#30 – From Billion-Dollar Deals to AI Braces: Khamzat Asabaev, CEO of SoftSmile, on Building the Future of Orthodontics

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, we sit down with Khamzat Asabaev, CEO and founder of SoftSmile, the AI-powered orthodontic platform redefining treatment planning. After a decade structuring multibillion-dollar M&A deals at Linklaters, Khamzat made an unexpected pivot—leaving corporate law to take on one of dental’s toughest challenges: improving the precision and scalability of orthodontic treatment through software. He shares how a failed startup and a genius friend led to the creation of Vision, SoftSmile’s flagship product, now powering over 60 aligner brands with FDA-cleared, biomechanically intelligent planning tools. We get into everything from FDA hurdles to patent strategy, why AI is the perfect co-pilot for orthodontists, and how SoftSmile is quietly building an ecosystem that could make high-quality ortho care radically more affordable and accessible.