In 1997, five employees in a small duplex in Redwood City, California, founded Align Technology with a simple concept in mind - how to leverage technology to straighten teeth. Just a few years later in 1999, Align Technology pioneered the invisible orthodontics market with the introduction of the Invisalign® System and soon launched a large U.S national advertising campaign. By 2001, Align had manufactured one million unique clear aligners, helped treat hundreds of patients and trained over ten thousand doctors.
By combining digital treatment planning and mass-customization, with shape-engineering based on biomechanical principles, we have revolutionized the orthodontic industry. The Invisalign® System has continued to evolve over the last 26 years. Building upon our experience, a database of approximately 15.7 million cases, continuous innovations in aligner materials, software algorithms, 3D force systems, the Invisalign® System can be used to treat a wide range of cases, from teens to adults.
In 2011, we acquired the iTero™ intraoral scanner. Digital scanning technology was a natural extension to our digital treatment processes of the Invisalign® System, enabling enhanced patient scans and an improved patient experience. With more than 15 million restorative crown, bridge, and custom implant cases enabled by the iTero scanner to date, Align Technology continues to increase its investment in digital restorative workflows. Today’s practices require a range of digitally enabled solutions – from chairside visualization, prosthetic CAD capabilities, in-office milling options, and laboratory workflows for restorative dentistry, to tools and applications exclusively designed for Invisalign® treatment, which only iTero Element™ can provide.
Today, we've helped treat approximately 15.7 million patients with the Invisalign® System and are driving the evolution in digital dentistry with the iTero intraoral scanner − helping to modernize today’s practices by enabling enhanced digital orthodontic and restorative workflows to help improve patient outcomes and practice efficiencies.
Our goal is to help doctors participate in a new and larger market by investing in innovative products and building brands to drive millions more consumers to their practice. By combining advanced 3D modeling for digital treatment planning, shape-engineering based on biomechanical principles, and mass-customization and 3D printing, we’ve revolutionized the orthodontic industry.