A Candid Conversation About Clear Aligners

Let me be candid with you—this orthodontic platform is growing and expanding its scope to clinicians who want to offer clear aligners. Candid unveiled 2 very exciting announcements in February 2023. Philips Sonicare, a global leader in oral care technology, has partnered with CandidPro to advance orthodontic care and improve the long-term oral health healthcare experience for both doctors and their patients. This will include supporting the development of CandidPro’s professional network and service platform. Nick Greenfield, CEO at Candid, is enthusiastic about this partnership and the rollout of the second generation of CandidPro.

Lou Shuman (LS): How does CandidPro Gen 1 work, and how does Gen 2 provide more opportunity for dentists?

Nick Greenfield (NG): The results of our Gen 1 product were incredibly promising because it already solved clinicians’ challenges related to complex workflows and achieving predictable results for patients who wanted clear aligners. Our providers learned to rely on the CandidMonitoring™ ecosystem to minimize office visits based on their preferences, and they were really happy with the predictability of results using our orthodontic platform that offered multiple modalities of moving teeth.

The CandidPro platform achieved this because, first, it provided oversight and integrated orthodontic treatment planning with a United States–licensed orthodontist for all general dentists and providers. Second, our integrated, artificial intelligence (AI)–enabled CandidMonitoring™ solution brought a high-quality, clinical-level asynchronous check of the patient every 2 weeks through the CandidApp. Third, our manufacturing capability drove predictable and consistent results with limited-to-no adjuncts for our aligner systems. CandidPro providers attained pure maximum simplicity and clinical comfort in treating clear aligner patients with our solution.

All of that foundationally was part of our Gen 1 product. But, after listening to our clinicians’ feedback, we learned that many providers wanted to use CandidPro for 90% to 100% of their clear aligner case volume, but to do that they needed to access more clinical movement features within our system.

We answered their request. As part of our Gen 2 rollout, we added tools focusing on enhancing and improving the capability to include attachments, IPR [interproximal reduction], elastics [coming soon], pontics, and mixed dentition. Our 2023 road map is incredibly robust and will include a number of other capabilities, including more support for 3D controls and additional next-level clinical features.

LS: Tell me more about the most significant features of Gen 2.

NG: We have 4 significant new capabilities—IPR, attachments, bite ramps, and pontics. Regarding attachments, CandidPro aligners are made to fit deeper into the embrasures and the undercut and with a higher trim line, and [use] a material that provides a more consistent, durable force throughout a 1- to 2-week wear schedule. That helps to minimize the number of attachments needed, but for certain types of orthodontic-level finishes, additional or refinement attachments are needed. Pontics can be critical, so we have been working on a robust rollout of different variations of pontics. We will continue to expand our treatment capabilities within the software because we want to make sure doctors have choices at their fingertips.

LS: Have you made any changes to doctor support in Gen 2?

NG: Based on partner feedback and on data, we built an entire plan around supporting our dental partners. We have established 3 levels of support. The first level is our sales reps in the field providing as much help as possible in-person in the office. Second, we offer dedicated remote virtual support, based in Columbus, Ohio, for ongoing tracking of cases, information, and partnership with our clinical support team based in Costa Rica. Live support through the CandidApp also provides information for patients with nonclinical questions. This takes the burden off the office, doctor, and the staff. Third, through a combination of our CandidPro faculty, as well as our on-staff, licensed orthodontists, we are able to provide robust clinical support and treatment planning, especially for doctors who may not yet have enough clinical confidence to prescribe clear aligners without additional guidance. Support is available through synchronous and asynchronous video, written communication, and phone calls.

LS: Back to the new partnership with Royal Philips. What’s the best part?

NG: Philips Sonicare is an incredibly well-known, well-established brand with a history of clinical excellence. Knowing they are putting their trust in our clear aligner solution will help providers realize that CandidPro is an exceptional product. We will continue to work with Philips Sonicare to roll out a robust education program to minimize risk and increase predictability. Our Candid Academy will offer information from rudimentary case identification and prescriptions all the way to Gen 2 applications to help doctors expand their skill sets and capabilities. Candid is an excellent system for clear aligner providers—from first-timers to those who have completed thousands of cases, we make the highest-quality care accessible by leveraging best-in-class technology and a game-changing approach to partnership.