TEMPE, Ariz., Nov. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Align Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALGN) today announced the opening of its 2022 Research Award Program to support clinical and scientific dental research in universities across the globe. This year, up to $375,000 will be awarded to university faculty for scientific and technological research initiatives to advance patient care in the fields of orthodontics and dentistry. Align Technology’s Research Award Program has funded approximately $2.4 million in research since the program’s inception in 2010.

“The research supported by Align has provided valuable insights into important areas of oral healthcare and assessment, including intraoral scanning and patient experience, quality of life changes, as well as insights into the biochemical markers of bone metabolism during early orthodontic tooth movement with clear aligners,” said John Morton, Align vice president, product innovation and Technical Fellow. “We are honored to receive applications across a broad spectrum of scientific topics that relate to dentistry, clear aligner treatment, and intraoral scanning.”

“Align is committed to providing opportunities for universities to conduct research to advance the study of dental science and orthodontic treatment,” said Dr. Mitra Derakhshan, Align vice president, global clinical. “We are impressed by the enthusiasm with which the Align Research Awards program is received by universities worldwide, as shown by the number of applications received and the diversity of research topics. In fact, we believe funding these research projects is so important to the advancement of dental and orthodontic treatment that we increased overall funding for the program.”

Awards available for dental research at universities are available in the following regions:

• Americas (US, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America): Five one-year awards of up to US$25,000 each
• EMEA: Five one-year awards of up to US$25,000 each
• APAC: Five one-year awards of up to US$25,000 each

Eligible applicants for dental research awards include full- and part-time faculty involved in dental or scientific research at universities at which Invisalign^® treatment or the iTero scanner is available. All applications are reviewed by an independent academic committee that forwards its recommendations to Align Technology for final selection. Program details, instructions, and application forms for prospective applicants can be found at https://learn.invisalign.com/research-awards-landing-page (for Americas, EMEA and APAC applicants). Research proposals and completed applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on March 4, 2022. Award recipients will be notified by June 6, 2022.

About Align Technology, Inc.

Align Technology designs, manufactures and offers the Invisalign system, the most advanced clear aligner system in the world, iTero intraoral scanners and services, and exocad CAD/CAM software. These technology building blocks enable enhanced digital orthodontic and restorative workflows to improve patient outcomes and practice efficiencies for over 210 thousand doctor customers and is key to accessing Align’s 500 million consumer market opportunity worldwide. Align has helped doctors treat over 11.6 million patients with the Invisalign system and is driving the evolution in digital dentistry through the Align Digital Platform, our integrated suite of unique, proprietary technologies and services delivered as a seamless, end-to-end solution for patients and consumers, orthodontists and GP dentists, and lab/partners. 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. For additional information about exocad dental CAD/CAM offerings and a list of exocad reseller partners, please visit www.exocad.com.