Align Technology Showcases Latest Advances in Integrated Digital Orthodontics and Previews 2026 Innovation at AAO Annual Session
- Immersive, hands-on experiences and expert-led clinical education highlight latest Invisalign® System innovations, iTero Lumina™ scanners, and ClinCheck® treatment planning advances building on a year of continuous innovation in digital treatment planning, 3D printing, expanded treatment visualization, and growing adoption of digitally connected workflows. Attendees can also preview the following new innovations:
- Invisalign Specifix™ Attachment System, a direct 3D printed attachment creating and bonding solution designed to reduce attachment placement and size variability while streamlining attachment workflow
- Invisalign® integrated buttons that support a more flexible, precise and efficient bite correction
- Invisalign Palatal Expander with integrated forward or back facing hooks to help doctors treat a broader range of patients with more flexibility.
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 shared a preview of what orthodontists and their teams can expect from the Company (booth #1643) during the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) 2026 Annual Session, taking place May 1–3, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.
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Align's presence at AAO 2026 builds on meaningful innovation and disciplined execution across the Align™ Digital Platform, including advances in digitally enabled end-to-end workflows that elevate clinical quality, improve predictability, and enhance the everyday treatment experience for orthodontists and their patients
"During AAO, we're showcasing the full breadth of Invisalign treatment innovations orthodontists rely on today, from advanced digital treatment planning and next‑generation scanning to evidence-backed innovations for kids and teens, while previewing what's next for customers in 2026 including the Invisalign Specifix™ 3D Printed Attachment System, Invisalign® integrated buttons, and the Invisalign Palatal Expander with integrated hooks as solutions to further enhance predictability and efficiency in digital workflows," said Frank Quinn, EVP and managing director, Americas.
"When scanning, planning, appliances, and monitoring are connected through a single digital platform, orthodontists can plan more predictably, engage patients more effectively, and treat a wider range of cases with confidence," Quinn added. "Supporting the orthodontic specialty with tools that work better together is what drives us and we're excited to connect with the orthodontic community at AAO as we continue partnering to shape the future of orthodontic care."
In addition to a full range of recent innovations, the Align booth at AAO will preview three innovations expected for mid-2026 designed to bring digital precision to procedures that have traditionally been planned and executed manually at chairside. *
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The Invisalign Specifix™ Attachment System is a 3D printed attachment solution that combines attachments 3D printed to the shape and size indicated in the doctor's treatment plan with an accessory for bonding the attachments and/or engagement features to apply force for tooth movement during orthodontic treatment of malocclusion, and/or for retention of Align orthodontic appliances1. The Invisalign Specifix attachment system is designed to reduce the variability of attachment size and placement, increase consistency of placement, and streamline the attachment workflow.
"The 3D printed Specifix attachment system represents an exciting step forward in making attachment delivery more predictable, efficient, and team-friendly," said Dr. Marta Baird, of Baird Orthodontics in Pleasanton, CA. "With digitally guided placement, esthetic translucent Specifix material, and a simplified removal process, Align's new system helps elevate the patient experience while giving clinical teams greater confidence in everyday execution."
"Patients have responded extremely well to the appearance and feel," said Dr. Manal Ibrahim, of Innovative Orthodontic Center in Naperville, IL. "And one of the best parts is removal. Attachment removal does not require a high-speed handpiece, which makes the process simple, efficient, and much more comfortable. It is truly an elegant solution that enhances both the clinical workflow and the patient experience."
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Invisalign® integrated buttons represent a new approach to incorporate the small, bonded accessories used to anchor elastics and apply targeted forces during treatment. Digitally integrated buttons will incorporate button planning into the ClinCheck® treatment planning workflow vs. the standard manual process of planning and placement. With a new digital approach, button type and position are determined digitally during treatment planning to help reduce chairside guesswork, improve placement accuracy, and support the delivery of a more flexible, precise and efficient bite correction.
"At Spillers Orthodontics we love the new integrated buttons on the Invisalign aligners," said Dr. Don Spillers of Spillers Orthodontics in Warner Robins, GA. "It is a game changer for our patients and gives us another option for our patients wearing elastics."
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Invisalign® Palatal Expander with integrated hook features is designed to help doctors to treat a broader range of cases with added flexibility. Building on the clinically effective2 3D printed Invisalign Palatal Expander system, the new forward and backward facing integrated hooks are compatible with elastics3, offering intuitive enhancements to palatal expansion treatment. Together, doctors now can expand this innovation to broader range of complex cases.
"Invisalign® Palatal Expander with integrated hooks is a game changing innovation for the youngest patients in my orthodontic practice with skeletal Class III malocclusions," said Dr. Sandra Khong Tai, of Astra Orthodontics in British Columbia, Canada. "The device is retentive and stable even when hooked up with elastics to a protraction facemask. The backward-facing hooks are discreet, extremely comfortable, yet robust enough to engage an orthopedic elastic for skeletal growth modification. The protraction seems to happen faster clinically with many crossbite and midface deficiencies corrected within 4-6 months."
Experience Align's Innovations at AAO
In the Align booth, AAO 2026 attendees can experience the full breadth of the Align Digital Platform:
- Expanding What's Possible for Kids and Teens with the Invisalign portfolio: Invisalign First™ digital workflows for early interceptive care through complex teen cases, including the Invisalign Palatal Expander with hooks (see above) and the Invisalign® System with Mandibular Advancement featuring Occlusal Blocks (MAOB).
- Precision Treatment Planning within the ClinCheck® Platform: The ClinCheck® Signature experience, offering a faster, more tailored planning process with enhanced visualization and 3D controls designed to reduce revisions and support predictable outcomes.
- Next-Generation Scanning with iTero Lumina™ Scanner: Hands-on access to iTero Lumina™ scanner featuring a 3x larger field of capture4, and delivering faster scanning speed, higher accuracy, superior visualization, and a more comfortable5 scanning experience.
- Invisalign Smile Video which helps patients see their simulated smile post treatment to aid with patient case acceptance.
- Driving Practice Growth with a Flexible Portfolio: Treatment options from comprehensive to mild and retention, including Pay-As-You-Go, Pay Per Aligner, and Doctor Subscription programs
- Leading orthodontist-led education: More than 24 hours of booth clinical education led by leading orthodontists, including interactive Ask the Expert sessions running Friday through Sunday.
Align's presence at AAO 2026 builds on meaningful innovation and disciplined execution across the Align™ Digital Platform, including advances in digitally enabled end-to-end workflows that elevate clinical quality, improve predictability, and enhance the everyday treatment experience for orthodontists and their patients. Core areas of progress include:
- Advancing digital orthodontic workflows that connect scanning, visualization, treatment planning, appliance manufacturing, monitoring, and retention into a unified experience powered by the Align Digital Platform.
- Continued leadership in digital manufacturing and 3D printing, enabling consistent, high-quality Invisalign aligner production at global scale while supporting speed and reliability for orthodontic practices.
- Ongoing investment in automation, designed to help doctors work more efficiently while maintaining clinical oversight and control as case complexity and practice scale increases.
- Expansion of diagnostic and visualization capabilities, supporting earlier intervention, improved patient understanding, and more confident treatment planning across a broader range of malocclusions and growth patterns.
- Scaling of integrated solutions, reflecting growing adoption of digitally connected orthodontic workflows in diverse practice models.
- Independent validation of the Invisalign Palatal Expander (IPE) A clinical study by researchers at the University of Insubria, Italy found that the Invisalign Palatal Expander (IPE) was shown to effectively widen the upper jaw by opening the natural growth seam in the palate, achieving bone and bite changes similar to a traditional metal Hyrax expander. IPE also delivered more controlled and predictable results than Hyrax. These findings support use of IPE as a reliable option for growing patients and highlight its role as an important step toward fully digital orthodontic care.6
Together, these and planned innovations reinforce Align's long‑term strategy to move beyond individual products toward connected experiences and outcomes, supporting prevention, early intervention, and digitally driven care delivery across orthodontic practices worldwide.
While not featured at AAO, Align has also embarked on limited‑market‑release (LMR) of a custom trimline option that gives doctors greater control over aligner gingival margins to support improved aesthetics, comfort, and clinical flexibility. In cases where doctors feel there is insufficient retention they can consider an extended scalloped trimline for short clinical crowns, erupting dentition cases, preferences for fewer attachments, extended tooth coverage in gingival recession and in extending to include the undercut of the clinical crowns.
Integrated directly into the ClinCheck® digital treatment planning workflow, custom trim lines allow doctors to personalize aligner design based on individual patient anatomy and treatment needs.
Visit Align at AAO 2026 AAO 2026 Annual Session | May 1–3, 2026 | Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida | Booth #1643 Booth Hours: Friday, May 1: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Saturday, May 2: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Sunday, May 3: 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
For more information about Align Technology and the Invisalign System, visit www.invisalign.com or contact your local Align Technology representative.
About Align Technology, Inc. Align Technology designs and manufactures 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 approximately 299.5 thousand doctor customers and are key to accessing Align's 600 million consumer market opportunity worldwide. Over the past 29 years, Align has helped doctors treat approximately 22.8 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.
Invisalign, iTero, exocad, Align, Align Digital Platform, and iTero Lumina are trademarks of Align Technology, Inc.
* The availability of products may vary by market and is subject to applicable regulatory approvals and clearances. Please check with your local Align team for further information.
- Based on bench testing conducted in August 2025 according to Design Verification on Specifix™ attachment volume precision (A035851). Data on File at Align Technology, as of January 28, 2026.
- Based on data from a multi-site US IDE (Investigational Device Exemption) clinical study (n=29 subjects, ages 7-10 years) of expansion treatment with Invisalign® Palatal Expanders. Data on file at Align Technology, as of October 30, 2023
- Elastics are not supplied/provided by Align Technology, Inc
- Compared to the field of view of the iTero Element™ 5D imaging system, when the iTero Lumina™ intraoral scanner's scanning distance is 12 mm.
- For doctors and their staff: Over other iTero™ scanners in their respective clinics. Based on a survey in September 2023 of n=22 users who participated in a global limited market release, working with iTero Lumina™ intraoral scanner for an average period of 6 months, representing both Invisalign® trained general practitioners, orthodontists, and their staff in NA, EMEA and APAC, who were presented with a 4 point level of agreement scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree with the following statement: "I prefer the iTero Lumina™ intraoral scanner over other iTero scanners in my clinic due to the comfortable scanning experience it provides. For patients: Compared to iTero Element™ 5D imaging system wand.
- Levrini L, Saran S, Imbesi E, Vanini I, Russo V, Rimoldi V, Carganico A, Giannotta N and Perugini M (2026), Skeletal and dentoalveolar effects on the midpalatal suture and maxillary arch assessed by occlusal radiographs and three-dimensional digital models in patients treated with invisalign palatal expander and rapid palatal expander: a pilot study. Front. Dent. Med. 7:1757094. doi: 10.3389/fdmed.2026.1757094
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Align Technology, Inc.
Madelyn Valente
(909) 833-5839
mvalente@aligntech.com
Zeno Group
Sarah Johnson
(828) 551-4201
sarah.johnson@zenogroup.com