SANTA CLARA, California--Align Technology, Inc. has announced a phased rollout of ClinAdvisor, a new suite of software tools designed to make Invisalign case selection, submission and review processes more efficient for doctors.

Align is the inventor of the Invisalign system, a proprietary method of straightening teeth without wires or brackets.

ClinAdvisor combines goal-based treatment planning with case assessment tools to give new and experienced doctors the clinical confidence they need to treat more patients with the Invisalign system.

The ClinAdvisor suite of tools helps Invisalign doctors select treatment goals and options that match their comfort level with the Invisalign system. The ClinAdvisor Assessment tool provides a detailed assessment of a patient's initial dentition and matches this information with a list of possible treatment goals to provide the doctor with an understanding of the case complexity and predictability of treatment for each goal.

"The expertise we've gained from almost 500,000 cases is helping us create a baseline of clinical knowledge that informs our products and helps make treatment more efficient and predictable for our customers," said Thomas M. Prescott, president and CEO of Align. "This is just the first in a series of innovative products and tools Align is developing to enhance the customer experience and treatment outcomes with Invisalign."

ClinAdvisor simplifies case selection by helping doctors identify the skills necessary for a specific case. A complexity rating system categorizes treatment plans as "Easy," "Moderate" or "Advanced" and lists expected treatment characteristics and potentially challenging movements for each option. This process helps increase the predictability of treatment outcomes by minimizing unexpected challenges during treatment.

ClinAdvisor lets doctors choose to treat cases in their comfort zone, but also provides a graduated pathway to more difficult cases as advanced skills are mastered.

ClinAdvisor also streamlines case submission by providing doctors with goal-specific treatment forms. Doctors have the option of choosing from four separate treatment goals for more efficient treatment planning:

*Pre-Restorative: helps prepare teeth for restorative procedures
*Esthetic: aligns the upper and lower anterior teeth
*Anterior Function Improvement: improves the canine relationship in addition to esthetic alignment
*Optimal Setup: addresses all aspects of malocclusion

Patients benefit from the case knowledge inherent in the new software. ClinAdvisor's Quick Patient Assessment provides doctors and practice staff with a chair-side tool to help illustrate potential treatment progression to prospective patients. The patients can view sample ClinCheck(R) files that mirror their own dentition and treatment goals. This allows prospective patients to see how their treatment is likely to progress before committing to treatment and taking dental records.

ClinAdvisor is being launched in North America through a phased rollout program with full commercial availability planned for Q1 of next year. A new version of Align's ClinCheck software is being released simultaneously to support the new features in ClinAdvisor.