Ormco Vice President Jay Issa discusses the company’s latest product launches scheduled for AAO 2025 and how clinician feedback is shaping its innovation strategy.

The annual AAO meeting is a critical moment for orthodontic companies to showcase their latest innovations—and for practitioners to see what’s next for clinical care and practice growth. This year, Ormco is introducing three new technologies aimed at streamlining workflows, preserving enamel health, and delivering integrated treatment options.

In this interview with Orthodontic Products, Jay Issa, DDS, MSc—vice president of portfolio management and global marketing at Ormco—discusses the company’s 2025 product strategy, its new product launches EtchFree Bonding, Spark BiteSync, and Spark Retainers, and how orthodontist feedback has shaped their development pipeline.

Orthodontic Products: What is Ormco’s focus at this year’s AAO Annual Session, and how does it reflect the company’s broader goals for 2025?

Jay Issa, DDS, MSc: At Ormco, we are focused on transforming lives by providing the best orthodontic solutions to meet every treatment need of doctors and their patients. We achieve this by providing a variety of treatment solutions such as wires, brackets, aligners, and more. We collaborate with orthodontists to enhance practice success and continue to build on our legacy of innovation. This focus will help us and our customers achieve our goals of accelerating growth, advancing treatment options, and maximizing our portfolio play.

OP: Can you walk us through the new products, technologies, or updates Ormco will be showcasing at the booth this year?

Issa: We’re excited to launch three new innovations at AAO this year: Ormco EtchFree Bonding, Spark BiteSync, and Spark Retainers.

Ormco EtchFree Bonding is a moisture-tolerant orthodontic system that removes the need for acid etching. It enhances bonding workflow, saves time, ensures bond reliability, and preserves enamel health.

Instead of the typical acid etching that roughens the enamel to create a mechanical bond with resin tags, Ormco EtchFree Bonding creates a chemical bond with the calcium in the enamel itself. This technology allows EtchFree Bonding to help maintain the enamel health and completely withstand moisture contamination, reducing debonds compared to other adhesive products.

Spark BiteSync is an integrated Class II correction system that delivers synchronized mandibular advancement, maxillary distalization, and dental alignment without the need for a separate appliance.

Spark BiteSync features:

  • The Sidebar and the Occlusion Guide are tested for durability and work together to achieve a more desirable bite profile. 
  • Mandibular advancement can occur simultaneously with dental tooth movement within the same aligner stages.
  • No additional Class II appliance is needed. Simply select Spark BiteSync option within the Spark DTX Portal, design, and approve the case.
  • BiteSync can be used in both mixed and permanent dentition. Sidebar or Occlusion Guides can be used together or separately depending on treatment goals.

Spark Retainers are custom-made, clear retainers made of a thicker plastic designed to hold teeth in place after orthodontic treatment. Spark Retainers are powered by TruGEN technology, the latest material innovation designed for durability. With multiple retainer sets, patients (and their orthodontic specialist) can worry less about lost, broken, or discolored retainers. 

Our retainers also allow doctors to simplify and streamline their ordering process while leveraging treatment flexibility.

  • Doctors can improve patient efficiency by managing Spark Clear Aligners, Ormco Digital Bonding, Damon Ultima System, and Spark Retainer patients all in one place.
  • Options like bite ramps, pontics, adjustable trim lines, and digital bracket removal offer tailored solutions for a range of patient needs. Plus, the ability to use the scanner of the doctor’s choice. 
  • Doctors can order any number of retainers trays their patients need and fabricate from a new scan or T2 position of Spark patients. There are no subscriptions needed.

OP: Ormco is hosting several in-booth sessions and presentations—what topics are being covered, and how were these selected?

Issa: While we aren’t hosting in-booth sessions or presentations this year, our team is prepared to demonstrate our solutions and showcase recent innovations.

OP: Will any of this year’s programming or events highlight clinician feedback or user-driven innovation?

Issa: All the products we are introducing have been tested and validated by orthodontists. Throughout our iterative development process, we’ve consistently integrated their feedback to ensure our solutions are both effective and relevant. Similarly, our innovation process, driven by user insights and needs identification, ensures that we deliver solutions tailored to meet the diverse treatment requirements of doctors and their patients.

OP: Are there specific educational opportunities or hands-on experiences that Ormco is offering at AAO this year?

Issa: We offer comprehensive education programs for doctors and their teams. In 2025, we will host two Ormco Ignite events and several MasterCOIP classes. Additionally, we are preparing for the Ormco Forum in Miami next February 2026.

OP: Looking beyond product launches, what message is Ormco hoping to send to orthodontists attending the annual session?

Issa: Ormco is your partner in driving practice success through innovative solutions. OP

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