As the orthodontic landscape continues to shift toward digital innovation, clinicians are demanding smarter tools to streamline workflows, reduce inefficiencies, and improve clinical outcomes. Ormco, a company with more than 60 years of experience in orthodontics, has responded with StageRx—a visual, protocol-based platform designed to simplify and enhance aligner treatment planning.
In this exclusive interview with Dentistry Today, Jay Issa, vice president of portfolio management and global marketing at Ormco, discusses how StageRx is revolutionizing the aligner experience for doctors around the world. From improving collaboration with treatment designers to offering a global protocol library, Issa shares insights into the platform’s development, its role in Spark’s broader digital ecosystem, and what it means for the future of orthodontics.
DT: StageRx emphasizes a “visual, drag-and-drop workflow”—what specific challenges in aligner treatment planning did you aim to solve with this interface?
Issa: StageRx aims to remove guesswork from aligner treatment planning. Traditionally, doctors have faced frustration with inconsistent design quality and lengthy communication with technicians. StageRx replaces traditional form-based or text-based treatment instructions, enabling doctors to easily save and reuse clinical protocols. Introducing the visual drag and drop interface makes creating and, most importantly, visualizing the treatment plan much simpler. It also offers access to a library of proven protocols from aligner experts and allows doctors to share their own protocols with peers.
DT: You’ve mentioned “improved communication with treatment designers”—how does StageRx change the day-to-day collaboration between orthodontists and design teams compared to previous systems?
Issa: Unlike current platforms, StageRx maintains the doctor’s ability to customize and control their treatment instructions.With this integration, doctors can set up a 3D model within minutes, drag and drop their StageRx protocols, and see the real-time effects on the 3D model. This allows doctors to immediately approve the setup or send it back with additional modifications to their technician, significantly reducing back-and-forth communication.
DT: The platform includes “protocols from top global aligner experts.” How were these experts selected, and how do you see their influence shaping treatment outcomes for doctors worldwide?
Issa: Given that Spark is a global brand, we selected a diverse group of international pilot doctors to help us in developing StageRx. As StageRx is designed to accommodate the needs of all orthodontists, regardless of their experience with aligners, this group included both relatively novice aligner doctors and orthodontists who lecture worldwide on aligner mechanics and protocols.
DT: Early survey data shows 89% of doctors are likely to recommend StageRx. How will Ormco continue to track adoption and satisfaction as the tool scales?
Issa: Staying close to our customers is and always has been our top priority at Ormco. Most of our best ideas originate from our customers, and it is through our close partnerships with orthodontists that we have been able to innovate for over 60 years. We are fortunate to have a fantastic group of orthodontic key experts and educators with whom we meet regularly for feedback and product ideation. StageRx is no different; we continue to implement opportunities for customer feedback to ensure we meet the needs of our customers.
DT: How does the “protocol library” balance standardization with the flexibility orthodontists need for personalized treatment?
Issa: One of the great advantages of StageRx is that it is designed to meet the needs of all orthodontists, regardless of their experience with aligners. While StageRx comes pre-populated with proven aligner protocols to treat a variety of malocclusions from aligner experts, doctors have the ability to customize these or create their own. Prior efforts to standardize aligner treatment planning have taken a “cookie-cutter” approach, forcing orthodontists to follow a predetermined way. That’s the beauty of StageRx, providing standardization to cut down on communication errors and increase automation, without limiting customization.
DT: What role do you see “peer-to-peer sharing of protocols” playing in the future of orthodontics, and could this eventually evolve into a broader knowledge-sharing network?
Issa: With 60+ years of working with orthodontists, the Ormco team definitely understands the power that community and peer-to-peer education provides for orthodontists. StageRx is built to foster the sharing of aligner protocols and to help provide a simple and efficient way for doctors to share their aligner know-how. What might previously have required a long phone call or Zoom meeting to walk through a protocol can now be shared with a single click of a button. The truly great thing here is that the orthodontist retains control over which protocols and peers they want to collaborate with, and StageRx simply provides an easier and more efficient way to do this.
DT: With the growing aligner market, how does StageRx differentiate Spark from competitors beyond just software—particularly in terms of “clinical precision and efficiency?”
Issa: StageRx was created on the principle that the key to aligner case predictability and efficiency lies in the importance of tooth movement sequencing and staging. Often, we focus solely on the final tooth position rather than on the steps to ensure that we reliably achieve the desired final outcome. StageRx breaks down movement instructions into color-coded, logical units for the transverse, vertical, and sagittal planes, providing a simple yet powerful tool for clear communication of both specific tooth movements and the staging and sequencing of these movements.
DT: Spark Aligners use “TruGEN™ material,” which is positioned as more clear, comfortable, and resistant to staining than leading brands. How does StageRx integrate with these material advantages to improve patient outcomes?
Issa: We are proud of the innovation in material science that we have introduced with Spark’s TruGEN and TruGEN XR. We are committed to integrating the benefits of our material portfolio into the StageRx platform moving forward, helping doctors select the appropriate sequence of materials intelligently to enhance both aligner predictability and efficiency.
DT: Ormco has a 60-year history in orthodontics. How does “StageRx reflect Ormco’s long-term vision” for digital orthodontics and aligner innovation? Beyond StageRx, what future developments or expansions can orthodontists expect from Ormco in the “digital treatment planning and workflow space?”
Issa: You don’t have to look very far to see that the future of orthodontics is digital. At Ormco, we are fully embracing the efficiencies that come with a digital workflow. In addition to StageRx, we are investing in digital workflows throughout our entire orthodontic portfolio, including our core products. With the recent introduction of Ormco Digital Bonding, we have successfully integrated the worlds of Spark and Damon Ultima, paving the way for future all-digital offerings and workflows.
With StageRx, Ormco is delivering more than just a software solution—it’s providing a framework for scalable, clinically precise, and customizable aligner treatment. As digital workflows become the new standard in orthodontics, tools like StageRx are setting the pace by blending advanced technology with decades of clinical expertise. Under the leadership of Jay Issa and his team, Ormco continues to evolve its offerings, paving the way for a fully integrated digital future that supports both the art and science of orthodontics.
About Jay Issa
Jay Issa is the vice president of portfolio management and global marketing at Ormco. He is a seasoned global business leader with over 20 years of experience driving growth, transformation, and innovation across the healthcare, dental, and orthodontic industries. Throughout his career, he has specialized in portfolio strategy, business development, digital health solutions, and multichannel product distribution in diverse global markets.
Jay is known for delivering strong financial results, leading high-performing cross-functional teams, and successfully navigating complex business challenges. Multilingual and deeply committed to operational excellence, he brings a strategic, inclusive leadership style to every initiative he leads.
