Built Together. Delivered Intentionally. by Drs. Clark Colville and Geoff Sudit

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Built Together. Delivered Intentionally.   

How orthodontists are reimagining clear aligner therapy

by Drs. Clark Colville and Geoff Sudit

The last thing orthodontists think they need is another aligner company. Plenty of aligner brands compete for our attention. We’ve met pretty much all of them. It’s left us wanting something different, innovative, and outside the classic corporate playbook.

Three years ago, Dr. Lou Shuman floated an idea to us: Stop trying to fix what’s broken and build an approach to clear aligner therapy ourselves. So that’s what we did. It was a massive undertaking, and we weren’t always sure it would work. Over three years, we pressure-tested and scrutinized every detail and clinical result. Now, we’re proud to introduce our peers to a system built by orthodontists, for orthodontists. We call it Oliv.

A collaborative approach
We began with 11 founders, then grew to 50 orthodontists plus a cadre of trusted team members. Over numerous feedback sessions, virtual meetings, and in-person gatherings, something took shape that feels genuinely different.

Clark Colville serves as the clinical lead, focusing on protocols and software. Geoff Sudit leverages his entrepreneurial background in the role of commercial lead. On the operations side, Vice President and General Manager Kate Groenhagen and CEO Nick Greenfield lead by listening, aligning with our vision, and clearing a path to bring our ideas to life. Their approach is about as far from the corporate playbook as you can get.
Built Together. Delivered Intentionally.
The founders of Oliv: Dr. Edward Shaheen, Dr. Akash Pandya, Dr. Clark Colville, Dr. Clarence Red, Dr. Greg Ross, Dr. Isaac Yue, Dr. Brian Anderson, Dr. Robert Geiman, Dr. Blake Davis, Nick Greenfield (CEO), Kate Groenhagen (vice president and general manager), Dr. Geoff Sudit, Dr. Esther Feldman, Amanda Bottger (vice president of marketing)

Built to finish
In our experience, even the most capable aligner systems underperform where it counts: finishing treatment. We’ll complete 80% of treatment only to add three refinements to finish the last 20%. Our goal with Oliv? Optimize for reliable finishes.

Our solution offers precise control derived from our collective clinical experience. Our systems are continuously optimized based on real treatment data. Every decision we’ve made, from attachment design and IPR sequencing to finishing mechanics, reflects the standards we developed to produce reliable outcomes.

Our software, Oliv Studio, brings our setup protocols to life on an easy-to-use platform. We have guardrails in place based on realistic, displacement-driven tooth movements, while leaving room for clinical judgment and innovation, allowing Oliv orthodontists to treat how they treat best while avoiding the false promises of “cartoonadontics.”

The aligners themselves bring it all together. The precision fit and extended trim line deliver exacting movements without gingival impingement. This design, paired with our protocols, effectively anchors Oliv aligners onto teeth for highly effective tooth movement. This significantly reduces and almost eliminates the need for attachments, a huge win for our patients and our teams.
Built Together. Delivered Intentionally.
Oliv aligners offer a precision fit that delivers exacting movements and enables reliable displacement-driven mechanics. (For illustrative purposes only. Illustration based on heatmap images from laboratory testing.)

Win back your time
Many of us used DentalMonitoring before developing Oliv, and it represented a turning point for our practices and personal lives. So we built DentalMonitoring into every Oliv treatment. It’s included at no extra cost, and a ScanBox ships with the aligners. DentalMonitoring is also directly integrated into Oliv Studio, giving practices even more convenience through single-screen treatment management and concierge patient support trained on individual preferences. The result? Delivering more oversight to more patients, more focus on the parts of orthodontics we love, and more time to spend enjoying the lives we’ve built.

Aligners, elevated
With Oliv, we wanted the patient experience to be beautiful and functional, reflective of the most upscale and boutique orthodontic practices. The unboxing offers a sense of discovery with surprises like reusable Dopp kits. These extra details reinforce the idea that treatment should be premium and personal. We often have patients point to the packaging and ask, “How do I get that one?”
Built Together. Delivered Intentionally.
The Oliv aligner experience features a two-tiered tower including aligners, reusable Dopp kit, deluxe treatment accessories, and a ScanBox Pro from DentalMonitoring

Community by design
Bringing a group of orthodontists together, you’d expect our egos to get in the way. We all hold different opinions. Building a better aligner system, we figured out how to agree on standards for the benefit of our industry, colleagues, and patients. We also built a strong community of professionals who support and elevate each other. And that’s become one of our strengths.

Dr. Blake Davis (Kirkland Redmond Orthodontics, Kirkland, Wash.) puts it this way: “The community is Oliv’s secret sauce. We’ve curated an environment where orthodontists have the agency to drive real change, learn from each other, and elevate how we approach patient care and practice productivity.”

Community doesn’t happen by accident. Our members actively engage in private online forums, feedback sessions, and regular summits, intentionally choosing this community again and again. As we grow, we’ll be deliberate in accepting new members who value the participatory culture we’ve created.

Growth with purpose
In March, our community hosted an exclusive launch event, marking the end of our largely secret development. This summer, we’re opening up to new orthodontists who share our belief that clear aligner orthodontics should be thoughtful, intentional, and crafted with purpose.

Dr. Esther Feldman (Feldman Orthodontics, Los Angeles, Calif.) puts it best: “Our growth will be the organic result of us pursuing high clinical standards and elevating our community. We’re not chasing the status quo. We’re walking a different path.”

Oliv is currently hosting a waitlist at olivortho.com, where interested clinicians may submit their names for consideration. 

This content is sponsored by Oliv Orthodontics. For more information visit olivortho.com.

Author Bios
Dr. Clark Colville Dr. Clark Colville operates Orthodontic Specialists of Seguin and San Marcos, Texas.
Dr. Geoff Sudit Dr. Geoff Sudit operates Mint Orthodontics in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is the founder of Bright Referral and RETAIN.
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