SAN JOSE, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 10/17/12 -- Align Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALGN) today announced SmartTrack™, the next generation of Invisalign clear aligner material. SmartTrack is a highly elastic new aligner material that delivers gentle, more constant force to improve control of tooth movements with Invisalign clear aligner treatment.

"We are very excited to be introducing an innovative material to the world of clear aligner treatment," said Dana Cambra, Align Technology's vice president research and development and information technology. "SmartTrack represents not just an improvement in aligner material -- it's a significant improvement in the entire Invisalign system and how we leverage force systems for more predictable tooth movements."

SmartTrack is a proprietary, custom-engineered material that delivers gentle, more constant force considered ideal for orthodontic tooth movements. Conventional aligner materials relax and lose a substantial percent of energy in the initial days of aligner wear, but SmartTrack maintains more constant force over the two weeks that a patient wears the aligners. The flexible SmartTrack material also more precisely conforms to tooth morphology, attachments, and interproximal spaces to improve control of tooth movement throughout treatment. A study* of over 1,000 patients treated with Invisalign aligners made with SmartTrack shows statistically significant improvement in control of tooth movements such as rotations and extrusions (p &#60 0.001), compared to patients treated with aligners made with current Invisalign material.

"The clinical results with SmartTrack have been excellent so far," said Dr. Clark Colville, an orthodontist in Seguin, Texas and a participant in the SmartTrack study. "The fit around the teeth from aligner to aligner is better than with any group of patients I have treated with Invisalign in my practice. Without a doubt, SmartTrack is the most exciting change in Invisalign technology among the many that have been introduced in recent years."

"I'm very pleased with the new SmartTrack aligner material," said Dr. Werner Schupp, an orthodontist practicing in Köln, Germany and a participant in the SmartTrack study. "The aligners fit better and are much more comfortable for our patients, and the tooth movement is more precise in all directions."

SmartTrack will become the standard Invisalign aligner material in the first quarter of 2013 for Invisalign clear aligner products in North America and Europe, as well as other International markets.

* data on file with Align.

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 teens. Align Technology was founded in March 1997 and received FDA clearance to market Invisalign in 1998. The Invisalign product family includes Invisalign, Invisalign Teen, Invisalign Assist, Invisalign Express10, Invisalign Express 5, Invisalign Lite, and Vivera Retainers. To learn more about Invisalign or to find an Invisalign trained doctor in your area, please visit www.invisalign.com.

Cadent Holdings, Inc. is a subsidiary of Align Technology and is a leading provider of 3D digital scanning solutions for orthodontics and dentistry. The Cadent family of products includes iTero and OrthoCAD iOC scanning systems, OrthoCADiCast, OrthoCAD iQ and OrthoCAD iRecord. For additional information, please visit www.cadentinc.com.

Source: Align Technology

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