SAN JOSE, Calif., May 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Align Technology, Inc. has awarded $160,000 in new funding to four universities in North America and four universities internationally, and $60,000 in renewals for a total of $220,000 in scientific research funding for projects seeking to better understand orthodontic treatment with clear aligners.

"The diversity in the research projects being supported through the award program in 2012 will not only lead to greater insight into clear aligner therapy, but also to a better understanding of Align's intra-oral scanner technology as it relates to orthodontics," said Dr. Eric Kuo, Align Technology vice president of Clinical Technology.

"As adoption continues to increase with Invisalign® treatment worldwide, Align's research award program continues to build the scientific evidence for clear aligner therapy in the community and further strengthens our relationships with universities," said Dr. Mitra Derakhshan, Align Technology director of Clinical International.

The new research award recipients in North America for 2012 are:

• Dr. Peter Buschang, Dr. Phillip Campbell, Dr. Helder Jacob, and Dr. Doug Crosby at Baylor College of Dentistry (Dallas, TX), $25,000;

• Dr. Thyagaseely Premaraj, Dr. Sundaralingam Premaraj, and Dr. Zhongtang Yu at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (Omaha, NE), $25,000;

• Dr. Emile Rossouw and Dr. Ching-Chang Ko at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC), $25,000;

• Dr. Sercan Akyalcin, Dr. Benjamin Cozad, and Dr. Clark Colville at the University of Texas Health Science Center (Houston, TX), $25,000.

The new research award recipients internationally for 2012 are:

• Prof. Alexander Vardimon, Dr. Nir Shpack, and Dr. Rachel Sarig at Tel Aviv University (Tel Aviv, Israel), $15,000;

• Assoc. Prof. Paul Schneider, Prof. David Manton, Mr. David Thomas, and Dr. Vicki Vlaskalic at the University of Melbourne Orthodontics Unit (Melbourne, Australia), $15,000;

• Prof. Felice Festa, Dr. Stefano Carderi, Dr. Eleda Maria Di Lella, Dr. Antonio Alicandro, and Dr. Antonios Filippakos at the Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio Chieti-Pescara (Pescara, Italy), $15,000;

• Prof. Alberto Laino, Prof. Dr. Carlo Cafiero, Dott. Giuliana Laino, and Dott. Marco Matarasso at Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II" (Napoli, Italy), $15,000.

The eight new study proposals approved for funding in 2012 consist of an evaluation of the enamel width at the contact points of the permanent dentition in association with interproximal reduction (IPR), an analysis of specific tooth movements in teenagers treated with Invisalign aligners, an analysis of canine rotations treated with Invisalign aligners, a study on oral hygiene levels and the quality of bacterial plaque during orthodontic treatment, an evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness of clear aligner treatment in Class I moderate crowding malocclusions, a risk-factor study to identify potential biomarkers for caries and periodontal disease in orthodontic patients, a finite-element analysis evaluation of tooth movement with clear aligners, and an evaluation of the accuracy and reproducibility of orthodontic measurements using the iOC® intra-oral scanner.

All proposals received were reviewed and prioritized by an independent academic committee. The academic committee chair for 2012 was Dr. Timothy Wheeler, professor and chairman of the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Florida.

The 2013 Align Research Award Program details will be announced later this year.