In the year 2000, when Align Technology began its commercial production of custom computer-generated clear aligners – the product known then and now as Invisalign, the orthodontists of the nation were skeptical [and I include myself among those skeptics at the time].  In fact, our skepticism was entirely justified.  At the time it was introduced, the Invisalign product was extremely limited in what it could deliver to the average patient in need of orthodontics.  The primary limitation was that it could not expand dental arches so any space requirements had to be achieved through “slenderizing” the patients teeth [removing a thin layer of enamel on the sides of select teeth for the purpose of creating space]. As you can imagine, the amount of enamel an orthodontist can safely “shave” off the sides of a tooth without enhanced risk of cavities or sensitivity is limited so the number of Invisalign eligible cases in the average orthodontic practice was probably less than 1%. "We are seeing most Invisalign patients finishing their treatment 6 months faster than had they been treated with traditional braces" But within 5 years, Align Technology made the technological advancements necessary to allow the orthodontist to expand a [...]