Volume has stopped growing.
After a modest 2025 rebound, exams and starts per practice were essentially flat in the first half of 2026.
The orthodontic demand forecast · October 2026Patient demand stays flat.
Patient demand stays flat.
Plan for it.
Over the next 6 to 12 months, expect about the same number of new patients and treatment starts as a year earlier. If it moves, a small dip is more likely than a gain.
We pull together the practice benchmarks published by Gaidge, OrthoFi, Cain Watters, Levin Group and the AAO, add federal economic data, and tell you what it means for your budget, your team and your follow-up.
Growth is coming from fees.
Production is rising at benchmarked practices while starts are flat. That growth isn't coming from more families.
The economy tilts it lower.
Rising prices, a September rate increase and a 12-year low in consumer confidence put adult starts most at risk.
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.
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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.
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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.
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