About — Dr. Sandra Khong Tai
Orthodontic innovator, educator & author
The Clinician
Dr. Sandra Khong Tai
BDS, MS, Cert Ortho, FCDS(BC), FRCD(C)
Dr. Sandra Khong Tai received her graduate training in Orthodontics at the University of Minnesota. She is Clinical Assistant Professor in Orthodontics at the University of British Columbia and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of the Pacific and the University of Pennsylvania.
A Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics and the European Board of Aligner Orthodontics, she has been treating clear aligner cases since 2000 — today an Invisalign Sapphire Provider with more than 6,000 lifetime cases.
She is the author of the textbook “Clear Aligner Technique” — the first edition translated into 13 languages, and the second edition (2025) a best seller for Quintessence Publishing, already translated into Japanese and Turkish. She authored the Clear Aligner Treatment chapter in the 7th edition of Graber’s Orthodontics (Elsevier, 2023) and a chapter on Deep Bite Treatment with Clear Aligners in the Moyers 58th Craniofacial Growth Series (2022).
A member of the Editorial Boards of Seminars in Orthodontics and the Journal of Aligner Orthodontics and the Clinical Advisory Council of the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, she is a reviewer for several renowned orthodontic journals and has published numerous research papers on clear aligners. Dr. Tai is a much sought-after international speaker and lectures globally on clear aligner technique.
Editorial Boards
Seminars in Orthodontics · Journal of Aligner Orthodontics · Clinical Advisory Council, JCO
Faculty
Align Technology faculty and coordinator of the Invisalign University Program
Board Certification
Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics & European Board of Aligner Orthodontics
Pioneer Research
Original testing doctor — Invisalign Mandibular Advancement & Invisalign First
The Journey
From global roots, to Vancouver & beyond
The Prime Minister's Gold Medal
Dr. Tai graduates top of her class in dentistry — awarded the Prime Minister’s Gold Medal for academic excellence.
University of Minnesota
She earns her Certificate in Orthodontics and Master of Science, completing graduate orthodontic training that would anchor a career of academic rigour.
Astra Orthodontics & UBC
Dr. Tai establishes Astra Orthodontics in Richmond, BC — now with a second location in Burnaby — and joins the University of British Columbia as Clinical Assistant Professor.
The aligner era begins
Among the earliest clinicians treating with clear aligners, she goes on to become a pioneer testing doctor for the platform’s most significant innovations — today an Invisalign Sapphire Provider with more than 6,000 lifetime cases.
“Clear Aligner Technique”
Quintessence publishes her textbook — soon the definitive reference in the field, translated into 13 languages and adopted by university programs worldwide.
Educator to the profession
Through Aligner Resources, her mini-residency, editorial board roles, peer-reviewed research, and lectures across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas — Dr. Tai is teaching the next generation of aligner orthodontists. The second edition of her textbook arrived in 2025.
Global Educator
Clinical Assistant Professor at UBC and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of the Pacific and the University of Pennsylvania — lecturing across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas.
Published Author
Author of the field's definitive textbook, a chapter in Graber's Orthodontics, and a growing body of peer-reviewed research in the AJO-DO, Angle Orthodontist, and beyond.
Clinical Pioneer
An original testing doctor for Invisalign Mandibular Advancement and Invisalign First — the innovations now used to treat growing patients around the world.
