Align Technology, Inc. ALGN

Company hopes to inspire others to share their smiles using #10MInvisalignSmiles

• 10 millionth Invisalign milestone reflects accelerating pace of adoption of Invisalign treatment driven by continued global expansion and investments in digital technologies including the iTero intraoral scanner
• 10 millionth Invisalign patient is Gabriela Silva from São Paulo, Brazil who has just begun treatment with Dr. Eunice Blind, a orthodontist practicing at Clinica Pedroso, also in São Paulo
• Align partners with Por 1 Sorriso, a Brazilian non-governmental organization (NGO) to help create even more smiles in socially vulnerable communities
  

TEMPE, Ariz. and SAO PAULO, Brazil, April 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Align Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGN) today announced that over 10 million patients have begun treatment with the Invisalign system - the most advanced clear aligner system in the world – including 2.6 million teenage patients*. This is a significant milestone for the company and the Invisalign-trained orthodontists and dentists worldwide who trust Invisalign clear aligners to treat adults, teens, and patients as young as 6 years old.

Commenting on the 10 millionth Invisalign patient milestone, Joe Hogan, Align Technology CEO, said, “It’s remarkable to think about the pace of growth and adoption that we are experiencing worldwide, especially when considering it took 10 years to achieve our one millionth Invisalign patient milestone and now we are adding one million new Invisalign patients in less than six months. We are grateful to our doctor partners and their patients, and to our 20,000 employees around the world who have helped us reach this milestone. In recognition of our 10 millionth Invisalign milestone, we have donated $10 million to the Align Foundation donor-advised fund to support organizations whose visions tie closely to our own: transforming smiles and changing lives, supporting and educating teens, and empowering our doctor customers through partnerships with learning institutions and foundations. We are also kicking off a campaign called “10 Million Smiles. 10 Million Thanks” centered around the transformative power of Invisalign treatment through the eyes of Invisalign patients. This is our way to say thank you and inspire others to share their smiles with the world using #10MInvisalignSmiles.”

To join in the global celebration, tag yourself using #10MInvisalignSmiles on social media and share a smile selfie, story or video with the world.

“I’m honored to be the 10 millionth Invisalign patient and very excited about improving my smile with Invisalign aligners,” said Gabriela Silva, the 10 millionth Invisalign patient. “As part of my job, I’m in front of people all the time and my smile and ability to communicate are very important to me. After searching for different options, I selected Invisalign treatment because I could improve my smile with minimal impact to the way I look or how I speak. My experience with Dr. Blind has been amazing so far and I know that she will be with me each step of the way. Dr. Blind has a very modern practice with a fun and experienced staff and lots of high-tech equipment. I was impressed that she was able to show me before and after Invisalign images using the iTero scanner which helped me visualize how my smile would look after treatment. I can’t believe that in only eight months, I can get a brand new smile that will increase my self-confidence without disrupting my daily routine. Even my husband asks from time to time if I'm wearing my aligners or not. It's really funny coming from someone who knows me so well and sees me everyday!”

“I was delighted to learn that my patient, Gabriela Silva, is the 10 millionth Invisalign patient,” noted Dr. Eunice Blind. “Invisalign treatment is totally revolutionary and the ability to anticipate the results and share visuals with patients before treatment has even started gets them really excited. When patients see a simulation of themselves and what can be achieved with Invisalign aligners, they get even more motivated to commit themselves to treatment — something that is not possible with traditional orthodontics. As an orthodontist practicing in São Paulo, Brazil for the past six years, I know first hand how digital technologies like the Invisalign system and the iTero scanner are revolutionizing orthodontics. These technologies have changed our clinic completely and took us once and for all to the flow of digital dentistry.”

In addition to the $10 million contribution to the Align Foundation, Align is partnering with Brazilian NGO Por 1 Sorriso (“For 1 Smile”) to help create even more smiles by sponsoring their mission of better health and well-being through access to dental and medical care in underprivileged communities. As part of the sponsorship, Por 1 Sorriso will develop doctor-engaged events over the course of a year starting with an event on May 29 in São Paulo, with dental and medical assistance to homeless residents and the local community of São Paulo city.

“I am excited and proud to have Brazilians Gabriela Silva and Dr. Eunice Blind represent Align’s 10 millionth Invisalign patient milestone,” said Ritesh Sharma, Align vice president and general manager, Latin America. “Latin America represents a tremendous growth potential for Align and celebrating this major milestone reflects the significant investments we have made in commercial operations, clinical education and training, and sales and marketing. At the same time, oral health and overall health conditions continue to be a challenge in certain regions across Latin America, especially in underserved areas. We are committed to making a difference in the communities where we work and live and we are inspired to be partnering with an organization like Por 1 Sorriso, that is dedicated to helping doctors improve the lives and smiles of people throughout Brazil.”

* Data on file at Align Technology, Q1, 2021.

The Align Foundation
Launched in 2020, the Align Foundation provides a structured means by which significant donations are directed from a donor-advised fund overseen by Fidelity Charitable, with the flexibility to provide smaller monetary donations, processes to donate our products, as well as an organized way to involve our employees in giving activities. In March 2020, we funded $1 million to support COVID-19 relief efforts globally and donated personal protective equipment (PPE) such as N95 masks and worked with partners to source supplies for additional PPE to help hospitals and healthcare providers. To date, Align has contributed over $4.6 million to charitable causes including Operation Smile, America’s Toothfairy, and other non-profits dedicated to youth development through schools and educational programs. Over the last two years, our employees have volunteered over 10,000 hours as part of our dedicated month of giving in October called Month of Smiles.

Por1Sorriso
Por1Sorriso has been operating since 2015 with a focus on health and well-being through humanized dentistry and medicine, with actions in communities in situations of vulnerability and with little access to assistance, such as riverside and indigenous populations, residents of the Northeastern hinterland, populations in conditions of poverty on the African continent and urban communities. Volunteers include orthodontists, dentists, and doctors from other fields such as ultrasound, dermatology, gynecology, pediatrics. Por1Sorriso has assisted more than 15,000 people in Brazil and Africa.

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 200 thousand doctor customers and is key to accessing Align’s 500 million consumer market opportunity worldwide. Align has helped doctors treat over 10.2 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 the 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.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements, including quotations from management regarding the pace of Invisalign clear aligner adoption and the benefits and results or treatment, and the benefits of digital dentistry along with other statements and comments that are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release relating to expectations about future events or results are based upon information available to Align as of the date hereof. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. As a result, actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.

Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to:

• the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and safety of our employees, customers, patients, and our suppliers, as well as the physical and economic impacts of the various recommendations, orders, and protocols issued by local and national governmental agencies in light of continual evolution of the pandemic, including any periodic reimplementation of preventative measures in various global locations;
• difficulties predicting customer and consumer purchasing behavior and changes in consumer spending habits as a result of, among other things, prevailing economic conditions, levels of employment, salaries and wages, and consumer confidence, particularly in light of the pandemic and as pandemic-related restrictions are eased regionally and globally;
• unexpected or rapid changes in the growth or decline of our domestic and/or international markets;
• increasing competition from existing and new competitors;
• rapidly evolving and groundbreaking advances that fundamentally alter the dental industry or the way new and existing customers market and provide products and services to consumers;
• the ability to protect our intellectual property rights;
• continued compliance with regulatory requirements;
• declines in, or the slowing of the growth of, sales of our intra-oral scanners domestically and/or internationally and the impact either would have on the adoption of Invisalign products;
• the willingness and ability of our customers to maintain and/or increase product utilization in sufficient numbers;
• the possibility that the development and release of new products or enhancements to existing products do not proceed in accordance with the anticipated timeline or may themselves contain bugs or errors requiring remediation and that the market for the sale of these new or enhanced products may not develop as expected;
• a tougher consumer demand environment in China generally, especially for manufacturers and service providers whose headquarters or primarily operations are not based in China;
• the risks relating to our ability to sustain or increase profitability or revenue growth in future periods (or minimize declines) while controlling expenses;
• the impact of excess or constrained capacity at our manufacturing and treat operations facilities and pressure on our internal systems and personnel;
• the compromise of customer and/or patient data for any reason;
• the timing of case submissions from our doctors within a quarter as well as an increased manufacturing costs per case;
• foreign operational, political and other risks relating to our international manufacturing operations; and
• the loss of key personnel or work stoppages.

The foregoing and other risks are detailed from time to time in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 26, 2021. Align undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2f993ef1-97b0-4ebe-9e70-5629894175c9