Align Technology’s New Invisalign System Innovations Feature Integration of CBCT Into ClinCheck Treatment Planning Software

Align Technology, Inc. has announced the new Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) integration feature for ClinCheck digital treatment planning software, a user-friendly tool that combines roots, bone, and crowns into a single three-dimensional model that enables clinicians to visualize a patient’s roots as part of the digital treatment planning process. The CBCT integration feature helps dentists confidently expand diagnosis and treat a broader range of cases with Invisalign clear aligners by increasing visibility and control of a patient’s underlying anatomical structures during the digital treatment planning process.

Align designs, manufactures, and sells the Invisalign system of clear aligners, iTero intraoral scanners, and exocad CAD/CAM software for digital orthodontics and restorative dentistry.

“The integration of CBCT scan data into digital treatment planning gives doctors the control and confidence to leverage their expertise and expand treatment to all types of malocclusion, including ortho-restorative cases with implant site preparation, deciding upon different treatment planning options (such as expansion versus extraction), as well as teen cases to navigate impacted or unerupted teeth,” says Graham Gardner, an orthodontist in Richmond, Virginia. “Treatment planning using a patient’s real roots is a game changer. The amount of additional information and the insights it provides is transformational now that we can account for individual root and bone characteristics. The proactive treatment planning we do with Invisalign clear aligners makes it even better suited to integrate this, as we design the treatment plan upfront instead of reacting to its effects like we generally do with fixed appliances.”

Raj Pudipeddi, Align Technology chief product and marketing officer, executive vice president and managing director, Asia Pacific, adds: “Align is proud to be at the forefront of digital orthodontics and dentistry, building an integrated platform of digital products and services that provide a seamless solution for doctors to efficiently and effectively treat their patients and build their practices.”

The new solution features an easy-to-use interface; CBCT scan data is digitally fused with an intraoral scan resulting into a maneuverable 3D ClinCheck treatment plan model, thus making it convenient for doctors to tailor their treatment plans based on their patients’ needs. It is designed to deliver a high-quality, automated feature that is easy for doctors to use and incorporate into their digital workflow.

“Using CBCT scan data integrated into the ClinCheck plan now allows me to see crown, roots, and underlying bone structure from different angles,” says Alain Souchet, an orthodontist in Mulhouse, France. “I can now visually see and take into account the location of impacted teeth, unerupted teeth for my teen patients, and root position of teeth for all my cases. Treatment planning is significantly easier now because I can leverage the power of the ClinCheck software and its many features, such as 3D controls for roots.”

The CBCT integration feature for ClinCheck treatment planning software is currently in technical design assessment (TDA) and will be scaled in phases across Align’s customer population starting in the second half of 2022.