrence, and we also have some interesting topics that we'll dive into in a deeper format through webinars as part of our Orthodontic Learning series. So stay tuned for those.

(00:03:38) You can subscribe to them on the website as they come, and we'll send out emails as well. 

(00:03:42) Dr. Leon Klempner: And we've also been invited to give a talk at, uh, WCAN Western Orthodontic Conference in Monterey later this year. If you're around, we'd love to see you there. Uh, we're gonna give a lecture on AI and answer engine optimization.(00:04:00) 

(00:04:00) The name of the talk's gonna be the AI Advantage, elevating Orthodontists not replacing them. Mm-hmm. So we're excited about that. 

(00:04:07) Amy Epstein: We are excited about that. We hope to see you there. Let us know if you will be there and we'd love to meet up. Speaking of innovation in Orthodontics today, we're excited to welcome Jason Tad, vice President and GM of Angel Aligner North America.

(00:04:20) A little bit about Jason's background. He leads Angel, angel aligners growth across the US and Canada, working closely with doctors on digital workflows, aligner innovation, and building more patient-driven treatment experiences. Before joining Angel, Jason held senior leadership roles at ORM co helping drive global marketing strategy and commercial excellence across the orthodontic industry.

(00:04:45) And we're really happy to have Jason here today as he brings a big picture view of how technology gets adopted and the practical changes practices can make to stay competitive, which I know is important to everyone listening today. Welcome, Jason. Thank you for being here. (00:05:00) 

(00:05:00) Jason Tabb: Thank you Amy and Leon. Thank you.

(00:05:02) It's really a pleasure and I really appreciate the opportunity. So 

(00:05:07) Dr. Leon Klempner: Jason, um, if I recall, I think it might have been. 2022. At 2023 when I was walking around the a a o exhibit Hall, as I often do, looking for what's new and what some of our, uh, podcast listeners might be interested in. I came across this little kind of small booth on the side, um, and it was called Angel Aligner.

(00:05:32) And I said, oh, another aligner company kind of late to the game and I don't know about this one. And, uh. Sure enough, uh, you've made some significant improvements in market share over the last couple of years. So here's my question. From where you sit, what market conditions made that timing viable, and what do you think orthodontists are responding to?(00:06:00) 

(00:06:00) Jason Tabb: Leon, um, the timing was exactly right for Angel in 2023, uh, not only to make it the entry possible, but to actually make it successful. And what we did was we positioned 20 years of innovation, developed around a high population of complex cases, and introduced several first in market innovations such as our Angel button and our Angel Aligner Pro dual material full featured system in 2020.

(00:06:26) We added a second manufacturing facility, which gave us the capacity to scale globally. Without disrupting service. And in 2021, angel Liner joined the Hong Kong stock exchange. So in 2023, as you were walking around the a a o floor, we had many orthodontists, as you may remember, looking for viable alternatives.

(00:06:47) And, uh, angel entered the US market there with a product that excelled in treating complex, comprehensive cases. Over a million cases, delivered consistent case design, uh, by high, highly skilled. (00:07:00) Design techs and on staff orthodontists and most importantly, happy orthodontic customers who shared what they loved about Angel with their peers.

(00:07:08) And, and Leon, for the second part of your question, I think orthodontists are really responding to the fact that Angel listens. Uh, we put orthodontists needs at the forefront of all that we do, and we provide them, uh, what they need and what they want. Our leadership team has well over a hundred years of combined orthodontic ex industry experience, and we're backed by the best team that could possibly be built.

(00:07:31) Orthodontists are also resonating with angel's values, and we have a passion for orthodontics, clinical excellence, and a people first mentality, which through collaboration with orthodontists, has allowed us to very rapidly update our software and our hardware. So Angel meets the orthodontist expectations for consistent case setups.

(00:07:50) Responsive service and quick turnaround times and easy intuitive software. 

(00:07:56) Amy Epstein: So let's talk a little bit about, (00:08:00) um, differentiation because, and this is a question that if anybody's listening out there, you know, you may notice the pattern that I typically tend to go here. This is where I live in this brand development space and in the marketing communication space.

(00:08:14) So I'm always interested in. Understanding what makes technologies and and practices and we're working with practices different and how can we elevate that message in order to attract more patients. So I'll, I'll ask you, um, you know, as I know, differentiate ma differentiation matters in the aligner market more than ever because you need to be able to tell what's the difference between these options, um, when it comes to aligner system.

(00:08:42) Differentiation can show up in treatment capabilities, workflow economics. From your perspective, where is Angel genuinely differentiated from other options in the market? 

(00:08:54) Jason Tabb: Yeah, Amy, it's ease of doing business, uh, which is one of our most highly rated net promoter score factors. (00:09:00) Uh, along with a friendly and approachable product portfolio with full featured solutions and angel case setups, uh, which are consistently rated nine out 10, um, achieved by a combination of human intelligence.

(00:09:13) Clinical expertise and software innovations. Um, you know, we're really following doctor's protocols with real live design technicians with several years of experience and supervised by a team of orthodontists. And then there's clinical performance. Our innovative algorithms address common challenges that.

(00:09:30) Doctors typically face when treating challenging cases with clear aligners. We have a a six mandibular advancement system. We have an A seven premolar extraction solution. We have what we call an A eight, uh, molar distalization solution. And all these solutions together enable the orthodontist to be able to treat cases very efficiently.

(00:09:52) Where they're trying to, um, make complex tooth movements. Also, the orthodontists are very impressed with our consistent and (00:10:00) reliable turnaround times, as well as our simple pricing structure, which doesn't have them chasing volumes or feeling like they are pressured to use aligners on a case they would really prefer not to.

(00:10:13) Dr. Leon Klempner: So Jason, you know, Amy lives in the marketing and differentiating world, and I live in the clinical world. So, you know, my background in orthodontics, I've done a lot, a lot of, uh, you know, uh, aligner cases over the years. Um. You talk a lot about the digital workflow and next generation aligner design. You mentioned the aligner button as one of the innovations.

(00:10:39) You mentioned a few other things, so I, I'm curious, what are some of the most recent advancements or launches that you are most excited about? 

(00:10:51) Jason Tabb: Well, Leon, you mentioned it, the angel button, and I am super excited about the angel button and I'm not alone. Uh, orthodontists across North America are extremely (00:11:00) excited about the button from a clinical perspective.

(00:11:02) Uh, in fact, the pro, the product won best new product award in 2025 by the digital orthodontist. And this, uh, this feature gives clinicians greater flexibility and control of force delivery when they're using elastics, which translates into better tooth control and fewer emergency visits. We also have the Angel Hook.

(00:11:21) Um, and many may not know about that, but the Angel Hook is for the treatment of class three cases with the use of headgear. Imagine that using headgear with aligners, this hook can withstand very high forces and, uh, enables treatment of very difficult cases with Class three and class two cases. And I, I don't know of any other company that's actually talking about treating difficult cases with clear aligners for class three and class two difficult cases all in one breath.

(00:11:47) Um, our. A six mandibular advancement system, which I mentioned earlier. Uh, also has been very well received for the treatment of skeletal class two cases. And this year we'll be launching an angel kid, a three in one (00:12:00) system for early treatment, which has an optional tongue crib and tongue guide. Also can, combined with our A six mandibular advancement appliance, allows doctors to simultaneously address dental alignment, muscular function, and jaw and bone development.

(00:12:16) We also have Intel, an intelligent root system, which is a digital solution. We affectionately call IRS, uh, that gives doctors visualization of the true root in jaw morphology. And the exciting thing about that is that it really takes treatment planning to a whole new level. Giving doctors a true analysis of the crown and root data and allowing them to modify the alveolar bone and root relationship in the software.

(00:12:42) And then we have the Angel Pro product. Uh, this utilizes two unique materials. We have a flexible and a firm aligner used interchangeably throughout treatment. And this is very effective at addressing complex third order movements and challenging distillation cases. 

(00:12:59) Dr. Leon Klempner: So, (00:13:00) uh, Jason, just to be clear, um, the angel button and the Angel Hook, these are things that are built into the aligners, right?

(00:13:07) These aren't like separate things that, that we need to bond on to the teeth. 

(00:13:12) Jason Tabb: Yeah, exactly. Leon, they're integrated into the aligner itself, um, which is very different than the bonded buttons. Mm-hmm. And that's how you can save, uh, you know, emergency visits. Got it. 

(00:13:25) Dr. Leon Klempner: So Jason, let me address an elephant in the room and, and which is that there's been a lot of recent industry coverage about ip, intellectual property, and angel.

(00:13:38) Joe Hogan, the CEO of all Align technology discussed his perspective on protecting innovation in ip. So how do you want doctors to understand angel's approach to IAP innovation and competition in this rapidly changing marketplace? 

(00:13:57) Jason Tabb: Leon, uh, first of all, Allion's (00:14:00) accusations are completely wrong and we are vigorously contesting their accusations.

(00:14:04) We're absolutely confident that we will prevail in the courts as well as in the marketplace with orthodontists with our innovations. Angel's, 20 year history of innovation was developed around some of the most complex cases in the world, as I mentioned, and we're very proud of our rich heritage of innovation over those 20 years in collaboration with orthodontists and universities.

(00:14:25) And our flexible automated manufacturing system has also been widely praised by orthodontists for taking their clinical. Innovative ideas and working them into clinical solutions. And that's evidenced by the fact that 70% of the angel cases that ship are complex, comprehensive cases. So we believe in fair competition and offering high quality options for orthodontists.

(00:14:48) And, uh, angel is committed to continuing to support the orthodontic profession by breaking the barriers of what could be treated with clear aligners. 

(00:14:59) Amy Epstein: Thanks for addressing (00:15:00) that. Um, we appreciate it. Uh, you know, just dovetailing about what you just said, we know that you plan to continue to bring innovation to the market.

(00:15:06) Mm-hmm. There's also always the question about, okay, then, then scale and delivery, especially for a, for a newer, uh, participant in the North American market. So, as Angel continues to grow in North America, orthodontists will naturally think about success at scale. They're concerned about, uh, consistent turnaround times, predictable pricing, um, the ability to deliver at higher volumes without disruption.

(00:15:32) So talk a little bit about how Angel is building the infrastructure and, and also the safeguards to support growth to ensure that reliability that practices are looking for when they depend on you. 

(00:15:45) Jason Tabb: Absolutely Amy, and, and we completely understand that orthodontists need a reliable supplier. You know, Angel's flexible manufacturing approach is further strengthened by our operations in Brazil and Malaysia.

(00:15:57) And in 2026 we'll be ramping (00:16:00) operations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 

(00:16:02) Amy Epstein: huh? 

(00:16:02) Jason Tabb: Bringing our products and services even closer to our US customers. Many, many, uh, companies need volume to scale and we've already developed the capacity for global expansion and to be able to handle the volume and growth because we built it before we entered the US market.

(00:16:22) Dr. Leon Klempner: So, so Jason, I want you to put on your future focus glasses right now, and I want you to look beyond 2026 and. Let us know what should orthodontists be paying attention to, not just with Angel, but with the broader evolution of clear aligners and digital orthodontics over the next few years. 

(00:16:49) Jason Tabb: Yeah, Leon, uh, I would say take back your brand as an orthodontist.

(00:16:53) It's your expertise that patients are coming to you for, and really focus on using products that (00:17:00) give you predictable results that you and your patients are looking for. Uh, you know, which allow you to treat with less effort, fewer visits, fewer emergencies, and shorter treatment times. Um. Also consider the benefits that new aligner innovations offer you to expand the scope of cases that you're, you're currently treating with clear aligners.

(00:17:21) Um, the future is definitely in digital orthodontics and, you know, will it entirely replace wires and brackets? Probably not. Um, but. It will make your practice more efficient. And, um, for your listeners here, uh, if, if they've ever, uh, sat in a lecture with Chris Benson or perhaps watched your podcast, I believe you had Chris on.

(00:17:42) Amy Epstein: Yeah. 

(00:17:43) Jason Tabb: Uh, you know, he has plenty of data that shows that clear aligners, although it's an investment, it can make your practice more efficient. And within 12 to 18 months, most practices will get through that learning curve. Gain greater efficiency in their workflows and be able to carry (00:18:00) larger patient loads and increase their ROI on their bottom line driving greater profitability.

(00:18:09) Amy Epstein: And not to mention that, you know. Patients are looking for aligner therapy. They're asking for it. Absolutely. They, you know, the, the lifestyle elements, um, you know, the lifestyle benefits that, um, aligners offer, not only to adults, but also as you mentioned, I think you, it's, what's the product called? Kid, uh, angel Kid.

(00:18:32) Um, angel 

(00:18:33) Jason Tabb: Kid. That's it. 

(00:18:34) Amy Epstein: Yeah. And when is that coming out? 

(00:18:36) Jason Tabb: Uh, we're gonna be doing a full launch at the a a o coming up this year in 2026. Yeah, 

(00:18:41) Amy Epstein: that's great. And I, you know, there's, there's, uh, opportunity there in my opinion, as the parent of a 7-year-old who's going to be, you know, in treatment. Um, a responsible 7-year-old is a great aligner candidate, you know, so there's a, I think a real need for, for that type of (00:19:00) product.

(00:19:00) So. Well, Jason, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us today. We appreciate it. Um, if our listeners would like some more information about Angel, uh, about the technologies that you mentioned, how best to reach out. 

(00:19:14) Jason Tabb: Yeah, Amy, they can, um, find more information about our innovative products and [email protected].

(00:19:21) Uh, we also have several continuing education programs that doctors, uh, can attend. Um, they can learn about the benefits of our products, uh, our simple workflows and the clinical performance, uh, to treat a full scope of cases. Uh, in fact, we had, uh, Dr. Anita Bani speak at Women in Orthodontics, uh, that was in Arizona on January 16th.

(00:19:42) And Dr. Willa Diane presented a lunch and learn at the a a o mid-winter meeting in Phoenix on January 23rd. So we have an upcoming meeting actually in February, February 26th to 28th in Maui, Hawaii, where we'll feature Dr. Chris Teeters, Dr. Alex Waldman, and Dr. Jenny Shu. And they'll be (00:20:00) presenting on clinical approaches to challenging cases.

(00:20:02) And if any of your orthodontic listeners love to travel internationally, we have a symposium coming up in Asia Pacific, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which will be an exciting meeting. So really the best way they could, uh, reach us if they wanna. Reach us by phone or email. All that information is on the four doctors page of our website.

(00:20:22) Or they can email me directly. I'd be happy to respond. Uh, and they can reach [email protected] at angel liner.com. Thank you. 

(00:20:30) Amy Epstein: Perfect. Thank you so much. Well, we appreciate you being here. Thanks so much and happy New Year. 

(00:20:35) Jason Tabb: Uh, it's been a true pleasure, Amy. Thank you. Thank you Leon, and uh, happy near year to you as well.

(00:20:41) Thanks, Jason. 

(00:20:42) Amy Epstein: You can subscribe or download other episodes of the Golden Age of Orthodontics on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube, if you wanna see us or wherever you get your podcasts. And if you enjoyed it, we'd appreciate you telling a colleague. And of course, for more information about people in practice, you can visit our (00:21:00) website at www.pplpractice.com.

(00:21:02) Dr. Leon Klempner: Thanks for watching and or listening. And yeah, I do believe that all orthodontic treatment will start. With a digital scan. And yes, a large portion of them will be in, in the aligner space, but there's also, uh, an area of fixed appliances that that will be also, uh, digitally, uh, produced. So, um. I want to give a big shout out to KL Owen.

(00:21:32) We couldn't do the podcast without their support. We live in a digital world and KL Owen is leading the way with their custom solution, which includes a digital indirect binding workflow, a custom prescription for. Every tooth and a portfolio of custom bracket, uh, options. As a uh, golden Age listener, you can get a special introductory offer on our partners page at www.pplpractice.com.

(00:21:58) If you'd like to contact (00:22:00) me with any marketing questions or you're looking for the best marketing company out there, you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, or shoot me an email [email protected]. And most importantly. Remember that for forward thinking orthodontists. It's never been a better time to be an orthodontist.

(00:22:19) We are in the Golden Age, so take advantage of it. Bye-bye for now.

(00:22:32) Thank you for listening to the Golden Age of Orthodontics podcast. Subscribe to our podcast on YouTube, apple Podcast, Spotify. Or visit our website at www.pplpractice.com.