Align Technology and Henry Schein Extend Benefits of Straighter Teeth to More Patients With Realine™
Align's New Entry-Level Five-Stage Clear Aligner Product Targets Minor Cosmetic Fixes in Dental Practices
San Jose, Calif. — Align Technology, Inc. and Henry Schein Dental, the U.S. dental business of Henry Schein, Inc., today announced the introduction of Realine™, an entry level, five-stage clear aligner product designed for very minor crowding and spacing issues that general practitioner (GP) dentists see in their practices every day, including dental relapse. Realine offers non-Invisalign GP dentists a competitively-priced, easy to use product for patients with very limited treatment goals, especially adults whose teeth have shifted or "relapsed" after adolescent orthodontic treatment. Realine will be available in the U.S. by mid-June exclusively through Henry Schein Dental, the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental practitioners.
"This is Align's first exclusive distribution partnership in North America for a clear aligner product," said Greg Morrow, Align Technology Vice President and General Manager for Invisalign. "Henry Schein Dental provides the reach, scalability, and strong long term relationships with GP dentists to help Align reach an untapped market of more than 80,000 dentists with Realine, while still allowing us to maintain our primary focus on Invisalign providers and comprehensive orthodontic treatment through Invisalign."
"We are excited to join with Align in bringing the benefits of a clear aligner solution to the broader dental market," said Tim Sullivan, President, Henry Schein North American Dental Group. "Realine provides GPs and their patients a new method for correcting minor alignment issues and, in partnership with Henry Schein Dental, a new way to grow their practice. Henry Schein Dental is proud to partner with Align as its exclusive provider for Realine."
Over the last decade, Align has helped expand the overall market for orthodontics by offering Invisalign, a clear aligner solution that makes orthodontic treatment more appealing than traditional braces, especially among adult patients, and by expanding orthodontic treatment to more patients through Invisalign-trained GP dentists. Today, more patients are starting treatment with clear aligners each year and there is greater consumer awareness of orthodontic treatment overall. Research shows approximately 100 million adult consumers in the U.S. alone would like to improve their smile and are interested in straighter teeth, but many would never consider braces. These are patients who are unlikely to see an orthodontist, but may consider correction of minor crowding and spacing with an affordable clear aligner solution offered by their general dentist. With Realine, Align has an opportunity to further expand the market for orthodontic and cosmetic treatment by offering an entry-level clear aligner solution to even more dental practices and their patients through the well-established and trusted dental products distributor Henry Schein Dental.
Terms of the distribution agreement between Align and Henry Schein Dental are confidential and will not be disclosed. Align does not expect Realine to have a material impact on its fiscal 2013 financial results. The agreement will not have a material impact on the 2013 financial results of Henry Schein.
How Realine Works:
1. The doctor orders a Realine Starter Kit directly from Henry Schein Dental. The kit includes a pre-paid Realine case, account setup information, a Quick Start guide, and marketing collateral.
2. After receiving the Realine Starter Kit the doctor visits the Realine doctor site to set up an online account.
3. The doctor collects patient records including three intra-oral photos and either an iTero intraoral dental scan or PVS dental impressions.
4. The doctor submits the Realine prescription form and uploads the patient's photos online and sends the patient's iTero intraoral scan or PVS impressions to Align.
5. Realine provides the doctor with a 3D view of treatment for review via a web-based tool. At this time the doctor may approve or cancel treatment. Once approved, the Realine aligners are custom manufactured and shipped directly to the doctor's office. All subsequent Realine case submissions may be submitted directly online at doctor.realine.com and without additional Realine Starter Kits.
After submitting a Realine case, the doctor uses a web-based 3D viewing tool that compares images of the patient's initial and final tooth positions to show what can be achieved in a maximum of five stages. Realine doctors with cases outside of the scope of a single Realine treatment may purchase multiple treatments, refer those cases to an Invisalign provider in their area, or may sign up for an Invisalign Clear Essentials I course through their Henry Schein representative. Henry Schein Dental will provide customer support on all initial Realine sales and billing inquiries. Align will provide customer support for Realine product inquiries including online registration and web page support, case status, clinical inquiries, and general treatment questions. The Realine Starter Kit will be commercially available in the U.S. from Henry Schein Dental beginning June 24, 2013, with commercial availability in Canada expected in Q1 2014. The Realine Starter Kit, which includes the first Realine case, and subsequent Realine Single Cases are offered for a lab fee of $575 each, with optional one-time per case refinements for an additional lab fee of $125 each. As part of the Realine product offering Henry Schein Dental will also offer Vivera Retainers for a lab fee of $275, which includes four sets of new retainers to maintain final tooth position after treatment. For more information please go to www.aligntech.com.