Orthodontics: Top Trends For This Thriving Specialty

With less than 300 orthodontic laboratories in the U.S., the specialty is a quintessential niche market and one that has experienced steady growth for years, spurred by more involvement of general practitioners, enhanced public awareness of orthodontic treatment and an increase in adult orthodontics. "When I started in this specialty 30 years ago it was rare to see an adult in orthodontic treatment; now it's very common, especially now that more cosmetic cases are being done and orthodontic appliances are sometimes used in advance to reduce aggressive preps," says Don Inman, CDT, owner, Inman Orthodontic Laboratories, Coral Springs, Florida. "Generally, there has been more demand for orthodontics and that translates into more work for orthodontic laboratories."

In fact, comparatively speaking, the orthodontic specialty has remained relatively healthy even in the face of the economic downturn. Less than half of orthodontic...