Align Technology Supports Landmark Swiss Epidemiological Study Led by University of Bern
iTero Lumina™ intraoral scanner has a central role in the study's oral health data collection
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 collaboration with the University of Bern on Switzerland's first Swiss Oral Health Study – an epidemiological initiative led by Professor Dr. Hendrik Meyer-Lückel, director of the Clinic for Conservative, Preventive, and Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Bern.
Launched in August 2025, this study marks a significant milestone in Swiss dental research. It is the first large-scale, representative oral health study in Switzerland, designed to collect data across three key age groups: 6–12, 35–44, and 65–74 years. The study goal is to provide valuable insights into the oral health status of the Swiss population, helping to inform future healthcare strategies and improve patient outcomes. It aims to examine approximately 1,800 children by June 2026 and 1,650 adults by the end of 2027, across six cantons: Aargau, Bern, Lucerne, Ticino, Vaud, and Zurich.
Another key objective is to identify trends, such as the rise in early-childhood caries and establish a baseline for future public health strategies. By incorporating dental and gingival scans alongside clinical examinations, the study seeks to enhance diagnostic accuracy and explore the potential for trained dental assistants to support dental screenings. These intraoral scans, along with longitudinal follow-ups, are expected to contribute to a deeper understanding of oral health's impact on overall well-being, helping to shape more effective preventive care and public health programs.
As part of this collaboration, Align is providing its state-of-the-art iTero Lumina™ intraoral scanner, which will have a central role in the study's data collection. The iTero Lumina scanner is designed to simplify the capture of challenging areas like the palate, edentulous spaces, partially erupted teeth and crowded teeth. Powered by iTero Multi-Direct Capture™ technology, the iTero Lumina scanner sets a new standard in digital scanning with its wider field of view1, large capture distance2, multi-angle capture3 and superior clinical accuracy4. It delivers faster and more comfortable5 scanning experience that enables highly efficient workflows while helping doctors provide an elevated patient experience.
iTero Lumina integrates near-infrared imaging (NIRI) technology, which scans the internal structure of a tooth (enamel and dentine) in real time6 and aids in the detection and monitoring of interproximal caries lesions above the gingiva without using harmful radiation6. Also available on the iTero Lumina scanner is the Align™ Oral Health Suite, a digital interface that enables comprehensive oral health assessments from a single scan. It can help doctors explain oral health conditions clearly and effectively using patient-friendly language. The Align Oral Health Suite integrates advance diagnostic and visualization tools – including iTero NIRI, Occlusogram, TimeLapse, and Invisalign Outcome Simulator Pro- into one streamlined platform, allowing doctors to create and share personalized oral health reports that cover a wide range of dental conditions.
An Align-branded mobile dental van equipped with an iTero Lumina scanner will be traveling daily to schools and communities across Switzerland, enabling researchers to conduct on-site examinations and digital scans. The van is designed to operate autonomously for a full workday and equipped with dual examination chairs for efficient screening.
"We are honored to support this pioneering oral health initiative with the University of Bern and look forward to how integration of the iTero Lumina scanner into the study can enhance data quality and support the long-term goal of validating digital diagnostics as a complement to clinical examinations," said Simon Beard, Align Technology executive vice president and managing director, EMEA. "The First Swiss Oral Health Study exemplifies the power of collaboration between academia and industry to drive meaningful innovation. The iTero Lumina scanner is helping researchers collect high-quality data efficiently, and we're proud to see our technology contributing to better oral health outcomes for future generations."
"This study represents a major step forward in understanding the oral health of the Swiss population. The support from Align Technology and the use of the iTero Lumina scanner have significantly enhanced our ability to collect high-quality data efficiently and comfortably for participants of all ages, including young children," said Prof. Dr. Meyer-Lückel.
1 The iTero Lumina™ intraoral scanner offers 3x larger field of view designed for more surface area capture enabling faster scanning.*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.
2 The iTero Lumina™ intraoral scanner boasts a 25 mm capture distance.
3 The iTero Lumina™ intraoral scanner offers simultaneous multi-angle capture designed for less maneuvering.
4 The iTero Lumina™ intraoral scanner has scientifically proven greater accuracy* for your clinical orthodontic needs.
5 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.
6Data on file at Align Technology, as of December 4, 2018.
*Compared to the accuracy of the iTero Element™ 5D imaging system.
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 over 291 thousand doctor customers and are key to accessing Align's 600 million consumer market opportunity worldwide. Over the past 28 years, Align has helped doctors treat over 21.4 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.
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