The AAO commissioned the first orthodontic landscape consumer tracking study in 2021 to advance understanding of patient marketplace dynamics and establish metrics that could be monitored over time. The 2024 Orthodontic Landscape Consumer Study generated the following metrics:
- Orthodontists treat 70% of all patients in treatment (up from 65% in 2022), while dentists (GP + Pediatric) and mail-order treat 20% and 10% respectively;
- Orthodontists treat the largest share of all patient age segments and all segments experienced growth: 64% share of adults (versus 22% Dentist and 14% Mail-Order), 78% share of teens (versus 17% Dentist and 5% Mail-Order) and 78% share of children (patients aged 7-12, versus 20% Dentist and 2% Mail-Order);
- Dentist recommendation of the orthodontist was the primary reason for selection for 28% of respondents. While this is the #1 driver for selection, it has been steadily declining. In 2021, the metric was 43%. (Next week’s eBulletin will highlight dentist referral resources.)
The 2024 study also reports:
- 86% of consumers believe orthodontists have highly specialized training, more so than dentists
- 83% of consumers have more confidence in treatment provided by an orthodontist than by companies that send aligners to their home
- On average, consumers believe that children should have their first orthodontic consultation at age 9.5.
The AAO Consumer Awareness Program (CAP) will continue working to increase consumer awareness of the AAO age 7 recommendation. Members interested in helping build awareness are welcome to click below to access age 7-focused AAO Practice Marketing Tools.
