Clear Aligner ROI Calculator (2026)

Estimate year-1 net profit, gross margin per case, and setup payback period for a GP aligner program. Compare ClearCorrect, Invisalign, SureSmile, Candid Pro, and in-house printing on the same fee and volume assumptions.

How the Calculator Works

The calculator uses a 5-input model derived from published GP aligner case data. Each input is described below so you can validate against your own practice’s numbers.

System lab-cost defaults (autofill)

• Invisalign Comprehensive: $1,500–$1,900 lab cost (Align Technology 2024 GP volume tier).
• ClearCorrect Unlimited: $700–$1,200 lab cost (Straumann published 2026 fee schedule).
• SureSmile: $800–$1,300 lab cost (Dentsply Sirona 2025 published).
• Candid Pro: $500–$900 lab cost.
• In-house 3D printing: $150–$400 material cost per case (Form 3B + KeyPrint resin pricing 2026).

Chair-time cost

Default is $80 per chair-hour. Adjust based on your practice’s true cost (typically $60–$120 depending on local wages and overhead burden). The calculator multiplies appointments × minutes ÷ 60 × chair-hour cost. A 10-appointment Invisalign case at 30 minutes each = 5 hours × $80 = $400 of chair-time cost.

Year-1 net profit formula

Net = (fee − lab − chair-time) × cases × 12 − setup

Setup cost defaults to $35,000 covering a digital scanner ($25,000), doctor + staff training ($7,500), and initial marketing ($2,500). If you already own a scanner, drop the setup cost to $10,000–$15,000.

Setup payback period

Months to recover setup cost = setup ÷ (cases per month × profit per case). At 13 cases/month and $2,500 profit per case, $35,000 setup pays back in just over 1 month.

Conversion Funnel Benchmarks

Plug your case volume into the calculator using these realistic benchmarks for a GP practice that commits to a structured aligner program:

• Hygiene screening rate: 30–40% of patients have some alignment indication (mild crowding, spacing, post-ortho relapse).
• Consultation offer rate: 60–70% of identified candidates receive a brief case-presentation offer during their hygiene visit.
• Conversion rate: 15–25% of presented patients start treatment in year 1; experienced practices reach 30–40%.

For a practice seeing 300 hygiene patients per month: 300 × 35% × 65% × 20% = ~14 cases/month in year 1. That maps directly to the calculator’s default volume.

Related Tools and Reading

• Clear Aligner Profitability Analysis — the full deep-dive that backs this calculator.
• Dental Practice Overhead Calculator — see how adding aligners shifts your overhead percentage.
• Break-Even Calculator — model your post-aligner break-even.
• Dental Case Acceptance Playbook — scripts and conversion benchmarks.
• Dental Practice Payment Plans — financing options that lift aligner case acceptance 20–40%.