Leaders in MedTech: Frank Grunau talks about the Digital Orthodontics market, Aligners sustainability, digital innovation and leadership.

Today we have a Q&A with a recognized leader in the?Medical Devices Orthodontics market,?Frank Grunau. Having spent 20 years in the?Orthodontics industry?including?Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing EMEA at Align Technology,?Chief Commercial Officer at Propel Orthodontics and currently Head of Orthodontics at Straumann Group. We will talk about Aligner products, orthodontics market, sustainability, digitalization, Go-to-Market models and what does it mean to be successful in Leadership in Dentistry today.

Stan: Hi Frank, very nice to have you here. I want to begin our conversation with Sustainable Orthodontics as this becomes a very popular subject in the sector. What are the present and future trends? What does Sustainable mean in the first place, in your opinion??

Frank: Hi Stan, thank you. Sustainability in orthodontics and aligners markets is a very important topic.

Currently, most manufacturers are addressing the issue of treatment planning and how it can lead to better clinical predictability. Better clinical results have a direct impact on the number of refinement aligners needed, the overall duration of the treatment, thus the profitability for the manufacturer and the clinician and last but not least the motivation of the patient. If it were possible to avoid some of the unused aligners, this would already be a great approach to increasing the sustainability of aligner orthodontics.

In the future, however, this will not be sufficient. Aspects will be covering environmentally friendly materials, as biodegradable plastics, or materials that can be recycled. The exchange of electronic production data between manufacturer and clinician to produce locally the required next aligners for the next?treatment sequence in direct printing on site. That would give a tremendous boost to sustainability in aligner orthodontics. There is still potential for optimization in the field of documentation, meaning electronic health records, electronic data transfer with health insurance companies and other third-party statutory or private payers.? ?

The responsible patient/consumer will, as soon as available, take the sustainability of one product versus another into account when choosing a practitioner.?

Stan: How did digital shift the paradigm of usage of orthodontics devices? Can innovation go any further????????????????

Frank: Digital orthodontics has transformed the way orthodontic treatments are planned, executed, and monitored. Digital technology has shifted the paradigm of usage by offering more accurate, efficient, and personalized treatment options.

Digital orthodontics has democratized orthodontics across the board. Since "non-specialists", i.e. dentists, now also have access to orthodontic systems, and not just orthodontists, many more treatments are being performed. The number of patients is growing double-digit every year.?

Future innovations, there is still plenty of room growth and advancements it is almost limitless. AI and machine learning to improve TX-planning and predict treatment outcomes. Use of digital technology in interdisciplinary oral patient care, for example digital tx-planning of pre-prosthetic aligner therapy and restorative implant therapy using the same SW.

Another conceivable area before AI-supported treatment planning is AI-supported diagnostics based on CBCT and IOS, which is then integrated into AI based treatment planning.

Actually not as exciting but not yet in-vivo researched is the biomechanical effect on tooth movement and accuracy of movement is in different aligner designs.?

Stan: Frank, you are a well known Commercial Leader in the Orthodontics space. I would like to ask you to help defining Go-to-market: Where do you start? Elements of successful execution - what are they??

Frank: The product (plastic and SW) must be safe and effective in use and well adapted to the specific clinical and technical requirements, skills and expectations of the two different target groups, orthodontist and dentist.?The biggest difference between the two target groups is in the area of necessary support services.

In other words, a go to market depends very much on the "customer".

This has a direct and immediate impact on the "go to market" but also on the required clinical support services that the manufacturer must provide. Educational programs and training are not only an important vehicle to improve clinical proficiency of practitioners, they also help to apply broad clinical selection criteria, which has a direct monetary impact.

Educational programs and training with a clinical focus, as well as practice development and marketing training, emphasize brand loyalty in the long term as well.?

A successful market launch strategy for aligners is consultative and long-term throughout and is clearly and unambiguously differentiated from a transactional strategy.

Here, the required "service" stands far above the individual product.??

Stan: Our final question will be about Leadership: What does one need to have to be able to do well in the Orthodontics market??

Frank: To be a successful leader in orthodontics, you must demonstrate a combination of technical expertise, business acumen and leadership skills.

In addition, the following qualities are essential. A deep understanding of orthodontic principles and techniques, trends in orthodontics, and the ever-changing patient/customer behavior. A differentiated understanding and also knowledge of the needs that a orthodontist and a dentist have of their manufacturer and what constitutes the individual success of a practice.

A successful leader in the orthodontic industry must be able to motivate and inspire their team, create a positive work environment and lead by example and anticipate changes and necessities in a highly dynamic market environment.

Due to several market drivers (e.g., growing patient population suffering from malocclusions, high demand on esthetic-driven procedures, wider acceptance of clear aligners as standard of care), the Global Clear Aligner Market is expected to be equivalent to approximately USD 30 Bn in 2030, representing a CAGR of 21%.?

Stan: Thank you very much Frank for your time. Looking forward to our next discussions.

Stan Kalinin draws on an extensive track record of more than 14 years of search and executive team-building expertise. He is the host of MedTech Opinion Leader supporting growth of MedTech industry and creating insightful stories with key market executives forging alternative narrative about the sector current and future trends.