John Nabors
Hello, I'm John Nabors. I'm the founder and CEO of First Class Aligners, and what you'll be learning today on our podcast here with Dean is really the future of clear aligners in the orthodonic profession. So I look forward to the interview and the excitement around the outcome of this communication here today, and I appreciate the opportunity to be on this podcast here with you Dean Today.
Dean Steinman
Hello everybody out there on podcast land, It's Dean Steinman from Worth of Marketing and guess what we are back with another podcast for you. Welcome everybody, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome. It's February twenty twenty five. Super Bowl is actually right around the corner, and as a Jet fan, I don't really care.
But if anybody out there is the Chiefs and the Eagles fan, good luck this weekend. But we're gonna jump right into talking today about clear Aligners and the importance of it if you have practice. And I'm really stoped to have with me a great. Guy had friends with for a while here and I've John Nabors, who is the founder of a Aligner company of first class of Aligners.
I we're gonna talk a little bit about the Aligner industry and what it's all about and why you need it. So jump right in. So, John, how are you today?
John Nabors
Hey, great Dean. I'm excited to be part of this podcast here and thanks for your interest in talking to me here today.
I look forward to the interview and also the super Bowl weekend coming up. So before we get to that, let's work on this exchange of information. I'm very excited to work with you here today
Dean Steinman
You got it no worries so um John you You started an aligner company and the aligners are very popular now in this industry. You know, It's funny when I was at the last AAO meeting, the two biggest you know, industries or or businesses I saw represented that the industry at the AAO was marketing companies on the Aligners. So there's a lot bunch of us out there now.
So tell me a little bit about first Class Aligners and why you started it, and a little bit about you.
John Nabors
Yeah, great Dean. So my journey here in the ortho business expands quite some time, and I really enjoy this industry. I've been able to contribute over five hundred million dollars in global sales throughout my career, so that is specific to worth it on ex globally.
So through my experience firsthand, I've transformatively seen the power of clear aligners just not for patients for practices as well, so that's been very inspiring. The First Class Aligners was born out of the desire to really bridge the gap between affordability and the quality in the aligner market. So I learned firsthand here is the entire industry did. Direct consumer companies made aligners more accessible, but they lacked the clinical oversight necessary for really predictable, safe outcomes.
So conversely, traditional aligner systems came with a high cost and limit accessibility for patients and practices alike. So First Class I sought to combine both worlds, really the affordability and the high quality aligner solution with precision really working with doctor design treatment plans. This has been really a big change for us, or a game changer in the industry is having experience, orthodontist design these cases, so really reducing significantly our refinements based upon doctors that are experienced versus lab technicians. So my experience has taught me the practices need a partner that not only provide excellent products, but also align with their goals for growth a nd patient care. So that's the philosophy is at heart of everything that we do. So that really inspired me to figure out a way to do this and address a market that's really very significant. And we learned a lot about that from direct Consumer, which was really quite a surprise to the entire profession.
So yep, Definitely inspired us to add this value to the industry and really get more patients in treatment.
Dean Steinman
Yeah, it's something that is definitely needed. This is going back to the day that you and I could remember the mob Bell days and you know, they needed to break up the monopoly, you know, And I'm very you know listen and bus Line is a great company, great product, but the fact that you know, it's a fan market industry now and let people like you and other great players come in and be able to make a difference.
So I'm really excited. For you and you're you're You're right on when it comes to finding, you know, this industry and the niche and understanding the value of it there. So let's dive a little bit further. Let's talk about you know, clear aligners and why it's important for a practice to embrace using aligners versus traditional How do how do you think a practice has been around for a long time, how do you help them adapt something new like this?
John Nabors
Yeah, you know really clear. Aligners are not just a treatment option, they're they there are a. Practice growth strategy. So by offering aligners, practices can attract new patients, you know, the millennials, the GEN C, the parents, increasing seeker seeking aesthetic solutions.
Aligners cater to a demand, drawing patients who might not have considered traditional braces, So retaining existing patients is also an opportunity. Retreatment cases such as adults who have had braces in your youth or representing the growth segment of our aligner patients. So offering aligners keeps these patients within the practice, it expands the service. Practices can diversify their offerings, catering to mild to moderate as well as complex cases, so which broadens their patient pace increase revenue.
Aligners represent a reoccurring revenue stream with follow up and driving long term patient engagement. So by integrating aligners into their services, practices positions themselves as a full spectrum provider. Ready really to meet the of all the needs of the patients.
Dean Steinman
Right, what should what you know then, three things that a practice should look for in their aligner partner.
John Nabors
Well, I think the you know, the three things that they can be looking for is really looking for the companies who can really meet their demands. And what I mean by that is what sets us apart here at First Class Aligners is the aligner space is undoubtedly very competitive, and First Class Aligners differentiates itself through commitment, quality, affordability, and clinical precisions. So what we do here at First Class is we have doctors designer treatment plans. Unlike you know some of our competitors, or maybe most of them, they rely on lab technicians to design their cases, and our cases are designed by Experience Orthodontist.
So this ensures better treatment predictability and reduces refinements and fact this is a significant concern in the industry, and I think an opportunity to find ways to reduce these refinements, and I think we've got our hands on this here. We figured this out by having doctors Experience Orthodontist design the cases as opposed to a lab technician that own that knows probably software but not tooth movement. So our average refinement rate is around ten percent or a little bit below, and I think most of the competitors are closer to fifty percent. So that's that's a huge differentiator.
And I think not only you know, using the proper AI and the information that we have, but having doctors put these plans together, specifically orthodontist for the practices the doctors themselves to review gives a lot more encouragement with the case in the predictability. So the other thing I think practices are looking for is affordable pricing. We offer high quality aligners at a price point that empowers the practices to remain competitive while still achieving some very strong margins. So I think, you know practices that are focused on growth.
First Class is not just a product provider. We're a partner in growth. Our solutions are designed to help practices attract and attain patients while streamlining their workflows. And so we've got a commitment to innovation.
We stay ahead of the trends, leveraging the advancements of 3D software, integration, treatment planning. To deliver these exceptional results. So in an industry where it's employees for massive growth and we can talk about that. We aim to be a trusted partner for the practices looking to succeed in the future of orthodonics.
Dean Steinman
well said, So, what does a practice need in order to adapt to offering aligners to their patients? What's the barrier for them? Because somebody that's that you know, isn't using aligners now with dental practice, and now they want to start offering you know, aligners or a practice or an orthodontic practice doing traditional now they want to offer aligners. What what's needed for them to start offering this. Do they need to buy a scanner? They need to have certain training, you know, so walk us through the onboarding if you will, and what they need in order to to start.
John Nabors
Yeah, you know, Dean, the advent to scanning is made a world of difference in dentistry and the complements that it's provided to aligner treatment is really significant because we really do get a one to one ratio where we have very little or no deviation and where you have you know, traditional impressions, those satisfy the needs and that was the tools that we had to work with with internal scanning is really a huge shift here in really making this aligner treatment much more successful and a big advantage to the practice.
I think, you know, practices are growing in accepting the internal scanners, they become more affordable, but they're really the tools here that are going to excel a practice, whether it be aligners or restorations. The digital technology surpasses it is really the future, and I think this is really a huge advantage. So you know, clear aligners is not just a treatment option, they're a practice growth strategy. And by offering Aligners, practices can attract you know, as we talked about a little earlier, the millennials, the gen zs, it's really increasing the esthetic solution.
So Aligner's caters to this demand, drawing in patients that might not have considered traditional braces. So you know, it gives us a chance to retain those patients and expand our services and really increase the revenue that practices have capability. You know, when we saw what was going on with direct consumers, we know that patients that are out there. It was a population that we didn't know existed.
You know, there was millions of patients that went through this direct consumer but what they did is they went through a putty impression and and they weren't assisted by a trained doctor to assist those cases. So they're no longer around today. But what is around today is the knowledge, and we certainly need to take advantage of that knowledge.
And what that did was help the industry understand that there is a price point that patients are willing to pay to get treatment, and what we focus on is mild to moderate treatment. And in fact, we just received our trademark that we are the mild to moderate treatment, Tune up Specialists. And I think that's very important because many people have gone through treatment and they didn't continue to wear the retainers and of course their t-shift.
So how many people out there when these individuals are in the practice can be part of a conversation that are probably not engaged with now they bring in their children, but they're not necessarily asked do you have anything that you would like to get fixed or cleaned up? In your smile? And these are the people that chose to go direct consumer because they weren't being asked and there wasn't a solution. I think when you can lower those lab fees, and we can lower those case fees, you lower the lab fees, you're going to attract a lot more patients and be able to provide them with very adequate treatment at a much more affordable price.
Dean Steinman
What does a practice need to learn in order to implement aligners into their practice? Was there a learning curve involved in it that they didn't learn any sort of technology, learn how to sell it differently, how to implement it with a couple of things that need to really learn or to really. Embrace this
John Nabors
Right, So, you know, aligners is a very strong market and many of the practices offer aligners. It's almost they can't really refuse to. It's really how do they now accelerate aligner treatment in their practice? It's very very profitable, the demand is there, so really the practices have to become more comfortable in identifying the opportunity and then having the correct solutions. So that's really the key here is communicating.
The value of these Aligners, understanding the patient priorities, and then many patients see clear aligners for their discretion, comfort and conveniences, but they also need reassurances that there is safety, efficacy, and affordability. So really educate the staff early, train them, address their questions about the patient's interests and aligner treatment, especially for these mild to moderate even up to these complex cases or retreatment. So these conversions often uncover opportunities to provide here for patients. That didn't know that it was available.
So I think, you know, understanding that from the practice perspective is very important. I know that you know, treatment coordinators, they're focused on getting the patient case moving forward in the practice, but there's typically a family that's associated to that individual that can be just can be talked to. So how many people have had treatment that stopped wearing their retainers?
Dean Steinman
Everybody?
John Nabors
Everybody? I'd say, you know, probably a strong ninety five percent within you know, for few months, never where there are a lot of retainers again and guess what, you know, they begin to look at their teeth. I think that became evident in COVID, where you know, people were on social media, they were on these different sites, and you know, that really had an impact on direct consumer and I think those patients still exist.
Those practices that understand that value and communicate with these opportunities and have solutions like first class aligners can really have a strong impact on their practice.
Dean Steinman
No doubt, You know, re engagement is a huge part of what we do here at Auto Marketing and many of the clients we work with, we have a whole campaign just to get people back in who did have you know, with about the treatment five, ten, fifteen, twenty years ago, ninety nine percent of them didn't wear the retainers, so the teeth shifted. So it's a great way guys to really bring in a lot of revenues to practice, to stand out and to you know, make a difference your bottom line. Plain and simple, John, two more questions for you.
Give me three myths. About aligners that you want with the bunk that's out there that you just hear that all the time, you're like, that's not true, that's not true. So tell me three things that people in the industry are hearing that's a myth.
John Nabors
Well, you know, I think what today's technology is really advanced.
I think that you know, aligners can do a lot more in treatment than they could, say five years ago. You know, we didn't have attachments on the teeth, and we probably weren't doing the amount of IPR that's going to be required with aligners. So, you know, understanding what it takes to be successful at the Aligners from a practice standpoint is very important. And you know, with the advent of these attachments has really significantly improved the outcome of the you know, the aligner treatment and the success and you know, keeping patients motivated and keeping them compliant.
I think this has really been a very significant move. So I know that you know, it's not a myth. You know, Aligners are expensive, and I think practices pay very high case lab fees and then they pass that along to the patient. So you know, that's a reality, and I think this is something that you know, there are opportunities now where we can get practices involved and offer a lower lab fee and thus a lower case fee to the patient to attract them to the practice and move them into treatment.
So those are probably the two things that I see to be you know, really important today and that is how technology is driving the business and the fact that the results clinically are significantly improved and say they were five years ago.
Dean Steinman
Another more question I would have for you, So Tom, giving you the ability to put up a billboard right in the middle of Times Square, Okay, what's it going to say?
John Nabors
Well, what you're going to see in the billboard is you're going to see you know, first class aligners and it's it's going to be providing the the clinical and high quality treatment value at a very affordable price. So this, This is really a mind shift with the cost of lab fees and you know, today, you know, big companies are very challenged by being able to offer a lower lab fee than it is for companies like first class aligners.
And if the practices themselves get a break in the in the lab fee, they can give the break in the case fee to the patient. So you know, we don't set the pricing for the practices, but we do recommend you know, a much lower case fee to these patients, and we justify that by showing a much lower lab fee. So very good margins there. And of course, uh, this is really what we're talking about here, and I think the opportunity for these practices to take advantage.
One of the things that just was presented here last year that became you know, knowledge to the industry is the clear Aligner market is one of the fastest growing segments in healthcare. The project is projected to expand from what is today a five billion dollar market to expand a forty seven billion by twenty thirty two, so we're talking about a twenty seven percent you know, annual compounded growth, and practices have this opportunity and where first class of Aligners fits in is helping grow the expand those patients within the practice and thus. Be part of this growth here. And I think this is a very important segment where we're going to see this growth come from.
I agree. It's a guys. If you don't or if you're not adapting it okay, and you're not offering aligners in your practice, I'll be you for an orthodontic within a perspective, you're missing out, plain and simple. It's people need it, they want it, and if you don't offer, somebody else will.
So make sure you do that. So John closing, if somebody wants to learn more about first Class, to learn more about you, do a demo, get prices, et cetera. What's the best way for them to do so?
Yeah? Great, Thanks Dein for asking. They can email me directly at John J-o-h-n at first Class Aligners dot com.
They can also visit our website www. Dot first Class aligners dot com. On the landing page is a calculator that I created. Practices can enter in the number of cases they're currently doing annually, and then they can enter in their lab fees that they pay on an average, and they can quickly equate how much money they'll save on their bottom line with First Class Aligners.
The other email that you can use is you can email support at First Class Aligners and we will respond to you right away. Very happy to set up a demo, set up a calendar with you where we can spend a few minutes to walk through the product. So yep, very much looking forward to any interest here and look forward to receiving those contacts and we'll respond to you right away. So, Dean, this has been a super day here for me, really exciting.
I was very impressed when we were able to connect here and create this webinar here today and really excited about the future growth of the Aligners and and I know practices have a tremendous opportunity here with some you know looking at this with an open mind and realizing what opportunities exist to them. We look forward to hearing from you here at First Class of Aliners.
Dean Steinman
Great, thanks, n I really appreciate that. Thanks for joining about there.
You know again, please, you know, take a look at look at opportunities, look at what's available to you, look past in front of your face and look at options. And you know, John's a great guy, you know, reach out to him. See how they could potentially help you practice, and you know, everybody makes some more money and smiles and so John, thanks so much for joining. Everybody in podcast land once again, thank you so much for being a loyal listener to watcher of our podcast.
Thanks so much for all of the insight and response and emails that we get. And I just want to thank everybody for the support. So everybody podcast land, thanks so much for listening. John, thanks so much for joining, and everybody out there be smart, enjoy your super Bowl.
Hopefully your boxes come in, and everybody thanks so much. Enjoy
