Santa Clara, Calif. - January 9, 2002 -- Align Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGN), the inventor of the Invisalign^® System, a proprietary method of straightening teeth without unsightly wires and brackets, today announced it has been issued three significant U.S. patents for orthodontic treatment specific to straightening teeth using a series of clear, removable, nearly invisible plastic appliances called "aligners." This expands to nine the number of U.S. patents issued to Align.

The three patents cover the Company's technology that enables orthodontic treatments requiring complex tooth movements; the use of its aligners with conventional attachment devices to help reposition teeth requiring greater force; and the system that creates a time-saving, end-to-end treatment plan and makes possible the up-front, 3-D graphic visualization of each step of the treatment process including the end result.

"We are dedicated to bolstering our intellectual property position wherever possible," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Zia Chishti, "and receiving these new patents strengthens our ability to protect our leadership product and market position going forward. As we continue to develop advanced new methods and technologies we will persist in our efforts to protect those assets for the Company and its shareholders, both here in the U.S. and abroad. Doctors and patients should also be confident that our technology supports treating a broader range of cases, including those requiring complex tooth movement," Chishti added.

United States Patent 6,299,440 covers systems and methods to reposition teeth using aligners to move the root of the tooth first instead of the crown, as is done with wire brackets. Specifically, these systems and methods maximize the availability of tooth surface area during repositioning; enabling treatments that require complicated tooth movements.

United States Patent 6,309,215 relates to using aligners in conjunction with conventional attachment devices mounted onto teeth. The benefit of using attachment devices in this way is to more effectively reposition teeth that require greater force to move.

United States Patent 6,318,994 covers a computer-implemented system that automatically generates an entire tooth movement plan that details the entire repositioning process for a patient's teeth from beginning to end. By electronically producing a complete treatment plan after a patient's first visit, both doctors and patients receive a significant time-saving advantage and can clearly see up front all stages of treatment including the end-result.

About Align Technology, Inc.

Align Technology designs, manufactures and markets the Invisalign System, a proprietary new method for treating malocclusion, or the misalignment of teeth. The Invisalign System 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, the Invisalign System 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 the Invisalign System in 1998.

This release contains forward-looking statements based on Align Technology's current expectations. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements concerning the significance of the new patents to Align Technology's business and the advantages the patents will afford both doctors and patients using the Invisalign System. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include Align Technology's ability to achieve profitability, the adoption by orthodontists, dentists and consumers of the Invisalign System, Align Technology's successful enforcement of its intellectual property and avoidance of infringement on third party patents, Align Technology's ability to establish and maintain reliable, high-volume manufacturing capacity in the U.S. and internationally, Align Technology's ability to manage its significant growth and retain its key personnel, and Align Technology's ability to achieve cost-savings in manufacturing and to increase manufacturing efficiencies. These factors, as well as other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, are discussed in more detail in Align Technology's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as other reports and documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission