Medit's Acquisition of Progressive Orthodontics

Medit, the maker of intraoral scanners, has acquired a US orthodontic training institute, marking its full-scale entry into the clear aligner business. Building on the acquisition, the company also established a new organization called the Global Orthodontic Business Division.

According to the US dental trade publication Orthodontic Products Online, Medit announced on May 7 that it had completed the acquisition of Progressive Orthodontics through its US subsidiary, Medit USA. The acquisition price was not disclosed. The new division brings together the Medit Orthodontic Suite, treatment-planning software, along with aligner products, and is currently available only in the United States. Progressive Orthodontics, which has operated for more than 40 years, has trained dentists from over 60 countries through hands-on instruction covering diagnosis, force mechanics, and treatment execution.

A Dentist Training Channel to Back Its Aligner Business

Ryu Han-jun, who was Medit's CEO at the time, said the acquisition reflects an intent not simply to enter the orthodontic market but to reshape it. Medit had already launched its aligner product, Medit Aligner, in the United States in September of last year. Its distinguishing feature is that dentists can simulate and finalize the design directly in the clinic using data captured by an intraoral scanner, and receive the aligners within as little as a week. With this acquisition, the company has now also secured an educational pathway for training dentists to use its equipment and software.

An illustration showing, in sequence, an intraoral scanner capturing a tooth model, a digital tooth model on a screen, and a finished clear aligner
An illustration depicting the process of scanning teeth with an intraoral scanner and digitally designing and producing aligners. AI-generated image

Competing With Invisalign

Medit's target is Invisalign, which has long led the clear aligner market. Align Technology, the maker of Invisalign, recently agreed to an activist fund's demands to reshape its board and is also facing a challenge from 3D-printed aligners. Now Medit, which has already established a leading position in the intraoral scanner market, is joining the fray as well. Medit, which released its first intraoral scanner in 2018, rose to the top of the global market with a 24% share within four years, and in 2023 the private equity firm MBK Partners acquired a 99.5% stake for 2.425 trillion won.

There is no confirmed plan yet to launch Medit Aligner in Korea. However, Medit's intraoral scanners are already used as standard equipment in many Korean dental clinics, and Korea already has several clear aligner brands, such as Osstem Implant's MagicAlign, so this kind of competition is not unfamiliar. If Medit does bring its aligner to Korea, clinics there could also begin turning scanner data directly into aligners on the spot.