TEMPE, Ariz. & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Align Technology, Inc. (“Align”) (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, and Desktop Metal, Inc. (NYSE: DM), a global leader in additive manufacturing technologies for mass production, today announced a strategic collaboration to supply iTero Element™ Flex intraoral scanners to Desktop Labs so it can connect general dentist locations with its growing network of premium full-service labs.
The iTero Element Flex intraoral scanner will be the exclusive restorative scanner for Desktop Labs, which is already one of the largest lab networks in the United States, serving general dentists.
The iTero Element™ Flex intraoral scanner gives doctors increased mobility and freedom to provide care anywhere they see patients. The wand-only configuration puts the power of iTero Element™ technology directly in the doctor’s hands, so they can perform full arch scans in even the smallest office. Vibrant color scanning and visualization facilitates quicker clinical evaluations and impressive chairside consultations with patients. The iTero Flex scanner also enables doctors to work more efficiently with dental labs, sending restorative STL files directly to the lab or export them from the iTero cloud, all without leaving the office.
Desktop Labs provides high-quality digital design and manufacturing solutions to GP dentists through its trusted community of labs, such as DAL, using various state-of-the-art technologies, including Desktop Health 3D printers and materials. Desktop Labs uses Einstein™ 3D printers and Flexcera™, a family of FDA 510(k)-cleared Class 2 materials for the fabrication of permanent dental restorations. Both Desktop Labs and Desktop Health are wholly owned subsidiaries of Desktop Metal.
“We’re excited for the opportunity to bring the benefits of the iTero Element Flex scanner to Desktop Labs' installed base of GP dentists across the U.S.,” said Joe Hogan, Align president and CEO. “Today’s announcement reflects our commitment to a relationship that we expect will evolve and broaden as we collaborate with Desktop Labs to bring advanced restorative workflows to market. We see great potential in enabling dentists to scan patients and then use the scan data to directly order restorative services or print-ready digital files from Desktop Labs that can be 3D printed in their offices. In addition to iTero scanners, we’re also excited about extending the benefits of the Align Digital Platform, including the Invisalign system and exocad software, to Desktop Labs customers. We look forward to sharing more details on our progress as the relationship grows.”
“Desktop Metal stands ready with Align to help dentists deliver precise, durable dental solutions to patients faster,” said Ric Fulop, founder and CEO of Desktop Metal. “We expect all restorative components to move to digital manufacturing within the next decade, enabled by better material properties and an improved fit, as well as expansion of insurance coverage to digital solutions. Offerings such as Desktop Health’s Flexcera™ resins are just the beginning of the innovations being enabled by rapid, customized mass production through premium 3D printing tools such as the Desktop Health Einstein™ printer.”
“Our strategic collaboration with Align will help accelerate adoption of digital dentistry and take it to a new level by offering the dental industry a seamless solution for digital restorations using the iTero Element Flex to connect dentists to our Desktop Labs network serving general practices,” said Lou Azzara, president of Desktop Labs. “We look forward to working with Align on ways to improve the standard of care in the dental market, and we welcome dentists to join our cutting-edge digital dentistry community.”
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 234 thousand doctor customers and is key to accessing Align’s 500 million consumer market opportunity worldwide. Over the past 25 years, Align has helped doctors treat 14 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 trained 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, Smile Architect, Invisalign Go, and ClinCheck are trademarks of Align Technology, Inc.
About Desktop Metal
Desktop Metal, Inc., based in Burlington, Massachusetts, is accelerating the transformation of manufacturing with an expansive portfolio of 3D printing solutions, from rapid prototyping to mass production. Founded in 2015 by leaders in advanced manufacturing, metallurgy, and robotics, the company is addressing the unmet challenges of speed, cost, and quality to make additive manufacturing an essential tool for engineers and manufacturers around the world. Desktop Metal was selected as one of the world’s 30 most promising Technology Pioneers by the World Economic Forum and named to MIT Technology Review’s list of 50 Smartest Companies. For more information, visit www.desktopmetal.com.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements of beliefs and expectations regarding the terms and future benefits and opportunities of a business relationship between Align and Desktop Metal, the potential benefits to customers, patients, labs and of digital dentistry, and the potential to expand the business relationship to include Invisalign treatment solutions and exocad restorative dentistry offerings. Forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks, uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including but not limited to, the risks and uncertainties set forth in both Desktop Metal, Inc.'s and Align Technology, Inc.’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and neither Desktop Metal, Inc. nor Align Technology, Inc. assume any obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
