Clarity aligners, digital bonding, and a new partnership with Grin reflect the company’s evolving ortho strategy.

Following its spin off from 3M, Solventum is charting a new course as an independent company, with a continued focus on orthodontics. In this interview, Kelsie McGillis, marketing communications specialist, and Claire Sutter, global portfolio manager, outline what the transition means for orthodontic customers and how the company plans to build on its existing product portfolio. They discuss ongoing investments in digital tools, clinician-driven product development, and partnerships aimed at improving efficiency and patient care. From Clarity Aligners to its integration with Grin, Solventum is positioning itself to meet the demands of modern orthodontic practices.

Kelsie McGillis

Kelsie McGillis

Orthodontic Products: Solventum recently launched as an independent company following the separation from 3M. What does this rebranding mean specifically for your orthodontic business and its customers?

Kelsie McGillis: Our spin off from 3M to become Solventum marks an exciting new chapter for our orthodontic business—one that builds on over 75 years of innovation with 3M. While our name is new, our mission remains the same: to deliver trusted technologies, exceptional service, and breakthrough solutions for beautiful, healthy smiles.

For orthodontic customers, this means continuity in the products and people you’ve come to rely on—including innovations like Clarity Aligners, Clarity Precision Grip Attachments, and Clarity Digital Bonding—all supported by the same expert teams. The name Solventum, derived from “solving” and “momentum,” reflects our renewed focus on nimble, imaginative problem-solving, and a continued commitment to improving patient outcomes through next-generation dental solutions.

Claire Sutter
Claire Sutter

OP: How is Solventum approaching innovation differently now that it’s a standalone company, and what impact will that have on the orthodontic products and services you offer?

Claire Sutter: As Solventum, we’re embracing a renewed focus on responsive, forward-looking innovation. For orthodontics, this means we’re accelerating the development of smart, integrated solutions designed to enhance both clinical outcomes and workflow efficiency.

You’ll continue to see this in products like Clarity Aligners, Clarity Precision Grip Attachments, and Clarity Digital Bonding. All were built with input from clinicians to meet real-world challenges, and we continue to offer enhancements to these platforms. We’re also investing in the intersection of material science, data, and digital tools to power the next generation of personalized, precise, and efficient orthodontic care.

Our commitment is to help you deliver beautiful, healthy smiles through innovation that moves at the speed of your practice. Ultimately, becoming Solventum isn’t just a name change. It’s a strategic shift that empowers us to bring innovations to market faster and in closer collaboration with orthodontic professionals around the world.

OP: Clarity Precision Grip Attachments and Clarity Digital Bonding were the recent focus of the AAO Annual Session. What should clinicians know about these technologies and how they fit into Solventum’s broader strategy?

McGillis: Clarity Precision Grip Attachments and Clarity Digital Bonding are key examples of how Solventum is redefining orthodontic care through smart, efficient innovations that deliver measurable value for clinicians and patients alike.

Clarity Digital Bonding combines digital treatment planning with APC Flash-Free Brackets to help ensure accurate bracket placement and reduce common inefficiencies. Doctors can expect to save up to 6 months of treatment time, reduce repositioning appointments by up to 1.2 per case, and save up to 19 minutes of doctor time per bonding appointment. For busy practices, that’s a meaningful improvement in both efficiency and patient experience.

Clarity Precision Grip Attachments are the first 3D-printed, fully cured, pre-loaded attachments for aligner treatment; they eliminate the variability and cleanup associated with conventional attachments. In clinical evaluations, doctors reported saving an average of 12 minutes per bonding appointment and noted improved aligner tracking and reduced need for refinements. Nearly 90% of doctors preferred Clarity Precision Grip Attachments over their current method.

These innovations reflect Solventum’s broader strategy: solving real-world clinical challenges with technology that improves consistency, streamlines workflow, and supports excellent outcomes. Solventum is building a connected ecosystem designed to help orthodontists deliver confident, efficient care from start to finish.

OP: How is Solventum supporting orthodontic practices in navigating evolving clinical workflows, digital integration, or patient expectations?

Sutter: Solventum is committed to supporting orthodontic practices through smart, digital solutions that are flexible to meet clinician needs. At the heart of this is Clarity Portal—a cloud-based platform that streamlines workflows across treatment types. From designing custom cases in the Tx Designer to managing Clarity Aligners, Clarity Digital Bonding, and Clarity Retainer cases in one place, Clarity Portal helps practices stay efficient and focused on patient care.

We’re continuously listening to customers and evolving our tools based on what we hear. One example is the introduction of our virtual roots feature in Clarity Portal. This responds to clinicians seeking more insight and control when reviewing and approving orthodontic cases. This new visualization feature provides helpful guidance on root positioning to support more confident treatment planning.

From the personalized force levels of Clarity Aligners, to seamless retainer ordering and integration with remote monitoring through Grin, every part of our platform is designed to help you meet patient expectations while optimizing your digital workflow.

OP: Can you share any new initiatives or partnerships Solventum is pursuing to better serve the orthodontic community going forward?

McGillis: Our integration with Grin enables direct upload of information from Grin to Clarity Portal, helping orthodontic professionals streamline workflows and stay more connected with patients throughout treatment.

Grin’s platform specializes in remote monitoring, efficient record-taking, and virtual consultations, reducing the need for in-office visits while enhancing communication. When a Grin account is linked via Clarity Portal, providers can directly upload patient records into the Clarity system, supporting both Clarity Aligners and Clarity Digital Bonding cases.

Clinicians have full control over which Grin images are transferred, and all uploaded records remain securely stored in the patient’s Clarity file. This integration empowers practices to centralize digital workflows, making them more impactful and easier to manage.

This integration is just one example of how Solventum is advancing innovation to better support modern orthodontic practices—by bringing together smart technology and clinical expertise to deliver meaningful improvements in care. OP

Photos: Solventum

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