Dental Asia March/April 2019

Dental Profile
An in-depth interview with Align Technology’s Ms. Julie Tay on the company’s milestones,
innovations and exciting times ahead.
Align Technology is a global
medical device company
that has produced industryleading
innovations such
as Invisalign clear aligners,
iTero Intraoral scanners, and OrthoCAD
digital services that are helping dental
professionals achieve the clinical results
they expect and deliver effective, cuttingedge
dental options to their patients. For
over 21 years, they have always set a
high bar for leadership and change in the
dental industry by constantly innovating
to bring new and better solutions to
doctors and their patients.
Today, Align Technology has helped
treat over six million patients with the
Invisalign system and is driving the
evolution in digital dentistry with the
iTero Intraoral scanner − helping to
modernise today’s practices by replacing
physical impressions, taking treatment
planning online, and creating the potential
to enable and improve almost every type
of dental treatment offered.
Previously, Dental Asia spoke to
Mr. Joe Hogan, Director, President and Chief
Officer of Align Technology at the 2018
Invisalign APAC Summit. This time, we had
a chance to sit down with Ms. Julie Tay,
Senior Vice President and Managing
Director, Asia Pacific of Align Technology
to find out more about what sets the
company apart from other aligner
companies, how it stays ahead, significant
milestones reached, her views on the
Asia Pacific region and future plans.
The pioneer brand in
clear aligner systems
Align Technology is dedicated to
transforming lives by improving the
journey to a healthy, beautiful smile.
Their goal is to become an indispensable
partner to dental professionals
worldwide while continuing to build a
great company.
According to Ms. Tay, Align Technology is
the pioneer in clear aligner systems and
currently, Invisalign system is offered in
more than 100 countries worldwide by
Invisalign-trained doctors to their adult
and teenage patients. She explained
that there are several factors that set
Align Technology’s Invisalign system
apart from other clear aligner systems
available now in the market.
“Firstly, our product development is
unique and we are using a proprietary
material. Secondly, we are the largest
3D manufacturer in the world, producing
hundreds of thousands of customised
clear aligners every day. Furthermore,
we have invested over a billion dollars in
R&D focusing on innovation. Lastly, we
are a fully digitalised integrated system
with the world’s largest database of the
oral cavity and teeth. I believe that we are
very well positioned to lead in the artificial
intelligence play in the digital world,”
explained Ms. Tay.
The experience and know-how that
Align Technology has developed includes
a wealth of information about individual
tooth movements and all types of
malocclusions, and about what moves
teeth predictably and what doesn’t. This
information is a tremendous resource that
gives rise to new insights, new treatment
planning ideas, feature sets, software
protocols, and more. No other single
individual or company is currently able
to harness digital treatment data on this
scale. This depth of experience aids and
accelerates our technology innovation
every day.
The SmartTrack
proprietary material
Ms. Tay further discussed that
the SmartTrack material for
Invisalign clear aligners took the
company’s in-house scientists more
than five years to develop. Launched
commercially in 2013, Align’s proprietary
SmartTrack material is an innovative
multi-layer polymer that delivers gentler,
constant force to improve control of tooth
movements with Invisalign clear aligners.
The SmartTrack material was designed
specifically for orthodontic treatment
with Invisalign aligners and more
precisely, conforms to tooth morphology,
attachments, and interproximal spaces
compared to other aligner materials.
“It is soft and very comfortable to wear.
The technology lies in the material, the
piece of plastic that is unique to Invisalign
clear aligners. It is not hard, yet it has
the ability and technology to move teeth
very gradually. At the end of the day, the
patient has the comfort and efficacy of
the product. SmartTrack is one of a kind,
not something you can buy off the shelf,”
she proudly explained.
Expanding innovative solutions for
the region
Aside from developing the SmartTrack
material, Align Technology continues
to expand its innovative solutions and
technologies. They have introduced
Mandibular Advancement (MA), the
first clear aligner solution for Class II
correction in growing tween (age group
between a child and a teenager) and teen
patients. This combines the benefits of
the most advanced clear aligner system
with features of moving the lower jaw
forward while simultaneously aligning
the teeth. Invisalign Teen Clear Aligner
system with mandibular advancement
offers a simpler, more efficient and
patient-friendly treatment option than
functional appliances and without the
need for elastics typically used to treat
teen Class II patients.
“The Mandibular Advancement is similar
to a twinblock appliance but is less
complicated and less painful. With MA, we
are just using a piece of clear aligner to
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