Align Technology CEO on Invisalign Demand, Dental Industry Costs, and Global Growth

Q4 Earnings and 2026 Outlook

• 📈 Align Technology announced strong Q4 earnings, driven by increased demand for Invisalign, with momentum carrying into 2026.
• 💡 The company experienced a challenging first half of 2025 but gained significant momentum in Q3 and Q4, leading to a more stable market outlook for 2026.

Invisalign Demand and Competition

• 🦷 While facing some pressure in the teen market, Invisalign's primary competitor remains traditional wires and brackets.
• 👶 The company saw tremendous growth in its pre-teen products like the Invisalign Palatal Expander and Invisalign First for younger patients globally.
• 💰 Despite a higher price point for adults, Invisalign often matches the cost of wires and brackets due to faster treatment times and fewer doctor visits, offering cost savings.

Dental Practice Challenges

• ⚠️ Dental practices, including general dentists and orthodontists, are facing increased operating costs such as labor, rent, and taxes.
• 📉 Traffic in dental practices has been flat or down year-over-year, creating challenges for businesses that have seen expenses rise.
• 💬 Practices are still servicing patients and maintaining reasonable throughput, but not at the growth rates seen pre-pandemic.

International Market Performance

• 🌍 Align Technology experienced strong double-digit growth in broader Europe, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, and the UK.
• 🌏 Asia, including China and Southeast Asia, also showed good double-digit growth.
• 🌎 Latin America grew close to 20%, while North America showed some positive signs in Q4 after being a challenge.

Technology and Digital Transformation

• 💻 Align Technology leverages digital technology, enabling a patient scan to a case delivery in approximately 15 minutes, a significant improvement from previous multi-day processes.
• 🤖 Artificial intelligence (AI) is used to drive efficiency and refine treatment plans based on data from over 22 million global cases.
• 🚀 The company can now handle 100% of orthodontic cases worldwide due to continuous technological advancements.