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Emerging from the bustling startup scene in the Boston area, LightForce Orthodontics is the culmination of a journey that continues today. Delivering the first significant advancement in bracket-based treatment protocol in the past 50 years, LightForce unites the latest in 3D printing, orthodontic insight and digital treatment.

The World’s Only Fully-Customized, 3D-Printed Brackets

Conceptualized during the Boston blizzard of 2015, LightForce Orthodontics was created to explore the idea that it would be possible to give the orthodontist a truly individualized approach to bracket-based orthodontic treatment.

Working in the shadow of the famed Green Monster in Boston, MA, the company was founded by Alfred Griffin III, who hypothesized that 3D printing technology and advanced digital treatment planning capabilities could be united to create a 100% customized prescription for each patient.

After exhaustive research and design, Griffin patented a system for 3D printing custom-designed brackets based on the anatomy and tooth morphology of each patient. The LightForce technology uses material virtually identical to familiar injection modeled ceramic brackets, but specially formulated for 3D printing. The system provides the precision and strength required for orthodontic appliances, while offering future development pathways for aesthetic options.

Griffin then added Dr. Lou Shuman – a key member of the Invisalign® executive team during its early hyper growth, a dental industry key opinion leader, and a successful entrepreneur/CEO – to the LightForce team. From there, the LightForce roster grew with the addition of key biomechanical engineers, hardware engineers and software developers with a history of building advanced dental systems.

Today LightForce is headquartered in the Cambridge area of Boston and continues to add top notch engineering talent. The company received FDA clearance in 2019 and the complete system was officially launched at the 2019 AAO Annual Session in Los Angeles CA.