SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept 15, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Align Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGN) today introduced new and enhanced product features designed to provide improved results for everyday clinical demands, including extrusion and rotation of teeth, root movements, and interproximal reduction (IPR). The new features will help deliver the great outcomes doctors expect from Invisalign treatment.

"This continued evolution of our product line and our technology is based on extensive customer research and the treatment data and experience gained through more than one million Invisalign cases," said Sheila Tan, Align Technology's vice president, marketing and chief marketing officer. "We believe that these improvements will give doctors greater confidence in what they can achieve with Invisalign, and help deliver the outcomes doctors expect in more clinical applications."

The new product line features are designed to overcome barriers to treatment by addressing clinical issues that doctors have traditionally perceived as challenging in Invisalign treatment, such as extrusions and rotations, and by implementing improvements and best practices frequently requested by doctors:

    --  New Optimized Attachments for extrusions and rotations are now custom
        designed to be patient-specific and tooth-specific to consistently
        deliver the correct aligner forces to the teeth, helping to increase
        predictability of the desired movement.
    --  Power Ridges(TM), previously available only with Invisalign Teen(TM),
        are used in place of attachments to provide additional force in cases
        where certain types of movements, including lingual root torque, are
        prescribed.
    --  Velocity Optimization provides more controlled movements for the entire
        tooth, including the root, and is designed to limit the speed of tooth
        movements to optimal ranges.  Previously, doctors had to identify
        movements that might require velocity adjustments and request those
        changes as part of the treatment planning process. The velocity
        adjustment will now be accounted for automatically in the case set-up.
    --  Interproximal Reduction (IPR) Protocol Improvements address a frequent
        doctor request regarding timing of IPR during treatment.  IPR can now be
        set up in later stages of treatment when teeth are better aligned and
        contact points may be easier to access.

    --  New Invisalign Attachment Kit and attachment material deliver greater
        bond strength, wear resistance, accuracy, and ease of use.

Invisalign Assist(TM) - Expanded Capabilities for a Wider Range of Cases

The new features are being deployed in all Invisalign products: Invisalign, Invisalign Teen, Invisalign Assist, and Invisalign Express. Additional features have been added or enhanced in Invisalign Assist, expanding its capabilities and giving doctors the confidence and control necessary to treat a wider range of patients. Invisalign Assist has been used primarily for simple anterior alignment and aesthetically-oriented cases that can be treated with aligners only. Thanks to the improved ability to achieve extrusions and rotations with Optimized Attachments, plus the new ability to deliver lingual root torque and up-right retroclined incisors with Power Ridges, Invisalign Assist can now be used to treat a broader range of cases while maintaining the benefits of built-in support. Additional enhancements include:

    --  More input and control regarding case set-up and ClinCheck(R)
        modifications;
    --  Improved progress tracking reports with more tooth-specific detail;
    --  More information for case-specific clinical tasks, including bonding
        attachments, performing interproximal reduction, and monitoring
        treatment progress;

    --  More information and tooth-specific details should a case fall outside
        of Invisalign Assist treatment parameters.

Invisalign Assist is the only Invisalign product that includes built-in product support throughout treatment, and was designed to meet to general dentist demand for an instructive, integrated approach to case selection, monitoring, and finishing.

All new and enhanced product features are available at no additional cost and are being released through a phased roll-out with full availability to all Invisalign-trained doctors in North America by mid October.

About Align Technology, Inc.

Align Technology designs, manufactures and markets Invisalign, a proprietary method for treating malocclusion, or the misalignment of teeth. Invisalign corrects malocclusion using a series of clear, nearly invisible, removable appliances that gently move teeth to a desired final position. Because it does not rely on the use of metal or ceramic brackets and wires, Invisalign significantly reduces the aesthetic and other limitations associated with braces. Invisalign is appropriate for treating adults and older teens. Align Technology was founded in March 1997 and received FDA clearance to market Invisalign in 1998.

To learn more about Invisalign or to find a certified Invisalign doctor in your area, please visit www.invisalign.com or call 1-800-INVISIBLE.

    Investor Relations Contact                 Press Contact
    Shirley Stacy                              Shannon Mangum Henderson
    Align Technology, Inc.                     Ethos Communication, Inc.
    (408) 470-1150                             (678) 261-7803
    sstacy@aligntech.com                       align@ethoscommunication.com

SOURCE Align Technology, Inc.

http://www.invisalign.com

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