The rise of corporate dentistry has transformed how many Americans experience dental care—often prioritizing volume and profit over personalized attention. But in the current era where orthodontic chain-businesses are expanding and AI-driven, mail-order aligners are gaining traction, a growing number of providers are pushing back.
Among them is Dr. Ivette Daly, an orthodontist whose private clinic stands as a rebuke to depersonalized care and a testament to what can still be built through grit, mentorship, and a patient-first ethic. Her story reflects broader trends in healthcare: professionals seeking autonomy, patients demanding individualized treatment, and technology redefining—but not replacing—human judgment.
She followed an extraordinary path to opening her own practice—it began in Cuba, wove through Costa Rica, and ultimately settled in the United States. She moved to Costa Rica at age six and learned English while attending an American school, which smoothed her transition into U.S. classrooms when her family immigrated. After graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in microbiology, she attended dental school and completed her orthodontic residency in North Carolina, where she lives with her husband and two children. “I really love the family feel. It’s just a little bit slower lifestyle,” she says.
Her decision to start her own clinic stemmed from a desire to offer a more personal patient experience. “I wanted my office to be different,” Daly says. “Dentistry is going very corporate… I wanted to offer something a little bit more personal, a little bit more interaction… one-on-one with the orthodontist.” She explains that the corporate model increasingly limits how providers interact with patients and make decisions. “If I want to do a free treatment, I can. It's my office. I can do it if I want to help someone,” she says.
Business ownership came with unexpected challenges. “There’s so much I didn’t realize I didn’t know,” Daly admits. “I had to learn about accounting, I had to learn about loans, I had to learn about architecture… about construction.” She credits much of her successful launch to a supportive network of professionals and colleagues, including a Facebook group for orthodontic startups. “We all help each other, we ask questions… they share their experience.”
Technology played a central role in her new practice. “Some of that is AI,” Daly says. She used AI-driven tools to scan patients’ teeth and simulate treatment results in real time. But she remains cautious about AI being used to bypass in-person care. “There are companies out there that use AI so that you can do orthodontics from home… you still have to remember there is a biological side to moving teeth.”
She considers direct-to-consumer aligners potentially dangerous. “Infections happen… if there’s no one monitoring you, a lot of negative things can happen.” She emphasizes the ethical concerns when patients receive treatment without x-rays or dental checkups. “If I start moving teeth and they have an infection, they could lose teeth.”
Daly tailors treatments based on age and lifestyle. “The biggest thing is finding what their motivation is,” she says. Adults were often motivated by aesthetics or broader dental needs, while teens may be more excited simply because their friends have braces. For younger children, Daly insists on compliance. “If you say no, then I’m not going to do it—no matter what Mom and Dad say.”
She often uses Invisalign even for children, as long as they are committed. “I’m okay with doing Invisalign with a nine-year-old, as long as they understand how it works.” She considers hygiene and lifestyle when recommending braces or aligners. “If it’s a younger patient and their hygiene is not great, I’m going to automatically do Invisalign,” she says. For busy adults, especially parents, she might recommend braces if they’re unlikely to consistently wear aligners.
Her master’s research in early childhood dental trauma influences her day-to-day care. “I try to coach my patients and their parents that if something does happen, they need to call us right away,” she says. Early intervention often determines whether teeth can be saved. “Braces are actually a great way to keep teeth in the mouth when they do have trauma… they might move, but they’ll stay in your mouth.” For trauma cases, Daly sometimes places braces temporarily to stabilize and reposition teeth.
She also grew excited by developments in 3D printing. “Instead of printing models to make your retainers… they’re talking about actually just printing the aligners,” she says. Integration of 3D imaging and aligner software, she adds, is advancing rapidly. “There really is a lot going on that is very exciting.”
To young dentists and orthodontists considering private practice, Daly offers a message of empowerment: “I think the hardest part, especially as a female and a mom, was believing that I could do it.” She emphasizes building a network of supportive peers and asking questions. “You can figure it out. You can ask other people.”
She reflected on the fog of early motherhood and pandemic-era challenges that delayed her plans, but also fueled her eventual leap. “I want to be able to show my daughter that… we can create our own thing… we can have anything we want, as long as we’re working for it.”
