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innoDtech is a digital dentistry startup that provides AI-based orthodontic solutions. Combining over 3,000 successful orthodontic cases data from CEO Joo Bo-hoon, who has worked as an orthodontic specialist for more than 30 years, with AI technology, the company offers the clear orthodontic solution “clara AI” and the AI-based treatment planning solution “Dr. AlignNavi.” Drawing on his extensive clinical experience and know-how combined with AI technology.They introduced 'Dr.AlignNavi."

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We spoke with Dr. Ryu Hee-sung, director of Star White Dental Clinic, and Dr. Won Byung-ho, director of Gumi Sukmyeon Dental Clinic, who are using Clara AI and Dr. AlignNavi in medical settings, to hear their impressions of using them. Both directors agreed that the efficiency of orthodontic treatment had significantly improved after introducing clara AI and Dr. AlignNavi.

Since 2004, Director Ryu Hee-sung has been running Star White Dental Clinic in Haeundae-gu, Busan. Star White Dental Clinic is a hospital focused on aesthetic treatment. Cosmetic treatment refers to making teeth look a little more beautiful while maintaining their basic functions. Typical examples of aesthetic treatments include replacing amalgam or gold fillings with resin in this color, replacing wire braces with less visible ceramic ones, teeth whitening, and laminates. Since around 2005, Director Ryu Hee-sung has focused on aesthetic treatment for more than 20 years, building his expertise and even developing related materials and treatment techniques himself. In 2005, he was the first in Korea to perform uncut laminates, and in 2008, he established an aesthetic dental network with 11 dental clinics in Korea and the United States.

Currently, Director Ryu Hee-sung mainly uses Minish, clara AI, and Dr. AlignNavi for aesthetic treatment. Minish is an aesthetic prosthetic solution that precisely adjusts the shape, size, and color of teeth to suit each individual’s unique characteristics, helping patients achieve a balanced impression and smile while preserving their natural teeth as much as possible. In the case of clara AI and Dr. AlignNavi, they are used in orthodontic treatment to restore both aesthetics and function using the patient’s own teeth. Unlike traditional wire orthodontics, Dr. Ryu Hee-sung explains that patients no longer need to endure pain or worry about external attention during treatment, which is why it has been increasingly recommended recently. Director Ryu Hee-sung cites his aesthetic sensibility and technical expertise, honed over more than 20 years 

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Director Won Byung-ho worked at Korea Electric Power Corporation for more than ten years, and while seeking a new path, he enrolled in the Graduate School of Dentistry at Kyungpook National University in 2007 at the recommendation of an acquaintance. After graduating, he worked at Bulkkot Dental Clinic in Daegu, then opened his first practice in the Gumi area in 2013, and in January 2023 relocated and expanded it, changing its name to Gumi Sukmyeon Dental Clinic. As an integrated dental specialist, he has continuously studied procedures such as root canal therapy, prosthetic treatment, and implants. He has earned the AAID board certification and is an active full member of the Korean Society of Dental Anesthesiology.

Gumi Sleep Dental Clinic, where four directors including a specialist in prosthodontics, periodontics, and integrated dentistry work together, specializes in dental treatment using conscious sedation. Director Won Byung-ho introduced the conscious sedation method while considering ways for patients to receive treatment more comfortably. Conscious sedation is what is commonly called sleep anesthesia; it involves injecting nitrous oxide and medication to create a state similar to being asleep before treatment. To this end, they were equipped with monitoring devices capable of checking patients’ vital signs, various medications, and received specialized training on emergency response procedures and how to administer intravenous injections. Because each patient responds and responds differently, he has also accumulated experience and know-how through organizations such as the Korean Society of Dental Anesthesiology and the Sleep Dentistry Network.

Gumi Sleep Dental Clinic has eight dental treatment chairs capable of performing conscious sedation therapy, and currently treats 400 to 500 patients per month using conscious sedation. Based on statistics from the Narcotics Integrated Management System (NIMS), a total of 13,578 cases have been conducted from 2022 to the present. This is a figure that ranks within the top five among domestic dental clinics.

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Orthodontic treatment usually involves diagnosis through X-rays and other means, then creating a treatment plan, attaching brackets to the teeth, and moving them using wires. In some patients, teeth may also be extracted. During a treatment period of more than one year, patients are seen every 3 to 4 weeks to have the wire replaced sequentially and to undergo regular checkups.

From a doctor’s perspective, orthodontic treatment requires more attention to detail than regular dental treatment. Because the treatment period is long—over a year—and there is a high likelihood of various complications. There are also cases where the treatment plan needs to be revised. It is also necessary to understand the biomechanics of tooth movement, and the doctor must grasp everything and even predict future outcomes.

Doctors feel that much difficulty as well. The main issues are the patient’s complaints of pain and the unpredictable movement of the teeth. Director Ryu Hee-sung points out that one of the difficulties of conventional orthodontic treatment is dealing with patients’ complaints of pain and emergency situations. The inconvenience and pain patients must endure are significant when replacing wire or when a great amount of force must be applied. The same goes if you get pricked by wire and bleed. Another point of difficulty is that the doctor must personally oversee every step, from attaching the bracket to conducting a simple check-up. Director Won Byung-ho also expressed regret that there is no way to visually present treatment results in advance for patients with unexpected tooth movement or those on the borderline between extraction and non-extraction.

The two directors introduced a transparent orthodontic appliance to address these difficulties. Because clear aligners cause less pain than wire braces, they allow for comfortable and safe treatment. Also, because the orthodontic appliance is not visible, it does not interfere with social life.

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Directors Ryu Hee-sung and Won Byung-ho are currently providing clear orthodontic treatment using clara AI and Dr. AlignNavi. Among various clear aligners, the reason for choosing clara AI and Dr. AlignNavi was because of the trust in CEO Joo Bo-hoon.

When Director Ryu Hee-sung was running a dental clinic in Seoul in 2003, he formed a connection with CEO Joo Bo-hoon, who had opened a clinic nearby. He said, “Medical solutions cannot be properly implemented without clinical data as support. clara AI and Dr. AlignNavi are solutions that embody the clinical data, extensive experience, and know-how accumulated by CEO Joo Bo-hoon, so I trusted them.” They explained that they adopted it based on the expectation that combining clara AI and Dr. AlignNavi with Director Ryu Hee-sung’s clinical data and experience could generate significant synergy.

Director Won Byung-ho is the same. While trying various overseas transparent orthodontic solutions, he found that actual tooth movement often did not follow the treatment plan, and despite asking the overseas representatives multiple times, he was unable to receive satisfactory answers, which made him feel limited. Then, in 2024, at the Yeongnam International Dental Science Conference and Equipment Exhibition (YESDEX), they first encountered clara AI, and after learning through lectures on transparent orthodontic appliances that it was a solution directly developed by CEO Joo Bo-hoon, they decided to adopt it in 2025 with confidence.

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Both directors agreed that after introducing clara AI and Dr. AlignNavi, the efficiency of treatment planning 

and the completeness of orthodontic treatment improved.

Director Ryu Hee-sung explained, “Orthodontic treatment requires a great deal of time and effort to carefully review diagnostic data and considerations and to develop a treatment plan. By using Dr. AlignNavi, we can easily compare and analyze multiple treatment plans and modify or supplement them according to the patient’s needs and characteristics, making it easier to complete the treatment plan.” He added, “It also helps identify errors, mistakes, and overlooked aspects in advance, which improves the quality of the treatment.” He also added, “Because it visualizes predictability, doctors and patients can approach treatment with greater trust.”

Director Won Byung-ho cited the rationality and feasibility of the treatment plan as its strengths. He said, “Looking at the treatment plan provided by Dr. AlignNavi, it is quite reasonable and highly feasible,” adding, “I felt it was very well-developed in that it clearly presents its limitations and alternatives.” They also gave a positive assessment of the fact that it provides simulation as well. Because the treatment process is shown to patients through visualization data such as simulations, patients’ understanding and cooperation with treatment improve, and complaints decrease. Director Won Byung-ho evaluated, “clara AI and Dr. AlignNavi are solutions that are more patient-friendly for doctors and patients compared to other solutions.”

Patient satisfaction is also high. At first, people are skeptical about the idea that orthodontic treatment can be achieved with only a transparent plastic appliance, but in practice, they are mostly satisfied because there are no inconveniences such as cavities or damage to the appliance that may occur when using wire braces, and the pain is also minimal.

Director Ryu Hee-sung advised, “If various types of information, such as oral computed tomography (CT), are further incorporated into treatment planning in the future, it will result in a more comprehensive solution.” Director Won Byung-ho added, “Compared with existing solutions, the completeness of functions directly related to treatment seems sufficient, but some systemic aspects still need improvement.”

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clara AI and Dr. AlignNavi Will Contribute to Popularizing Transparent Orthodontics

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Both directors agreed that clara AI and Dr. AlignNavi would contribute to popularizing clear aligners. Director Ryu Hee-sung said, “clara AI and Dr. AlignNavi are systems that enable medical professionals to use AI for more efficient orthodontic treatment, supporting even dentists who are not specialists in orthodontics to safely provide orthodontic care.” He added, “This is an element that has a positive impact on expanding 

orthodontic treatment into universal welfare.”

Director Won Byung-ho said, “The goal of clear aligner treatment is to enable general dentists to provide orthodontic care as well,” adding, “Because clara AI and Dr. AlignNavi are highly refined, we expect they will make a significant contribution to popularizing clear aligner treatment.”

Reported by Han Man-hyuk, IT Donga (mh@itdonga.com )