Aligning Profit

From its clear aligners, Rata takes the lead in improving dental health awareness in Indonesia.

- Marella Putri

Well-aligned teeth not only have aesthetic merits in boosting one's appearance and, by extension, self-confidence, but they can also contribute significantly to one's physical health through improved oral hygiene and reduced gum and jaw issues. Traditionally people have worn metal braces to align their teeth, but they are costly and require frequent, time-consuming dental visits. As the dental industry adapts to technological advancements, there are now more convenient choices to solve teeth alignment problems, such as clear aligners. As its name implies, these are less visible, and the treatment is often less painful and shorter than traditional metal braces.

Clear aligners aren't an entire innovation. Based on a report by Global Industry Analysts in 2020, the US clear aligner market accounted for nearly a third of the $2.7 billion spent globally. By 2027, the global market will reach $7.2 billion, a CAGR of 15.4%. However, locally most of the available clear aligners have been too costly for the average wallet. So this option has been slower to take off compared to more developed markets.

Rata's tech-enabled dental startup aims to make the aligner solution more available and affordable for Indonesian customers while addressing other common pain points on dentist visits. Rata applies one price: Rp 9.9 million (about $600) for the alignment, which usually takes three to six months. This price is far lower than other brands, such as Invisalign, an average price starting at $4,000, or Singapore-based Zenyum at $2,400. The company develops its software and produces clear aligners in-house.