American Association of Orthodontists

What American Association of Orthodontists does

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), founded in 1900 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a nonprofit professional membership organization representing orthodontists in the United States. It claims to be the world's oldest and largest dental specialty association, restricting membership to practitioners who have completed dental school followed by an additional two-to-three-year accredited orthodontic residency program. The organization functions as a credentialing and standards body, providing clinical guidelines on imaging modalities (panoramic and cephalometric X-rays, cone-beam CT), publishing position papers including a framework on responsible AI integration in orthodontic practice, and operating patient-facing resources that direct consumers to member practitioners via an online locator.

The AAO does not develop or sell technology products and is not a treatment provider; its commercial function is to support member practices through education, advocacy, and demand generation. It produces a Consumer Awareness Program with video, social, and blog content; runs the annual National Facial Protection Month coalition campaign with peer dental and medical organizations; and maintains a sub-brand, the AAO Foundation (AAOF), which delivers the Gifted Smiles donated treatment program for children without access to orthodontic care.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring membership dues paid by credentialed orthodontists, supplemented by non-dues income from meetings, publications, advertising, and program partnerships. The organization employs 51-100 staff and has publicly engaged on U.S. policy matters including federal student loan rulemaking and AI in clinical practice, operating alongside the American Dental Association and other specialty groups as part of a coordinated dental advocacy ecosystem.

Name

American Association of Orthodontists

Legal name

American Association of Orthodontists

Website

https://aaoinfo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The American Association of Orthodontists is a U.S. nonprofit professional membership association, founded in 1900, that represents orthodontists who have completed a 2-3 year residency beyond dental school. It sets clinical standards, advocates for the specialty, and connects patients to member practitioners through consumer awareness programs and its online locator.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Dental Association Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Adult Orthodontics (HLABABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pediatric Orthodontics (HLABABAB), Clear Aligner Orthodontics (HLABABAD)

Keywords

• Professional dental association
• Orthodontic membership organization
• Orthodontic clinical standards
• Orthodontist patient referral
• Dental specialty education

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Membership Dues: The AAO generates revenue primarily through membership dues from orthodontists. Only orthodontists who have completed dental school and an additional 2-3 year orthodontic residency program are eligible for membership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) is the world's oldest and largest dental specialty organization, functioning as a professional membership association for orthodontists. It connects patients with member orthodontists through its Find an Orthodontist locator tool, publishes clinical guidelines and position papers (including on AI integration in orthodontics), and runs consumer awareness campaigns about orthodontic treatment. The organization also supports the AAO Foundation's Gifted Smiles program that provides donated orthodontic care to underserved children.

Product overview

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) serves as a professional membership organization connecting patients with orthodontists and providing educational resources about orthodontic treatments. The AAO does not manufacture or sell orthodontic products directly; rather, it promotes awareness of orthodontic care and maintains a network of member orthodontists. The organization's treatment portfolio encompasses various orthodontic appliances and approaches including traditional metal braces, ceramic braces, lingual braces, clear aligners, retainers, archwires, orthodontic elastics, mouthguards, and palatal expanders. Surgical options such as orthognathic surgery are also covered through member specialists. Additionally, the AAO supports access to care through the Gifted Smiles donated treatment program. The AAO also provides guidance on two-phase orthodontic treatment approaches for children, which combines early interceptive treatment with comprehensive correction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• American Association of Orthodontists Foundation: AAOF runs the Gifted Smiles program providing orthodontic treatment to children of families who lack access to care.

Products and services

• Find an Orthodontist Locator Online directory tool on aaoinfo.org that allows patients to search for and connect with AAO member orthodontists in their area to schedule consultations and treatment.
• Orthodontic Treatment Information Resources Comprehensive educational resources covering orthodontic treatment options including traditional metal braces, ceramic braces, lingual braces, clear aligners, retainers, archwires, orthodontic elastics, mouthguards, and orthognathic surgery for patients and the public.
• Gifted Smiles Program A program of the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation (AAOF) that provides necessary orthodontic treatments to children of families who lack access to care, delivered through volunteer AAO member orthodontists.
• Orthodontic Clinical Practice Standards Position papers and clinical guidelines for orthodontic practice, including the 'Responsible Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Orthodontic Clinical Practice' document which introduces a risk-based classification framework for AI in orthodontics.

Quantifiable outcome

• One in three orthodontic patients is now an adult, with adult patients now outweighing teens/kids in treatment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgeonscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026The AAO partnered with the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and other leading healthcare organizations to launch the annual National Facial Protection Month campaign in April, promoting mouth guards, helmets, and eye protection for youth sports.
• Academy for Sports DentistrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026The AAO partnered with the Academy for Sports Dentistry as part of National Facial Protection Month campaign to raise awareness about preventing facial injuries during spring sports and recreational activities.
• American Academy of Pediatric DentistrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026The AAO partnered with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry in the National Facial Protection Month initiative to promote children's dental safety during sports activities.
• American Dental Association (ADA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026The ADA joined a coalition of eleven dental organizations including the AAO in submitting comments to the U.S. Department of Education urging adjustment of the implementation timeline for major federal student loan changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
• American Dental Association (ADA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2026The ADA established a Task Force on Specialty Engagement to improve communication and collaboration with recognized dental specialty organizations including the AAO. Each specialty organization will select its own representative to identify joint initiatives.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Dental Association: The largest professional association for dentists in the U.S. Directly comparable as a membership-based dental association with advocacy, education, and consumer awareness functions. AAO and ADA have an active specialty engagement task force, underscoring their close structural parity.
• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry: Specialty membership association for pediatric dentists. Structurally analogous to AAO as a dental specialty membership organization with similar advocacy, education, and consumer outreach functions; AAO's coalition partner for National Facial Protection Month.
• American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons: Specialty membership association for oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Direct peer as another ADA-recognized dental specialty association serving a defined clinical specialty with similar governance, education, and policy advocacy models.
• American Association of Endodontists: Specialty membership association for endodontists. Direct peer as another dental specialty association with parallel structure, continuing education offerings, and consumer-facing communications about its specialty.
• American Academy of Periodontology: Specialty membership association for periodontists. Comparable as a dental specialty membership organization with similar advocacy, research dissemination, and clinical guideline development functions.
• American College of Prosthodontists: Specialty membership association for prosthodontists. Direct peer as a dental specialty organization focused on a defined clinical area, with parallel member services, continuing education, and consumer-facing communications.
• Academy for Sports Dentistry: Coalition partner of AAO on National Facial Protection Month. A niche dental membership association with overlapping advocacy on sports-related dental injury prevention, comparable as a specialty-aligned professional society.
• World Federation of Orthodontists: Global orthodontic specialty association of which AAO is a member. Directly comparable as the international counterpart serving orthodontists worldwide with parallel standards, congresses, and member credentials.

Broad incumbents

• American Student Dental Association: National membership association for dental students. Broader-scope dental membership organization that overlaps with AAO at the pre-specialty pipeline stage, comparable in structure but covering a wider and earlier-stage membership.

Regional players

• British Orthodontic Society: UK-based orthodontic specialty association with parallel mission to AAO in promoting orthodontic standards, education, and member services, but operating in a different geography and not directly competing for the same members.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aaoinfo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AAOrthodontist
• Facebookfacebook.com/aaoinfo
• Instagraminstagram.com/aao.info
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-association-of-orthodontists

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments6 records

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Frequently asked questions about American Association of Orthodontists