Nearly half of starts said “not yet” first.
At OrthoFi practices, about 44% of starts come from patients who left their first visit without starting. They are also the first to disappear when budgets tighten.
The orthodontic demand forecast · October 2026Where is demand
Where is demand
heading in 2027?
More new patients and starts, a flat year or a decline? Our free forecast puts odds on each outcome for the next 6 and 12 months, and tells you what it means for your budget, your team and your follow-up.
We pull together the practice benchmarks published by Gaidge, OrthoFi, Cain Watters, Levin Group and the AAO, add federal economic data and a confidential survey of practice owners, and turn it into a plan you can use.
Some families pull back first.
When budgets tighten, some patients delay long before others. The forecast shows who, and which practices are most exposed.
What happens next?
The economy is sending mixed signals. We put odds on growth, a flat year and a decline for the next 6 and 12 months. Get the forecast
Three ways to look aheadNational intelligence.
National intelligence.
Local action.
Everything here is free. The forecast and the newsletter cover the national picture. The Local Growth Kit turns public data about your own market into a short list of things to do.
The demand forecast
Where new patients and starts are heading over the next 6 to 12 months, how confident we are and what would change our mind.
Get the forecastThe Ortho Radar newsletter
The handful of developments worth your attention, what they could mean for your practice and what to do next.
See the newsletterYour Local Growth Kit
How you show up in Google and AI assistants, the competitors near you, the schools and referral dentists around you, and five things to do next.
Request your kitStay ahead of what's nextThe signals shaping
The signals shaping
the future of orthodontics.
Every two weeks, Ortho Radar connects changes in technology, the economy, consumer behavior and the business of orthodontics to the decisions practice owners face.
Get the free newsletterDemand & the economy
Employment, household budgets, financing and the forces that influence when patients start treatment.
Technology & the future of practice
AI, automation, remote monitoring and the tools changing how orthodontic teams work.
Consumers & culture
What parents, teens and adults expect from treatment, and how those expectations are changing.
Marketing & patient discovery
Search, AI recommendations, reviews and changes in how patients find and choose a practice.
Practice economics
Staffing, overhead, treatment mix and the pressures shaping practice profitability.
Regulation & risk
Consequential changes in insurance, privacy, cybersecurity and the rules affecting practice owners.
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ORTHO RADAR03September 30, 2026
The latest issue
Families are still spending. They are worried about what comes next.
Confidence fell sharply in September while spending held up. A national campaign is about to send more adults toward orthodontic treatment, new AI labels raise the stakes for before-and-after photos, and dental offices have stopped hiring.
Read the issueThe free biweekly briefingA wider view.
A wider view.
A clearer next move.
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