Glidewell
Glidewell is the largest US-based full-service dental laboratory, serving approximately 80,000 dentists annually with custom restorations, AI-powered design, in-office digital workflow solutions, and AGD PACE certified clinical education.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersIrvine, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Glidewell does
Glidewell is the largest US-based full-service dental laboratory, headquartered in Irvine, California, and founded in 1976. The company manufactures custom dental restorations—including crowns, bridges, veneers, implants, dentures, occlusal appliances, clear aligners, and sleep dentistry devices—and serves approximately 80,000 dentists annually across the United States. Its core technology platform combines AI-powered restoration design systems, integrated since 2014, with CAD/CAM, 3D printing, and intraoral scan processing infrastructure that handled over 3 million scans in 2024.
The product portfolio spans a chairside in-office digital workflow (glidewell.io™ In-Office Solution and the newly launched fastsmile.io™ 3D Facial Scanner), proprietary material brands such as BruxZir® Zirconia and Glidewell HT™ Implants, and a consumables catalog sold through the Glidewell Direct e-commerce platform. Glidewell monetizes through per-case lab service pricing (next-day crowns starting at $89), in-office equipment sales, a No Charge Implants promotional program, and AGD PACE certified clinical education delivered via live symposia, webinars, and digital courses (73,000+ CE units awarded to 31,000+ participants).
Distribution combines direct lab services (digital case submission and physical pickup/delivery), self-serve e-commerce, in-office equipment deployment, and a partner referral program. The privately held company has no public ticker or institutional investors identified and continues to operate as an independent dental lab with five decades of operating history.
Glidewell firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Glidewell
- Legal name
- Glidewell
- Website
- https://glidewell.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Glidewell is the largest US-based full-service dental laboratory, serving approximately 80,000 dentists annually with custom restorations, AI-powered design, in-office digital workflow solutions, and AGD PACE certified clinical education.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Glidewell industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Dental Laboratory Services
- NAICS
- Dental Laboratories (339116), Dental Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (339114), Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113)
- SIC
- Dental Equipment & Supplies (3843), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Crown & Bridge (Fixed Prosthetics) Fabrication (HLABAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- CAD/CAM Digital Design & Milling Centers (HLABAJAE), Implant Prosthetics & Abutment Fabrication (HLABAJAC), Aesthetic/Cosmetic Restorative Dentistry (Smile Design) (HLABAFAE), Orthodontic Appliances & Aligners Fabrication (HLABAJAD), Maxillofacial Prosthetics & Craniofacial Appliances (HLABAJAH), Medical & Dental 3D Printing Services (patient-specific devices, dental labs) (IMAAADAG)
Keywords
Where Glidewell is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Irvine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Glidewell business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Restorative Dental Lab Services: Core revenue stream providing custom dental restorations including crowns, bridges, veneers, implants, dentures, and occlusal appliances. Services include next-day crowns, AI-designed restorations, and a worry-free no-fault remake policy. Priced at $89 starting for next-day crowns.
- Digital Dentistry Products & Equipment: Sale of in-office technology solutions including glidewell.io™ In-Office Solution, fastsmile.io™ 3D Facial Scanner, in-office thermoforming machines and discs, and dental materials. Also includes bruxZir® Zirconia and Glidewell HT™ Implant products.
- Clinical Education & CE Courses: Glidewell provides AGD PACE certified dental continuing education including live courses, online courses, webinars, and symposium events. Awarded over 73,000 CE units to more than 31,000 participants. Programs include in-person symposia, Glidewell TV, and digital platforms.
- Glidewell Direct E-commerce: Glidewell Direct Store operates as a separate e-commerce platform for clinical and lab products, thermoforming materials, and education courses.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Next-day crowns starting at $89 |
| Other | Multi-year contract | No Charge Implant Program |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Glidewell product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Glidewell operates America's largest full-service dental laboratory, manufacturing custom dental restorations including crowns, bridges, veneers, implants, dentures, and occlusal appliances for approximately 80,000 dental practitioners annually. The company also provides digital dentistry solutions through its glidewell.io™ In-Office Solution (CAD/CAM chairside workflow) and the fastsmile.io™ 3D Facial Scanner, alongside AGD PACE certified continuing education programs for dental professionals.
Product overview
Glidewell is America's largest dental laboratory offering a comprehensive portfolio of dental products and services. The company operates a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on its glidewell.io™ In-Office Solution for digital chairside workflows, complemented by an extensive range of restorative products including BruxZir® Zirconia, Glidewell HT™ Implants, clear aligners, and complete crown & bridge solutions. The product ecosystem includes occlusal appliances (Comfort H/S™ Bite Splint), dental sleep medicine devices, implant solutions, and removable prostheses. Recent innovation includes the fastsmile.io™ 3D Facial Scanner launched in April 2026 for enhanced aesthetic treatment planning. Glidewell differentiates through AI-powered restoration design systems integrated since 2014, next-day crowns starting at $89, and an extensive clinical education program offering AGD PACE certified courses through live events, webinars, and digital platforms. The company serves approximately 80,000 dentists annually and has processed over 3 million intraoral scans in 2024.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- glidewell.io™: In-office digital dentistry solution enabling same-day crown milling and restoration design
- BruxZir® Zirconia
- Comfort H/S™
- Glidewell HT™ Implant
- Glidewell™ Clear Aligners
- Glidewell™ Digital Full-Arch
- Vivaneer™
- fastsmile.io™
Products and services
- glidewell.io™ In-Office Solution In-office CAD/CAM solution enabling dental practitioners to design, mill, and deliver dental restorations within a single visit via a fully connected chairside digital workflow from scan to design to same-day milling.
- fastsmile.io™ 3D Facial Scanner Compact 3D facial scanning device that captures full-face scans to enhance aesthetic dental treatment planning by combining facial data with intraoral scans; outputs industry-standard file formats for digital workflow compatibility.
- Crown and Bridge Restorations Full range of crown and bridge restoration options including zirconia, porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM), glass ceramics, composite, and full-cast materials, with next-day delivery starting at $89 using AI-powered design systems.
- BruxZir® Zirconia Solid zirconia dental restorations offering durability and aesthetics for dental patients.
- Veneers (including Vivaneer™) Dental veneer solutions including Vivaneer™ BruxZir® Esthetic Veneers and diagnostic wax-ups for cosmetic dental treatment.
- Glidewell HT™ Implant Dental implant solution designed to provide affordable implant options for dental practitioners and patients.
- Implant Solutions Complete implant solutions including digital treatment planning, implant restorations, full-arch solutions, and implants & biologics for dental practitioners.
- Glidewell™ Clear Aligners Clear aligner orthodontic solution for dental practices seeking in-practice orthodontic treatment options.
- Glidewell™ Digital Full-Arch Digital full-arch dental restoration solution for comprehensive restorative treatments.
- Comfort H/S™ Bite Splint Most widely prescribed bite splint for occlusal appliance therapy.
- Occlusal Appliances Bite splints, retainers, sports mouthguards, and migraine prevention devices for occlusal therapy and dental protection.
- Dental Sleep Medicine Devices Mandibular advancement devices for treating sleep-related breathing disorders.
- Removable Prosthesis Dentures, partials, combination crowns & partials, and flippers for removable dental prostheses.
- Provisionals Provisional dental restorations for temporary use during multi-visit treatment workflows.
- In-Office Thermoforming Equipment Thermoforming machines and discs for in-office fabrication of dental appliances by dental practices.
- Glidewell Direct Store E-commerce platform for clinical and lab products, thermoforming machines, thermoforming discs, and education courses sold directly to dental practices.
- Glidewell Clinical Education & CE Courses AGD PACE certified dental continuing education including live courses, online CE courses, webinars, symposium events, Glidewell TV, and the Chairside Live Podcast for dental professionals.
Quantifiable outcome
- Next-day crowns delivered at $89 starting price point
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Glidewell
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Glidewell technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
Glidewell partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- fastsmile.io™ 3D Facial Scanner Ecosystem PartnerscoreThe fastsmile.io™ 3D Facial Scanner is designed to integrate with glidewell.io™ In-Office Solution, enabling a fully connected chairside digital workflow from scan to design to same-day milling. Outputs industry-standard file formats for compatibility with digital workflows.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Glidewell competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Patterson Companies: Major dental and animal health distributor offering supplies, equipment, and software to dental practices. Competes with Glidewell Direct Store and glidewell.io equipment distribution through established sales channels.
- Henry Schein: Largest distributor of dental supplies and equipment in North America, serving dental practices with products comparable to Glidewell Direct's e-commerce offerings and indirectly competing for lab and equipment budgets.
- Straumann Group: Global leader in dental implants and prosthetics. Competes with Glidewell HT™ Implants and digital full-arch solutions while offering broader premium implant lines to the same clinician base.
- Ivoclar Vivadent: Global manufacturer of dental materials, ceramics, and CAD/CAM equipment (including PrograMill). Competes with Glidewell's BruxZir® Zirconia materials, in-office materials, and milling workflows.
- Dentsply Sirona: The world's largest manufacturer of dental equipment and consumables, including CAD/CAM milling systems (CEREC) that directly compete with glidewell.io™. Sells through the same dental practitioner channel Glidewell serves.
- Envista Holdings: Holding company for Nobel Biocare, Ormco, and KaVo Kerr — spanning implants, orthodontics, and dental equipment. Overlaps with Glidewell's implant, aligner, and equipment categories.
- ZimVie (Zimmer Biomet Dental): Spun off from Zimmer Biomet, ZimVie sells dental implants, abutments, and digital dentistry solutions. Directly comparable to Glidewell HT™ Implant line and digital full-arch offerings.
Direct peers
- National Dentex Labs (NDX): One of the largest US dental laboratory networks offering crowns, bridges, implants, and removable prosthetics. Direct competitor to Glidewell's centralized lab services across overlapping product categories.
- 3Shape: Developer of TRIOS intraoral scanners and CAD/CAM software widely used in dental practices and labs. Competes directly with Glidewell's intraoral scan processing infrastructure and fastsmile.io™ 3D scanner.
- Align Technology: Manufacturer of Invisalign clear aligners and iTero intraoral scanners. Competes head-on with Glidewell™ Clear Aligners and fastsmile.io™, and its iTero scanner locks practices into a competing digital workflow.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Glidewell social profiles
Digital presenceGlidewell financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Glidewell leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Glidewell subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Glidewell funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Glidewell M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Glidewell
What does Glidewell do?
Glidewell operates America's largest full-service dental laboratory, manufacturing custom dental restorations including crowns, bridges, veneers, implants, dentures, and occlusal appliances for approximately 80,000 dental practitioners annually. The company also provides digital dentistry solutions through its glidewell.io™ In-Office Solution (CAD/CAM chairside workflow) and the fastsmile.io™ 3D Facial Scanner, alongside AGD PACE certified continuing education programs for dental professionals.
Is Glidewell a public or private company?
Glidewell is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Glidewell founded?
Glidewell was founded in 1976.
Where is Glidewell based?
Glidewell is headquartered in Irvine, United States, in the North America region.
How does Glidewell make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Custom Restorative Dental Lab Services are the primary driver. The others are digital Dentistry Products & Equipment, clinical Education & CE Courses and glidewell Direct E-commerce.
Who are Glidewell's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Patterson Companies, Henry Schein, Straumann Group, Ivoclar Vivadent, Dentsply Sirona, Envista Holdings and ZimVie (Zimmer Biomet Dental). Direct peers are National Dentex Labs (NDX), 3Shape and Align Technology.
Does Glidewell have an API?
No public API is recorded for Glidewell.
What industry is Glidewell in?
Glidewell's product category is Dental Laboratory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLABAJAA, Crown & Bridge (Fixed Prosthetics) Fabrication, with a secondary code of HLABAJAE, CAD/CAM Digital Design & Milling Centers. Its NAICS code is 339116 and its SIC code is 3843.