The investment comes after the AAO recognized the Grin remote monitoring platform with its 2021 AAO Ortho Innovator Award.
Grin, the digital platform developed to enable remote monitoring of orthodontic patients’ progress between in-person visits, announced a strategic investment from the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) Innovation and Transformation Fund (ITF).
According to the AAO, one of the objectives laid out in its Strategic Plan is to drive transformation and innovation by exploring partnerships and collaborations that can add scale and speed to advancing the success of AAO members. These partnerships and collaborations may include endorsements, new programs, and support of industry entrepreneurs.
Grin, which was developed by AAO member Adam Schulhof, DMD, received the 2021 AAO Ortho Innovator Award last May. The award, which was established in 2019 to support entrepreneurial orthodontists and partners in the industry, recognized the company’s contribution to field.
The Grin experience consists of the Grin App, the first-of-its-kind Grin Scope, and Grin Scope Mini—FDA listed medical devices which attach to any smartphone camera and take scans to measure changes to patients’ teeth. Under the supervision of partner doctors, these technologies allow providers to transition patient check-ins from in-office to virtual by remotely monitoring teeth movement, gum health, and oral hygiene. As the company puts it, now, with the potential of reducing the number of office visits, oral health and teeth straightening under the care of a local orthodontist is more accessible.
“As a proud AAO member for over 19 years, it’s quite a testament to Grin when the preeminent professional association for orthodontists decided to invest in our company,” said Schulhof, who is the CEO and co-founder of Grin. “We will continue our ‘for orthos, by orthos’ vision, knowing we have such a strong organization squarely in our corner.”
The news of the investment from the AAO Innovation and Transformation Fund follows the company’s January announcement that it has partnered with Oral-B. The integration brings Grin’s remote monitoring platform together with Oral-B oral health products and offers customers personalized oral health insights and at-home professional consultations.
