Following the COVID-19-related shutdowns of March 2020, the 2021 membership year (June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021) featured practice recoveries, virtual events and webinars in place of in-person meetings, and unprecedented challenges for U.S. and Canadian orthodontists.

The AAO responded by producing more exclusive, member resources than ever before and rethinking age-old traditions and practices. Subsequently, a May 2021 member survey indicates that AAO members are pleased with the AAO’s efforts, as “Member Value” ratings increased by 3 points over the prior year. Below you will find a sample of the AAO activities that helped advance the specialty and support member success in FY21.

House of Delegates Addresses State-based Advocacy, International Dues, Clinical Practice Guidelines, CAP, Constituent Merger

  • The AAO House of Delegates passed two resolutions that will restructure the membership dues of many current and future AAO International Members. A graduated dues scale will be applied to International Members when they join the AAO, and a tiered dues structure will be applied to International Members who practice in countries classified by the World Bank as “low income”, “lower middle income” and “upper middle income”.

  • This year’s HOD action ensured that the Component Legal Support Fund (CLSF) will automatically be restored to $1 million at the beginning of each fiscal year, to be funded out of the AAO’s excess liquid reserves.

  • In recognition of members’ continued need for financial relief due to COVID-19 closures, rather than restoring the Consumer Awareness Program (CAP) assessment to $600 for US members for 2021-22, the HOD approved a $400 assessment. A $5 Million CAP budget was also approved funded by the $400 per assessment and approximately $1.9 million will come from excess liquid reserves.

  • In recent years, AAO governance task forces have recommended the merger of constituents to generate economies of scale and improve efficiency for larger meetings and professional management of constituents. The HOD approved the proposed merger of the Southern Association of Orthodontists and the Southwestern Society of Orthodontists, to become one AAO constituent organization. Long-term processes related to the merger will be completed before the change takes effect.

  • The HOD also approved revisions to the AAO’s Clinical Practice Guidelines, underscoring that anyone who provides orthodontic treatment should comply. The Guidelines now specify that they “encompass all licensed dental practitioners providing orthodontic care,” although the AAO still recommends orthodontic care be provided by an orthodontic specialist.

Advocacy Efforts Focus on COVID-19 topics, Clinical Practice Guidelines, Specialty Advertising, Teledentistry, Patient Rights

  • During the COVID-19 pandemic the AAO has intensively engaged policymakers and regulatory agencies producing guidelines impacting orthodontic practice in areas such as PPE and infection control.

  • The COVID-19 Task Force, comprised of a diverse and experienced group of individuals, informed the AAO’s advocacy efforts with the CDC, OSHA and other policymakers to support AAO members through advocacy and the creation of relevant resources.

  • At its March 12, 2021 meeting, the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSDBE) adopted regulations related to specialty advertising. The language adopted is similar to language the AAO proposed during the rulemaking process that began in March 2016.

  • The AAO has joined a broad coalition of national health care professional and patient advocacy organizations to support ELSA, legislation that closes a coverage gap to ensure that health plans cover medically necessary services related to a patient’s anomaly or birth defect.

  • In Idaho, Senate Bill 1012 was signed into law, protecting a patient’s right to file a complaint with the Board of Dentistry.

  • Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed into law Senate Bill 135, setting standards for the use of teledentistry to provide dental care.

    • More advocacy news can be found under: “AAO Advocates for Members, Provides Guidance for Practices on COVID-19 Concerns” below

AAO CAP Makes Strides Despite Reduced Budget

  • In total, the CAP drove over 4.8 million visitors to the consumer website, aaoinfo.org, in fiscal year 2020-2021.

  • Despite a decreased overall spend of 21% less than the previous year, the AAO was able to optimize our campaigns, searching for high quality traffic and receptive consumers. This strategy yielded growth in two key metrics:
    • Session duration (or time an individual spends on the website) increased 15%.
    • Views of the AAO “Find an Orthodontist” locator increased by 150% year-over-year.

  • In total, AAO ads appeared on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Google search, display and YouTube nearly 370 million times in 2020-21.

  • In February 2021, the AAO had the privilege of being recognized at the 2021 American Advertising Awards (ADDY Awards) in Saint Louis, the home of the AAO headquarters.

  • Of the three finalists submitted, the AAO took home two Gold ADDYs in the category of Branded Content & Entertainment — one for single entry in its category and another for the full campaign. Our third finalist received a Silver ADDY in single entry in the same category.

AAO Unveils Exclusive Member Resource, TechSelect

  • AAO TechSelect is a comprehensive, unbiased resource for in-house fabrication of aligners. Through this program, members can learn about the process, research products, and save money by locking in the best prices from trusted partners.

  • There are several benefits to in-house fabrication of aligners including customized treatment plans, lower lab fees, and the ability to deliver aligners as soon as same-day.

  • AAO TechSelect was developed in partnership with AAO’s Committee on Technology and is the first of many programs from the AAO’s Innovation & Transformation Fund established by the 2019 House of Delegates.

Diversity Efforts Continue through the Inclusion and Engagement Task Force

  • In February, the AAO appointed eight AAO members to the Inclusion and Engagement Task Force to contribute leadership on inclusiveness and diversity issues and help ensure that the needs of all members are met.


AAO 2021 Ortho Innovator Award Goes to Grin

  • Developed by AAO member Dr. Adam Schulhof, Grin technology enables remote monitoring of orthodontic patients’ progress between in-person visits. Grin Remote Monitoring & Consultation are made possible by the Grin App and the Grin Scope, a patent pending, FDA-listed medical device.

  • The scope is an intraoral adapter that retracts the cheeks, allowing a full view into any patient’s mouth remotely. The scope works in concert with the Grin App to create high-quality, orthodontist-ready, self-scanned patient videos.

  • Other notable entries include: 1st Runner Up: Braces On Demand; 2nd Runner-Up uLab SystemsTM ; Finalists: Dentagrafix, Halcomb LLC – Simple Tooth Uprighting Device*; InBrace, Orvance®.

Innovation & Transformation Fund Initiatives Move Ahead

The AAO Innovation and Transformation Fund’s purpose is to revitalize the member benefit program and drive non-dues revenue.  It can be used to develop new products and services for orthodontists and patients by building, partnering or investing.

  • TechSelect is the first new product launched as a result of this fund. In development targeted to launch in Fall of 2022 is a partnership with the Wharton School of Business designed to help members take their practice to the next level.

  • The AAO announced financial awards of $50,000 in KLOwen Custom Braces System, an in-office, same-day, custom bracket solution, which increases doctor efficiency and $50,000 in Azone, parent company of Orthazone, a supplies e-commerce and inventory management solution to reduce staff time among other benefits.

Members Received Discounts Via New and Enhanced Endorsed Programs

  • AAO Member Discounts help our members save money on practice management resources, staff development, and personal products and services offered by trustworthy, vetted companies.

  • In 2020-21, the AAO Endorsed Programsroster expanded to include:

    • Circles123 is an on-demand resource for almost any task that’s on your “to do” list, both personal and even some work-related tasks.
    • OrthoPayment specializes in integration with practice software, and Merchant Cost Consulting, a cost reduction firm that helps businesses reduce credit card processing fees without changing processors.

    • Orthazone.com helps orthodontic practices create efficiencies with supply sourcing and inventory management.

    • Complimentary Student Disability Insurance – At no cost to them, AAO student members (residents) are now eligible for the AAO’s newly created Student Disability Insurance, underwritten by New York Life Insurance Company. AAO also announced a new broker/administrator, Lockton Affinity, for endorsed insurance products (excluding AAOIC).

AAO Advocates for Members, Provides Guidance for Practices on COVID-19 Concerns

  • On Tuesday, July 28, 2020, the AAO hosted a COVID-19 Townhall, featuring then-AAO President, Dr. Chris Roberts, Dr. Mike Durbin (Chair, AAO COVID-19 Task Force), Paul Edwards (CEDR Human Resources), Dan Wicker, CPA (Cain Watters & Associates), and Jackie Dorst, RDH, BS.

  • The AAO also provided a checklist of areas to address to ensure member practices are on track with planning and communication regarding COVID-19 situations that may arise.

  • Infection control expert Jackie Dorst provided a guide for members and their teams who may have questions about the use of PPE. In particular, Ms. Dorst addressed the use of respirator masks when aerosol-generating procedures are being performed, including recommended protocols for extended use of the masks.

  • As states began announcing plans for reopening, the AAO’s COVID-19 Resource Center pivoted to provide a vast quantity of reopening information, tools and resources pertaining to infection control/safety, PPE, bringing team members back to work, COVID-29 specific forms, patient communication ideas and more.

  • The AAO communicated to members industry suppliers best-positioned and willing to fulfill large orders of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from AAO members in a cost-efficient and time-efficient manner. PPE availability has included masks, face shields, gowns and gloves, and some suppliers also offer office supplies such as thermometers and sneeze guards.

  • Updates to the COVID-19 Resource Center (accessed by members hundreds of thousands of times) continued through FY 2020-21 on an ongoing basis.

Virtual Annual Session and Winter Conference Brought Orthodontists Worldwide Together Online

  • Both Winter Conference and Annual Session 2021 were entirely virtual events. However, the AAO reached a wide audience and presented dynamic clinical content to a wide array of members and nonmembers alike.

  • The 2021 Winter Conference, February 12-14, was an intensive look at the latest research and clinical outcomes for patients treated with clear aligners and hosted nearly 1,000 professional registrants from over 40 countries – both record setting numbers!

  • The speaker line-up brought a wealth of expertise on clinical applications for complex cases, work flow for in-house fabrication, miniscrews combined with aligners, and more high-interest aligner topics.

  • 2021 Annual Session took place June 25-27, offering 18 hours of world class CE credit to over 4,700 registered attendees.

  • For members who were unable to attend live sessions, the AAO also provided a 30-day replay of conference content, allowing participants to complete CE and take in content at their own pace.

  • This dynamic, virtual event also included an online Exhibit Hall, a wellness challenge, alumni receptions, multiple opportunities to view TechSelect Live, an updated supplier guide, plus interactive content and inspirational keynotes.

  • Please note that, unlike most years, Annual Session 2021 occurred in FY 2021-22, but is included here as the program was planned and executed in FY21.

AAO Member Renewals Provided Flexibility and Maintained Strong Membership Levels  

  • The 2020 House of Delegates voted in April to delay dues invoicing for FY 2021 until August of last year, rather than the usual invoice in early June. Nonetheless, the AAO returned a large number of members and beat Association goals in most membership categories.

  • In FY21, the AAO renewed 96.9% of Active members, 95.7% of Life Active members, and 96.6% of AAO Student members.

  • At the conclusion of FY21, 86.3% of U.S. orthodontists are AAO members.

AAO Education Provides New CE Option for AAO Members

  • Last year, the AAO unveiled the CE Passport and the CE Passport Plus, both of which grant access to the entire Education Catalogue of ADA CERP CE, plus free registration for our entire monthly live webinar series through one annual subscription. (CE Passport Plus includes staff registration and access.)

  • All AAO members have access to flexible CE, on-demand collection of pre-recorded webinars and conference lectures, and a wide range of clinical, staff, and practice management topics available.

  • Additionally, the AAO continues to provide a large number of practice management resources, fillable forms and legal documents, and new informed consent documents.

AAO Foundation Updates Mission Statement to Reflect Disaster Relief and Donated Orthodontic Services

  • This year, the AAO Foundation changed its Mission Statement to reflect Donated Orthodontic Services and the Disaster Relief Fund moving to the Foundation:
  • Our mission is to advance the orthodontic specialty by supporting quality education and research that leads to excellence in patient care, and by promoting orthodontic charitable giving.

  • AAOF also had two Rapid Assessment of Evidence Reports published in the AJODO and hosted a very successful virtual Business of Orthodontics lecture.