Align Technology Inc,San Jose, Calif, has awarded $165,000 in scientific research funding tothree North American and three international universities for 1- and2-year projects seeking to better understand orthodontic treatment withclear aligners. This is the first year awards have been made touniversities outside North America.

North American award winners for 2011 are researchers from theUniversity of the Pacific, San Francisco; Baylor College of Dentistry,Dallas; and the University of Connecticut, Farmington.International recipients include researchers at Aristotle University ofThessaloniki, Greece; the University of Bonn, Germany; and theUniversity of Insubria, Italy.

The study proposals approved for funding include a periodontal healthevaluation of teenagers treated with Invisalign aligners, an analysis oftreatment changes in adolescent clear aligner patients, a biomechanicalevaluation of clear aligners, an assessment of the efficiency andeffectiveness of clear aligner treatment, an evaluation of rootresorption and periodontal status of patients treated with Invisalignaligners, and a color evaluation of Vivera® orthodontic retainers.

Align Technology first announced the Clear Aligner Research Award Programin 2009. Eligible applicants include full- and part-time universityfaculty involved in orthodontic scientific research, as well asnon-orthodontic scientists whose work may contribute to the improvementof clear aligner therapy.

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