Align Technology Supports the United Kingdom’s General Dental Council (GDC) Statement on Direct-to-Consumer Orthodontics which Highlights Patient Safety Issues

Updated GDC Policy Statement Affirms Requirement and Importance of a Physical Examination for Orthodontic Treatment and for Patients to Know the Full Name of the Dental Professional Responsible for their Orthodontic Treatment

BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom and TEMPE, Ariz., May 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Align Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGN), a leading global medical device company that designs, manufactures, and sells the Invisalign system of clear aligners, iTero intraoral scanners, and exocad CAD/CAM software for digital orthodontics and restorative dentistry, today announced its support for an updated policy statement issued by the General Dental Council (GDC), the UK-wide statutory regulator of general dentist practitioners and dental care professionals.

In the updated statement [LINK: https://www.gdc-uk.org/news-blogs/news/detail/2021/05/13/statement-on-direct-to-consumer-orthodontics-and-supporting-information], the GDC affirms that orthodontic treatment must be based on a full assessment of a patient’s oral health that includes a physical, clinical examination prior to commencement of treatment. The statement also highlighted the critical importance of direct interaction between a patient and practitioner, for patients to know the full name of the dental professional responsible for their treatment and to be able to make direct contact with the doctor treating them.

"We applaud the GDC for its important role in regulating dental care, guarding the standards for responsible dentistry in the UK, and for providing resources to help dentists support their patients and make informed decisions about dental care,” said Julie Coletti, Align Technology senior vice president, chief legal and regulatory officer. "We know that orthodontic treatment should always be prescribed and delivered by a doctor who is best qualified to assess and plan clinical treatments based on an in-person exam.”

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.