From Our Parents: What is Invisalign Teen?

Invisalign Teen is a new product from Align Technology that can straighten your child's teeth without the hassle, discomfort, and embarrassment of traditional braces. Your teen will receive a series of clear, virtually invisible aligners from the orthodontist, approximately every six weeks.

As we are treating more and more teenagers with Invisalign Teen orthodontic appliance, more parents are aware of the product. Below please find some of the most commonly asked questions from our parents at OrthoWorks (www.orthoworks.com) and the answers. If you would like your child to get a complimentary orthodontic consultation for Invisalign Teen, please call our office at 888 BRACES2.

Q: How will I know how often my child
is wearing their aligners?

A: The compliance indicators located on the
upper aligner can estimate the approximate
amount of time your teen spends wearing the
product. The indicators are designed to fade
from blue to clear as a gauge of approximate
wear time, so you can ensure your child's
compliance easily.

Q- What happens if my child does not wear the
aligners for the recommended amount of time?

A- Invisalign Teen is most effective when worn
per your doctor's recommendation. Overall, we
find the aligners are most effective if worn 20 to
22 hours per day-and removed only for eating,
brushing, and flossing. However, it is not detri-
mental to the alignment process if your child goes
without wearing aligners for short periods of time
once in a while.

Q: What happens if my child loses one or both of
their aligners?

A- In the event that an aligner is lost or broken,
your teen should inform their doctor right away.
The doctor will probably tell them to start wearing
their last set or next set of aligners immediately.
He or she will then order your teen a new set of
aligners to replace the ones that were lost. In most
cases the replacement aligners should arrive in a
few days.

Q: What is the difference between the adult
Invisalign product and the Invisalign Teen product?

A: Although many of the benefits are the same,
Invisalign Teen is differentiated by three new
features that were designed specifically for a
patient with the needs or the type of dentition
commonly found in the teen age-group.


Q: Is Invisalign as effective as traditional braces?

A: We have treated many teens with Invisalign Teen.
We've found that in the hands of a skilled practitioner
and when worn per your doctor's recommendation, Invisalign
Teen can be as effective as traditional braces for
many types of treatment.

Q: Is it easy to keep your teeth clean with
Invisalign Teen?

A: Yes! Invisalign Teen allows your child to remove
the aligners for eating or brushing their teeth, so it
is much easier to maintain proper oral hygiene with
our product than it is with traditional metal braces.
Best of all, food will not get caught on any fixed
brackets and wires, since Invisalign is removable
and wire-free!

Q: What are some other advantages of
tnvisalign Teen over traditional braces?

A: In addition to keeping a clean mouth, an
active lifestyle is made simpler when wearing
Invisalign as opposed to the fixed wire and
brackets. Since the device is removable it's easy
for your child to play sports or an instrument as
any teenager would—even one who is not in
orthodontic treatment.

Please write me if you have more questions about the Invisalign Teen Orthodontic Appliance. Invisalign Teen is on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/invisalignteen?v=feed&story_fbid=99512303911

David Shen, DMD
info@orthoworks.com

Align Technology Provides Update on Patent Litigation with Ormco Corporation

Align Technology Provides Update on Patent Litigation with Ormco Corporation

SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 21, 2009 -- Align Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGN) today provided an update on the a lawsuit brought by Ormco Corporation (Ormco) against Align Technology, Inc. (Align) in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (District Court), which was tried by jury June 9 through June 25, 2009.
As previously disclosed, on June 26, 2009, the jury delivered a verdict against Align. Ormco alleged that Align infringed claims of Ormco’s 6,616,444 patent. Align claimed non-infringement, invalidity, as well as unenforceability of the patent and equitable defenses. The jury found the claims asserted by Ormco in the 6,616,444 patent to be infringed and valid. The jury also issued an advisory verdict that Ormco did not engage in prosecution laches or unclean hands, equitable defenses raised by Align. The jury only determined liability. Any monetary damages will be determined in a later trial, which has not been schedule, but would likely occur in early 2010. The jury verdict does not preclude Align from selling its Invisalign System. We have not accrued any liability for the judgment related to the Ormco litigation as such amounts are not reasonably estimable at this time. This is due to a number of factors, including: that the Court has not yet entered judgment; that discovery regarding possible damages is a lengthy and time consuming process involving testimony of experts and has not yet begun; and that determining a reasonable royalty rate is highly fact specific and there are many complicated factors to consider in this case.

The Court requested and has received briefing on the equitable defenses raised by Align and is expected to rule on the equitable defenses later this week. Align believes the facts and the law do not support the jury’s findings of infringement and validity and therefore has filed a motion for judgment as a matter of law on all issues seeking to set aside the jury’s verdict of liability. The Court has set a hearing on our motion for August 3, 2009, after which the Court is expected to enter judgment. Depending on the judgment entered by the Court, we may file various post-trial motions and if unsuccessful, we intend to appeal the liability decision and request a stay of the damages phase of the case pending appeal.

On July 13, 2009, Ormco filed a motion for permanent injunction against Align seeking to enjoin the sale of the Invisalign System through the January 2010 expiration of the 6,616,444 patent, as well as other injunctive relief including the destruction of all material, including software, created by Align from September 2003 to the present, the discontinuation of certification programs and the decertification of doctors certified from September 2003 to the present and the destruction of sales representatives’ records developed during this time period. The Court has scheduled a hearing on the motion for permanent injunction for August 17, 2009. Ormco seeks unusual injunctive relief that we believe is unwarranted and not supported by the law or facts of the case. Align will contend that an injunction would cause irreparable harm to Align, its employees and those doctors who include Invisalign as a large part of their practice, and would interrupt patient treatment and services currently underway. In addition, a balancing of hardships weighs heavily in Align’s favor as the issuance of the injunction would require Align the cease the sale of its sole product, the Invisalign System, while the denial of the injunction does not harm Ormco. Finally, any harm Ormco claims to have suffered would be sufficiently compensated by money damage. For these reasons, we strongly believe that Ormco’s motion for a permanent injunction should be denied and we will vigorously oppose the motion. In the unlikely event that the Court grants a permanent injunction, we would immediately appeal to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and seek to stay the injunction.

Ormco Patent Litigation Background Previously Disclosed:
Align has had ongoing patent litigation with Ormco, since 2003 when Ormco sued Align for patent infringement and Align won a sweeping summary judgment. Ormco appealed that decision and in August 2007 the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that 86 of Ormco’s 92 claims (related to 6,616,432, '243, '861 and '444 patents) were invalid and not infringed by Align. Ormco pursued the six remaining claims, which relate generally to a process of gathering and organizing tooth data, in the lawsuit against Align in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.





Posted by OrthoWorks at 11:35 AM
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Orthoworks Dental Group Receives 2009 Best of San Bruno Award

Orthoworks Orthodontic Group Receives 2009 Best of San Bruno Award

U.S. Commerce Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., June 8, 2009 -- Orthoworks Orthodontic Group has been selected for the 2009 Best of San Bruno Award in the Orthodontists and Invisalign category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Commerce Association

CONTACT:
U.S. Commerce Association
Email: PublicRelations@us-ca.org
URL: http://www.us-ca.org

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