Why I started Atla Smiles

Why I Started Alta Smiles

In Business by Dental Entrepreneur

My father encouraged me to be an orthodontist, but frankly, I had no interest. My experience with braces in my teens didn’t inspire me to make that my profession. Braces, for most teens, were mostly miserable back then. Rather than become an orthodontist, I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and studied entrepreneurship. Since then, I have started and sold several successful companies in a variety of industries, ranging from technology and innovation to consumer products.

After selling my last company, I spent a lot of time with my father, Dr. Thomas Giegerich, and some other orthodontists exploring ways to transform the orthodontic market. I was convinced that there was a substantial opportunity to build a company that could change the face of orthodontics. My goal was to make high-quality orthodontic care accessible, affordable, and convenient for everyone through cutting-edge technology and innovative care models, regardless of the innovations introduced. My father’s mantra was everything should be focused on the best patient outcomes and a greater patient experience. I fully embraced that mindset and believe that high-quality care ultimately builds successful healthcare companies.

I founded Alta Smiles on the belief that orthodontists could expand their reach by collaborating with general practitioners to enable comprehensive care solutions for their patients. That includes braces, aligners, and our hugely popular C 5 Hidden Orthodontics solution. C 5 is truly a hidden, comfortable orthodontic option that patients don’t have to think about. It’s ideal for anyone who would like to straighten their teeth and is particularly popular with people who have had braces in the past and whose teeth have relapsed or shifted. By working as a team using our groundbreaking technology, remote patient imaging, exquisite documentation, and simple but thorough training, a general practitioner can provide high-quality results while maintaining patient care continuity.

As I look out over the next few years, I could not be more excited about being a dental entrepreneur during this transformative time in the industry. I wake up every morning and can’t wait to get to the office. In fact, I think about Alta Smiles constantly and get so excited about our big plans and even bigger future opportunities. We know that every practice would benefit from C 5 , and patients really want this procedure instead of aligners or braces, so we are confident that we are on the right path. To achieve our goals, we plan to add thousands of providers to our network in both underserved and well-served markets over the next five years.

While I know there will be a few ups and downs along the way in any company, I have learned a lot during my 20-plus years in EO (Entrepreneurs Organization) that will help guide and give me
perspective. The biggest lessons learned are that recruiting the right people for our team, providing them with the resources and systems to execute the vision, and driving operational excellence are the most important parts of my work. Fortunately, I am blessed to have great people at Alta Smiles and know that teamwork and collaboration are the keys to being successful and enjoying the journey!

Gary Giegerich Atla Smiles

About Gary Giegerich

As the President, CEO, and Co-founder of Alta Smiles, Gary Giegerich has had a successful 30+ year career as a serial entrepreneur. His belief that a higher level of world-class orthodontic care was achievable through an improved care delivery model and innovative technology is what drove him to found the company. Prior to founding Alta Smiles, Gary also founded and grew five other multi-million-dollar companies covering the fields of technology development and consulting, consumer products design and manufacturing, promotional products, and retail. Gary is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He also has served as President of the Entrepreneur’s Organization Philadelphia Chapter.