SAN JOSE, Calif. and PITTSTON, Pa., March 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Align Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALGN) today announced a distribution agreement with Benco Dental, the largest privately-owned dental distributor in the United States, for Align’s family of iTero Element intraoral scanners. This agreement expands Benco’s offerings to the general dentist community with iTero® scanner’s proven digital technology including exclusive visualization software with the Invisalign Outcome Simulator. The iTero Element scanner enables dentists and their patients to visualize changes in dentition, and enables dentists to perform restorative and orthodontic workflows that enhance patient care. To date, over 10 million scans have been submitted with the iTero Element family of intraoral scanning technology.

“We believe that comprehensive dental care starts with an iTero digital scan of every patient,” said Rob Walker, Align Technology, general manager for iTero North America. “In the hands of dental professionals, the iTero Element scanner can help dentists perform a wide range of restorative and orthodontic procedures with greater precision and visualization capabilities that help them deliver better treatment experience to their patients and expand their practice. Our agreement with Benco provides a greater number of dentists with access to our smile changing technology that puts more dentists on a path to streamlined digital workflows.”

"The iTero Element scanner is an exciting addition to our portfolio of open-architecture, OneVisit™ chairside CAD/CAM products," said Terry Barrett, Benco Dental, chief marketing officer. "Align Technology has long been a leader in this sector and shares our commitment to continually advancing the science of dentistry."

The iTero Element, iTero Element 2 and iTero Element Flex™ intraoral scanners all have high precision, full-color imaging and fast scan times. The next-generation iTero Element 2 is designed for greater performance with 2X faster start-up and 25 percent faster scan processing time compared to the iTero Element. The iTero Element Flex is a wand-only device that transforms compatible laptop computers into a highly portable scanner that works anywhere - it's ideal for practices with multiple locations who need a scanner that is convenient and easy to transport.

The iTero Element scanners will be available to dental customers through Benco Dental in the U.S. beginning April 1. The distribution agreement with Benco is a non-exclusive arrangement. Additional details of the agreement are confidential.

About Align Technology, Inc.
Align Technology designs and manufactures the Invisalign® system, the most advanced clear aligner system in the world, and iTero® intraoral scanners and services. Align’s products help dental professionals achieve the clinical results they expect and deliver effective, cutting-edge dental options to their patients. Visit www.aligntech.com for more information.

For additional information about the Invisalign system or to find an Invisalign doctor in your area, please visit www.invisalign.com. For additional information about iTero digital scanning system, please visit www.itero.com.

About Benco Dental
Benco Dental, headquartered in Northeastern Pennsylvania, is the largest privately-owned dental distributor in the United States, offering a full array of supplies, equipment and services to dentists across the nation.  Founded in 1930 by Benjamin Cohen, the company has remained family-owned and focused on its unique mission to “deliver success, smile after smile.”

Within the past 87 years, the company has grown from a single downtown location to a national network that includes five distribution centers, and three design showrooms.  Those design showrooms, one at the company’s Pa. headquarters, one in Southern California, and one in Texas, feature North America’s largest selection of dental equipment and technology, as well as a hands-on dental design experience, to assist dentists in the planning and construction of a new office.

In addition to offering the market’s broadest choice of equipment and supplies, Benco features a suite of innovative material management tools like Painless^®, its industry-leading on-line inventory management system, and BluChips^®, dentistry’s original and most rewarding frequent buyer club.  Through alliances with selected Success Services, Benco also offers practice coaching, continuing education, equipment financing, and wealth management services.  

Benco, which has been named one of Fortune Best Workplaces in Health Care and Biopharma for the past three years, one of the NAFE Top Companies for Executive Women for the second consecutive year, and Pennsylvania’s Best Places to Work^® for 12 of the past 14 years, is proud to feature a highly skilled team of more than 400 professionally trained sales representatives and over 300 factory-trained service technicians. For more information, visit benco.com or call 1.800.GO.BENCO

This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. In the United States, these statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks detailed in our public filings with the SEC. Except as required by applicable law, Align undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking or other statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Source: Align Technology, Inc.