Align Technology Inc, Santa Clara, Calif, introduces Invisalign TeenTM for nonadult, comprehensive orthodontic treatment. The new product offers teenagers clear, removable aligners that meet their desire for aesthetic treatment. According to consumer research conducted by Align, Invisalign is the most recognized orthodontic brand by teenagers age 13 to 17; two-thirds of respondents in the age group indicated that Invisalign would be their first choice of orthodontic treatment.
According to the AAO, patients age 12 to 17 years represent more than half of the more than 2 million orthodontic case starts in the United States each year. Until now, only a small number of orthodontists have routinely treated teenagers with Invisalign due to concerns about patient compliance and the ongoing development of permanent dentition; Invisalign treatment has been used primarily for adults and older teens. Invisalign Teen addresses orthodontists’ demand for a product tailored to younger patients whose second molars have begun growing in.
In a 2007 survey commissioned by Align, orthodontists cited patient compliance as their number one concern when treating teen patients. In response, Align designed Invisalign Teen aligners with compliance indicators that provide a visual cue of approximate patient wear. When worn as directed, the indicators fade from dark to light blue or clear during the 2-week wear period for each set of aligners. In another move to help ensure continuous aligner wear, Align includes up to six free individual arch replacement aligners to compensate for aligner loss or breakage during active Invisalign Teen treatment.
Invisalign Teen allows orthodontists to prescribe the space necessary for erupting teeth and has aligners with specially engineered "eruption tabs" to compensate for second molars that continue erupting during treatment. Invisalign Teen aligners also include a new feature called Power RidgesTM, which are designed to provide additional force in cases where certain types of root movement are prescribed. Power Ridges are engineered into the aligner shape, and are used instead of attachments.
Invisalign Teen is now available through Invisalign-trained orthodontists and dentists in North America.
For more information, contact Align at (800) INVISIBLE.
