The History Behind Invisalign

It’s 2016, unless you’ve been spending a substantial amount of time under a rock, you have heard of Invisalign a time or two. Those who had braces before 2005 probably had very few choices when it came to orthodontic treatment; generations that underwent metal braces, with no alternatives. Most know of Invisalign as the invisible method of teeth straightening teeth via removable aligners, but do you know the history of Invisalign?

Invisalign was created by Zia Chishti and Kelsey Wirth in 1997. Chishti was an orthodontic college student when he came up with the idea of Invisalign. He struggled with a retainer as part of his daily routine, realizing that there had to be a better approach to orthodontics. After teaming up with Wirth, the Stanford University students started looking for partners on their own campus. The two found Apostolos Lerios and Brian Freyburger, and the four officially created Align Technology. Invisalign braces were first made available to the public in May of 2000. Like so many start-up success stories, the investors of Invisalign and Align and Technology came from Kleiner Perkins Caufield, developing the invisible braces in a Menlo Park, California garage.

In 2016 Invisalign continues to be in high demand. Invisalign is seen not as an alternative to braces, but an equal competitor that offers the same results with a proven, yet different, system. Invisalign now has over 3,000 employees and an annual revenue of around $560 million!

If you’re looking for the same results as braces, but without the hassle of metal braces and retainers, call Renew Dental today and see if Invisalign is right for you!