Following a major showcase at the 2026 AAO Annual Session, Align’s executive vice president and managing director of the Americas discusses how the company is shifting its focus toward reducing clinical friction and expanding digital capabilities.
By Jessie Gainor
At the recent 2026 American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) Annual Session in Orlando, Align Technology unveiled a massive portfolio of updates, ranging from the iTero Lumina scanner to early interceptive care solutions. But beyond the individual product announcements, a broader macro strategy emerged. According to Frank Quinn, executive vice president and managing director, Americas, at Align Technology, the company’s primary focus has shifted toward creating a fully connected experience that addresses the daily operational and clinical challenges faced by orthodontic practices.
As case complexity and practice volumes increase, the integration of new software and digital tools can sometimes feel like an added layer of management rather than a solution. Quinn notes that Align’s current trajectory is designed specifically to counter this by streamlining the entire digital workflow.
“The Align Digital Platform helps remove friction from doctors’ workflows by seamlessly linking the steps their practice already performs into one system,” says Quinn. “We’re focused on helping doctors with tools, products, education and support designed to make adoption practical and scalable. It is about helping them integrate the Align Digital Platform in ways that make their practices more efficient and profitable, not less.”
Digitizing the Chairside Experience
A significant part of Align’s strategy involves pulling standard, manual chairside processes upstream into the digital planning phase. The goal is to reduce variability and improve predictability for the clinical team. This approach is evident in upcoming mid-2026 releases like the Invisalign Specifix Attachment System and digitally integrated buttons.
Traditionally, attachment placement and button delivery have been highly technique-sensitive steps that introduce variability and require extra time from the staff. By determining button type and position digitally during the ClinCheck treatment planning phase, Align aims to reduce chairside guesswork. Similarly, the 3D-printed Specifix system is designed to standardize attachment delivery.
“Doctors have identified consistency with attachment placement as a primary challenge,” Quinn explains. “The Invisalign Specifix Attachment System is a fully digital, 3D printed attachment that helps reduce variability in one of the most technique-sensitive aspects of aligner treatment. That consistency of placement is where the real impact comes in.”
This digitization also impacts the patient experience. With the Specifix system, the use of a high-speed handpiece for attachment removal becomes optional. Quinn points out that removing the handpiece from the equation can make the final moments of aligner treatment feel less intimidating and more comfortable for the patient, while simultaneously saving valuable chair time for the practice.
Expanding Clinical Flexibility
Alongside workflow efficiency, Align’s current focus is heavily weighted toward equipping orthodontists to handle a broader range of complex cases with greater confidence. This is particularly relevant in early interceptive care and advanced skeletal growth modifications.
The recent update to the Invisalign Palatal Expander, which introduces forward- and backward-facing integrated hooks, exemplifies this push. The direct 3D-printed device is already positioned as an alternative to traditional metal expanders for growing patients. The addition of integrated hooks allows doctors to attach adjunctive mechanics, such as elastics or a protraction facemask, directly to the appliance.
“These enhancements are designed to give doctors more flexibility as they treat a broader range of patients and clinical scenarios,” says Quinn. “For example, with the addition of this feature, doctors can now address Class III skeletal discrepancy while concurrently expanding the maxilla.”
While independent studies, including recent research from the University of Insubria, indicate that 3D-printed expanders can deliver highly controlled results compared to traditional metal counterparts like the Hyrax expander, Quinn emphasizes that Align’s objective is not to dictate treatment protocols but to expand the digital toolkit available to the specialty.
“We believe treatment decisions should always be made by doctors,” he says. “Our role is to support them with tools that expand what’s possible.”
Putting Control Back in the Orthodontist’s Hands
This philosophy of supporting doctor-driven decisions extends to features like the custom trimline option, which recently entered a limited-market release. Designed for complex cases involving short clinical crowns, erupting dentition, or gingival recession, the feature is integrated directly into the ClinCheck interface. It allows orthodontists to personalize aligner gingival margins based on individual patient anatomy.
Ultimately, Align Technology’s roadmap indicates a concerted move away from isolated product launches and toward a unified ecosystem. Whether through advanced 3D printing, digitized chairside mechanics, or enhanced ClinCheck controls, the overarching objective is to support practice growth by making the digital workflow as predictable and frictionless as possible.
“Across the portfolio, the goal is straightforward,” says Quinn. “To help doctors improve predictability, enhance the patient experience, and support practice growth.” OP
Photo: ID 182029592 © Iurii Motov | Dreamstime.com
Jessie Gainor is a contributing writer for Orthodontic Products.
