As the only mass advertising initiative dedicated to promoting orthodontists as specialized care providers and educating the public to see an orthodontist in person, the AAO’s all-digital Consumer Awareness Program (CAP) once again delivered exceptional results during the last fiscal year.

CAP FY25 (June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025) performance data included: 

  • 15.4 million visitors to the AAO consumer website (a new high for the organization) 
  • 676 million ad impressions across Google Display Network, Paid Search, Bing, Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit  
  • Over 16.7 million ad clicks – a notable increase over last year  
  • Over 19.4 million page views  
  • 5.5 million visits to the Find an Orthodontist locator – more than double last year’s locator visits

Growth in ad clicks and page views indicates that not only are more people finding the AAO consumer website, butthey arestaying on the site longer and exploring more content.

The Consumer Awareness Program achieved success thanks to efficient media buys and strong partnerships. Boosting search engine optimization (SEO) helped more people find the consumer website content. Teaming up with the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the American Association of Pediatric Dentists for the Milestones Met, Healthy Teeth Set* campaign further expanded our reach.

A partnership with online influencer Charlotte Ann Tucker brought the message of seeing an orthodontist at age 7 to families in a relatable way. We also tested new campaign platforms on Google and launched Reddit ads for the first time, reaching more new audiences.

Refining our content and where we shared it helped the AAO get more out of every dollar spent during Fiscal Year 2024 – 25. Through it all, the Science of Smiles* campaign continued to perform strongly, driving awareness and engagement.

* Sample campaign videos are linked above. All campaign elements included in the Milestones Met, Health Teeth Set and Science of Smiles campaigns are accessible for AAO member use by visiting:
Practice Marketing Tools