Ortho-Tain

What Ortho-Tain does

Ortho-Tain, headquartered in Winnetka, Illinois, is a privately-held medical device company founded in 1967 by Dr. Earl Bergersen, the orthodontist credited with inventing the clear removable orthodontic appliance. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes FDA-cleared clear removable orthodontic appliances marketed under the Ortho-Tain, HealthyStart, and Bbite brand families. Its core product line is segmented by patient age: Nite-Guide for children ages 5-7, Occlus-o-Guide for ages 8-12, Ortho-T for ages 12 and older, plus specialty appliances for habit correction and Class III malocclusion. Indicated uses include correction of overbite, overjet, crowding, spacing, TMJ disorders, malocclusion, and, through the HealthyStart and Bbite sub-brands, pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing and airway health.

The underlying technology is a family of preformed, removable, soft-plastic appliances that apply orthodontic forces during sleep (and in some cases daytime wear) to guide tooth eruption and jaw development, with treatment durations cited in the range of 1-12 months depending on the appliance. Ortho-Tain states it has accumulated 54-plus years of internal research and a cumulative treatment base of over 4 million children.

The business operates on a B2B2C distribution model: appliances are sold directly to licensed dental professionals — general dentists, orthodontists, and pedodontists — who prescribe and fit the devices to patients. Pricing is set by the provider and not publicly disclosed by Ortho-Tain. Revenue derives from one-time appliance unit sales to the provider channel, with no documented recurring subscription, software, or service revenue. The company maintains 11-50 employees, claims a global footprint, and distributes digitally via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn channels under the HealthyStart brand, while no M&A, funding rounds, or institutional investor ownership have been disclosed.

Name

Ortho-Tain

Legal name

Ortho-Tain

Website

https://orthotain.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ortho-Tain is a privately-held US medical device company that designs, manufactures, and sells FDA-cleared clear removable orthodontic appliances to dental professionals for the treatment of malocclusion, TMJ disorders, and pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing across pediatric and adult patient segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Orthodontic Appliances

NAICS

Dental Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (339114), Dental Laboratories (339116)

SIC

Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842), Dental Equipment & Supplies (3843)

akta.pro primary industry

Clear Aligner Orthodontics (HLABABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Orthodontic Appliances & Aligners Fabrication (HLABAJAD), Early Interceptive Orthodontics (Phase I) (HLABABAF), Sleep & Airway Orthodontics (OSA Appliances/Expansion) (HLABABAI), Adult Orthodontics (HLABABAC)

Keywords

• Orthodontic appliances
• Clear removable aligners
• Pediatric interceptive orthodontics
• Dental sleep appliances
• Malocclusion treatment devices

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnetka

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Orthodontic Appliance Sales: Ortho-Tain generates revenue through the sale of FDA-cleared orthodontic appliances to dental professionals (dentists, orthodontists, pedodontists). These providers purchase the appliances and prescribe/fit them to their patients, creating a B2B distribution model with the dental practice as the customer rather than the end consumer.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ortho-Tain designs, manufactures, and distributes FDA-cleared, clear, removable orthodontic appliances for children and adults. The product portfolio includes the Nite-Guide (ages 5-7), Occlus-o-Guide (ages 8-12), Ortho-T (ages 12+), Habit Corrector, and Class III Appliance, sold exclusively through dental professionals who prescribe and fit them to patients for the non-invasive correction of malocclusion, TMJ disorders, and sleep-disordered breathing.

Product overview

Ortho-Tain offers a portfolio of clear, removable orthodontic appliances designed for both children and adults. The core product line includes Nite-Guide (ages 5-7), Occlus-o-Guide (ages 8-12), Ortho-T (ages 12+), Habit Corrector, and Class III Appliance—all FDA-cleared devices for teeth straightening and functional correction. These products are complemented by two sub-brands: HealthyStart, a comprehensive system for addressing Sleep Disordered Breathing while straightening teeth, and Bbite, a nighttime therapy focused on children's sleep and breathing health. Together, this portfolio provides interceptive orthodontic solutions from early childhood through adulthood, addressing both aesthetic and functional dental issues including overbite, overjet, crowding, spacing, and TMJ disorders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nite-Guide

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4 million children have benefited from Bbite/HealthyStart treatment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Align Technology: Maker of Invisalign clear aligners, the dominant brand in the same clear-aligner orthodontics category Ortho-Tain competes in. Directly comparable product type (clear removable aligners) and overlapping provider base (orthodontists and dentists).
• Dentsply Sirona (SureSmile): Dentsply Sirona's SureSmile clear aligner system and broader orthodontic portfolio competes directly with Ortho-Tain's Ortho-T adult/teen line for provider accounts and patient cases.
• Great Lakes Dental Technologies: Independent orthodontic appliance manufacturer and lab producing removable and functional appliances — comparable business model to Ortho-Tain as a specialty orthodontic device maker selling to dental professionals.
• DynaFlex: Manufactures custom orthodontic appliances, including clear aligners, expanders, and TMJ/sleep devices — directly comparable product mix and B2B dental professional GTM motion.
• American Orthodontics: Long-established orthodontic appliance and supplies manufacturer selling to orthodontists globally — comparable product category (orthodontic appliances and brackets) and provider-channel distribution.
• G&H Orthodontics: Manufacturer of orthodontic products including wires, brackets, and elastomerics distributed to orthodontic practices — comparable B2B orthodontic specialty manufacturer model.
• Myobrace (MRC - Myofunctional Research Co.): Sells removable preformed orthodontic appliances for early interceptive treatment of children, similar in patient population (ages 5–12) and clinical philosophy to Ortho-Tain's Nite-Guide and Occlus-o-Guide.

Emerging players

• Vivos Therapeutics: Focused on dental devices for sleep-disordered breathing and craniofacial development — overlaps directly with Ortho-Tain's HealthyStart/Bbite SDB positioning, though Vivos uses a different appliance architecture.

Broad incumbents

• Solventum (formerly 3M Oral Care): Broad dental and orthodontic supplies portfolio including clear aligner and bracket systems from 3M Oral Care — competes in the same orthodontic appliance category with substantially greater scale.

Others

• Henry Schein: Largest dental distributor in North America; relevant ecosystem comparator as the channel through which many independent orthodontic manufacturers reach providers, and as a potential distribution partner for Ortho-Tain.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/HealthyStartSDB
• Facebookfacebook.com/HealthyStartChild
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ortho-tain-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/healthystartchild

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Ortho-Tain