American Orthodontic Society

What American Orthodontic Society does

The American Orthodontic Society (AOS) is a Texas-based nonprofit educational organization founded in 1974 that delivers continuing orthodontic education, mentorship, and credentialing to general dentists, pediatric dentists, and dental auxiliaries. Its core offerings comprise an in-person course catalog (18 doctor courses and 16 dental team courses) anchored at the AOS Institute Campus in Grapevine, TX, supplemented by a smaller virtual/on-demand catalog (6 virtual courses) and three recurring national events (Spring Meeting, Annual Meeting, TMD Symposium). Courses span entry to advanced levels and range from $645 to $7,500, with the flagship 200-CE-hour Comprehensive Straight Wire Orthodontics Course priced at $6,405 across two years of multi-session training. A peer-reviewed Journal of the American Orthodontic Society (JAOS), membership-based credentialing programs at the Fellow and Diplomate levels, and quarterly AOS Study Clubs extend the relationship beyond one-off enrollments. ADA CCEPR recognition provides third-party quality endorsement for CE credit acceptance across U.S. licensure boards.

AOS monetizes through three primary streams: per-course registration fees (one-time payments), annual membership dues (recurring subscription), and event registration (one-time). Its go-to-market is event-driven and relationship-led: dentists discover AOS through the website, social channels, the JAOS journal, word-of-mouth within the dental community, and national meetings, then enroll in multi-session, multi-year training paths. The 15,000+ alumni base accumulated over five decades functions as a referral engine and recurring demand pool. Technology is intentionally non-proprietary — the value proposition is hands-on clinical instruction by named instructors, not software or digital tools — and the Grapevine campus (5 minutes from DFW Airport, proximate to leisure hotels) is the operational anchor.

Name

American Orthodontic Society

Legal name

American Orthodontic Society

Website

https://orthodontics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The American Orthodontic Society is a nonprofit founded in 1974 that provides orthodontic continuing education, hands-on training, and Fellow/Diplomate credentialing to general dentists, pediatric dentists, and dental auxiliaries from its Grapevine, TX campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dental Continuing Education

NAICS

Offices of Dentists (6212), Offices of Other Health Practitioners (6213)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Orthodontic Clinics (HLABABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adult Orthodontics (HLABABAC), Pediatric Orthodontics (HLABABAB)

Keywords

• Orthodontic continuing education
• Dental professional training
• Orthodontic credentialing programs
• Dental assistant certification
• Hands-on orthodontic courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Registration Fees: Primary revenue stream from registration fees for orthodontic courses. Fees vary by course type and duration, ranging from $645 to $7,500 per course. Courses include varying CE (continuing education) hours.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership providing access to credentialing programs (Fellow and Diplomate levels), study clubs, and member-only resources.
3. Annual Meeting Registration: Revenue from national events including the AOS Spring Meeting and Annual Meeting with registration fees around $599.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The American Orthodontic Society is a nonprofit educational organization that delivers orthodontic continuing education, hands-on clinical training, and credentialing programs for general dentists, pediatric dentists, and dental team members. Offerings span in-person multi-session courses, virtual/on-demand courses, national meetings, and peer-reviewed publication (JAOS), delivered primarily through its AOS Institute Campus in Grapevine, TX.

Product overview

The American Orthodontic Society (AOS) is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of orthodontic education products and services. The core offerings include in-person and virtual courses such as the Comprehensive Straight Wire Orthodontics Course (Basic and Intermediate levels), the Clinical Immersion Program, Clear Aligner Bootcamp, TADs courses, Airway Focused Pediatric Care, and various dental team training programs. The organization operates the AOS Institute Campus in Grapevine, TX as its primary course location, and offers supplementary products including the Journal of the American Orthodontic Society (JAOS) peer-reviewed publication, membership with credentialing programs (Fellowship and Diplomate levels), and national meetings including the AOS Spring and Annual Meetings. The portfolio spans entry-level to advanced training for both doctors and dental auxiliaries, with courses ranging from 1 to 200 CE hours, delivered through in-person, virtual, and on-demand formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AOS Institute: The educational platform and campus of the American Orthodontic Society, offering orthodontic courses, continuing education, and certification programs for dental professionals.
• Journal of the American Orthodontic Society (JAOS)

Products and services

• Comprehensive Straight Wire Orthodontics Course (Level 1 - Basic)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15,000 dental professionals educated

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American Dental Association (ADA) - CCEPRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAOS is associated with the American Dental Association through its CCEPR (Continuing Education Provider Recognition) program. The organization's courses are approved for ADA CERP recognition, providing credibility and ensuring quality standards for continuing dental education.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spear Education: Premier provider of in-person and online continuing dental education for practicing dentists, with a dedicated campus in Scottsdale, AZ, multi-day clinical workshops, and a member-based learning community — directly comparable to AOS as a high-touch dental CE society.
• Kois Center: Membership-based dental CE center offering a sequenced curriculum, mentorship, and clinical hands-on courses; comparable to AOS in its pathway-style credentialing, dedicated facility, and dentist-only audience.
• Dawson Academy: Dental CE provider focused on comprehensive dentistry and occlusion, with multi-session courses, study clubs, and a membership model; directly comparable to AOS in the niche of deep, multi-day training for practicing general dentists.
• The Pankey Institute: Nonprofit dental education organization offering advanced continuing education, credentialing pathways, and a member community for dentists; comparable to AOS in its mission to upskill general dentists in specialty procedures and its use of a dedicated campus model.

Broad incumbents

• American Academy of Orthodontists (AAO): The largest U.S. professional society for orthodontists; AOS occupies the complementary GP-orthodontics niche while AAO serves the specialist side, but AAO's annual meeting, CE, and credentialing infrastructure set the competitive bar for orthodontic society offerings.
• Align Technology (Invisalign) Provider Education: Align Technology operates the Invisalign Training program and related provider CE for clear aligner therapy; broadly incumbent in orthodontic CE, with deeper resources and bundled product economics that compete with AOS's aligner-focused courses.
• Academy of General Dentistry (AGD): National professional association for general dentists offering CE tracking, awards, and an annual meeting; comparable to AOS in serving the same GP audience, though with broader scope and a different business model (association vs. course/membership tuition).

Emerging players

• CDOCS (Center for Digital, Oral and Craniofacial Studies): Digital and clinical dental CE platform with a strong focus on CAD/CAM, aligners, and digital workflows; an emerging competitor to AOS's Clear Aligner Bootcamp and TADs offerings, particularly with digitally native and remote learners.
• Biolux Research / OrthoPulse: Provider of orthodontic acceleration technology with associated clinical training for dentists; an emerging adjacent player in the orthodontic CE ecosystem whose product-led training could overlap with AOS's advanced course catalog.

Others

• Henry Schein Dental Education: Largest dental distributor with an education and practice solutions arm; an adjacent ecosystem participant that bundles CE, supplies, and practice technology to dental offices, making it a potential channel partner or competitor for AOS's GP audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@americanorthodonticsociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/americanorthodonticsociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-orthodontic-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/americanorthodonticsociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Orthodontic Society