SMARTA Costa Rica Mastery
Predictability creates possibility
Start using the SMARTA system in your own practice. Then join 20 orthodontists inside Align Technology’s Costa Rica treatment planning facility to go deeper with Dr. Marta Baird, Dr. Sam Lee and the Align CAD team.
2026 sold out. The 2027 waitlist is open. Waitlist members receive the 2027 date and first access to registration.Why Costa Rica
The SMARTA Comprehensive Template gives you the system. The online learning library teaches the thinking behind it. Costa Rica is where you go deeper. You see the decisions built into the template, bring questions from your own cases, and work directly with the Align CAD team.
Start before you arrive
Once you register, the SMARTA Comprehensive Template is added to your Align account. You can start using it on your own cases right away.
- Register. The template is added to your Align account.
- Start using it on your own cases.
- Complete the ClinCheck® Treatment Planning course and start using the staging protocols.
- Bring your real questions to Costa Rica.
- Go deeper with Dr. Baird, Dr. Lee and the Align CAD team.
By the time you arrive, you already know the system and have used it on real cases.
What's included
$6,595
Includes your first year of SMARTA All Access
Then $595 a year for SMARTA All Access
The Costa Rica trip is a one-time event.
Your SMARTA membership
Access starts when you register.
- SMARTA Comprehensive Template
- SMARTA online learning library
- ClinCheck® Treatment Planning course
- Staging protocols
- Monthly live webinar
- Private WhatsApp group for template users
Your time in Costa Rica
September 2027
- Two nights at the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belén
- A full day at Align Technology’s Costa Rica facility
- One-on-one time with the Align CAD team
- A behind-the-scenes look at the decisions built into the template
- Welcome dinner and closing dinner, with your spouse
- Private WhatsApp group for your Costa Rica cohort
- 7 hours of AGD PACE continuing education credit
Flights are not included. The Saturday excursion and extra nights are optional and priced separately.
Who it's for
Costa Rica Mastery is for orthodontists who already treat with Invisalign® and want one system for treatment planning, staging and instructions to the CAD team.
The SMARTA Comprehensive Template is available to orthodontists only.
The program
- Day 1Arrive in San JoséSettle into the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belén. Meet your cohort at the welcome dinner.
- Day 2Inside Align Technology’s Costa Rica treatment planning facilitySpend the day with Dr. Baird, Dr. Lee and the Align CAD team. You work through treatment planning, staging and the decisions built into the template. Closing dinner that evening.
- Day 3 (optional)Experience Costa RicaGroup excursion to a volcano, a coffee plantation and a waterfall, with lunch.The excursion and extra hotel night are priced separately.
Each cohort is limited to 20 orthodontists.
The 2026 program sold out. Join the 2027 waitlist to receive the date and registration details before registration opens to everyone.
Join the 2027 waitlist Have a question first? Talk with the SMARTA team.Frequently asked questions
About the program
What is SMARTA Costa Rica Mastery?
SMARTA Costa Rica Mastery combines the SMARTA Comprehensive Template and the online learning library with a day inside Align Technology’s Costa Rica treatment planning facility. You start using the SMARTA system in your own practice as soon as you register. Then 20 orthodontists come together in Costa Rica for a full day with Dr. Marta Baird, Dr. Sam Lee and the Align CAD team.
Registration and membership
Can I register now?
Not yet. Join the waitlist. Waitlist members get the 2027 date and registration details first, and they get first access to register.
When do I get the template?
As soon as you register. The SMARTA Comprehensive Template is added to your Align account and you can start using it right away. You also get the online learning library and the staging protocols.
What does it cost?
$6,595. This includes the program, two nights' hotel and your first year of SMARTA membership. After the first year, SMARTA All Access is $595 a year. The Costa Rica trip is not part of the renewal.
What happens after the first year?
Your SMARTA All Access membership renews at $595 a year. Renewal does not include another trip to Costa Rica. A new template version is released every October 1. It goes onto every active member's Align account automatically. If you cancel, you keep the template version you have, but it is no longer updated.
Hotel and travel
Where is the hotel?
The Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belén. It is a resort and spa about a 15-minute walk from Align Technology’s Costa Rica facility. Two nights are included.
Do I need a passport or visa?
US travelers need a valid passport. No visa is required for stays under 90 days. Check that your passport is valid for the whole trip.
What is the weather like in September?
September is Costa Rica's green season. Expect temperatures in the mid-70s to low 80s°F and afternoon rain most days. Pack a light rain jacket.
Spouses and guests
Can I bring my spouse?
Yes. There is no extra cost for your spouse to share your hotel room and join both group dinners. Extra fees apply only if your spouse joins the Saturday excursion or stays the extra night.
What do spouses do during the day at Align?
The hotel is a full resort and spa, with a pool, spa, restaurants and grounds to enjoy while you are at Align Technology’s Costa Rica facility.
Are children welcome?
This is an adult program. Children are not part of the planned schedule.
What to bring
What is the dress code?
At Align Technology’s Costa Rica facility: smart casual. Excursion: walking shoes, layers and a light rain jacket.
What should I bring?
All materials are provided. Laptops and phones are not allowed at Align Technology’s Costa Rica facility, so plan to leave them at the hotel. The full schedule is sent after registration.
Is there a tour of the Align manufacturing facility?
No. Align manufactures aligners in Juárez, Mexico. The San José site is the Align treatment planning facility that designs ClinCheck® setups for the Americas. The CAD designers you will work with are based there, and working with them is the focus of the day.
Continuing education
SMARTA Costa Rica Mastery is designated for 7.00 hours of continuing dental education credit: 5.00 hours lecture and 2.00 hours participation. Credit hours count scheduled instruction only (8:00 AM to 4:15 PM). Arrival, breaks and meals are excluded.
AGD subject code
370 (Orthodontics)
Educational methods
Lecture and hands-on participation
Instructors
Dr. Marta Baird and Dr. Sam Lee
Prerequisite
Completion of the ClinCheck Treatment Planning course (about 4 hours, included with registration) before attending.
Course objectives
At the end of this activity, participants will be able to:
- Use the SMARTA Comprehensive Template to improve the speed, consistency and accuracy of ClinCheck treatment plans.
- Optimize tooth-movement staging to increase predictability and reduce additional aligners.
- Communicate clinical intent to CAD designers so returned setups match the doctor's prescription.
Cancellation and refund policy
The 2027 cancellation and refund policy will be published with the registration details before registration opens.
Questions or concerns about this activity
Send questions through the Talk with the SMARTA team form. Concerns about CE activities may also be sent to the Academy of General Dentistry at agd.org.
