Invisalign Proficiency Requirements

In June 2009, Align Technology, Inc., announced proficiency requirements mandating ten continuing education hours and ten patient cases started per year for the continued use of its Invisalign™ product. As a champion for continuing education, the AGD did not oppose the educational prong of the requirements, but was concerned about the annual case requirement of ten case starts. AGD members voiced concerns, including the following, about the annual case requirement.

• The requirement was unrealistic and not within the control of the dentist;
• Dentists are professionals with a duty to the well-being of patients, and it would be unethical to push onto patients services they may not need;
• Many dentists had recently paid for and taken Invisalign™ coursework with the belief that it would be sufficient to practice using Invisalign™, and without notice of the new requirement;
• The case requirement may interfere with the rights of state boards to regulate dentistry;
• In areas where equivalent alternatives are lacking, the requirement may have anti-competitive implications.

The AGD responded. In addition to holding numerous telephonic conferences with Align executives and counsel, the AGD provided its members with the opportunity to directly voice their opinions with Align. More than 1,500 of you communicated directly with the president of Align through AGD’s Capwiz tool, and, but for a small handful of you, you voiced your concerns and worries about the annual case requirement.

In April 2010, after much negotiation by the AGD and other professional organizations, we were pleased that Align withdrew the annual case requirement from its proficiency requirements! To read more about what this means to you, please visit Align’s FAQ page.

However, some of you informed us that Align has continued to require dentists who did not meet the now defunct case requirement to nonetheless retake the Invisalign Clear Essentials™ course at their own cost. The AGD researched the matter and communicated your concerns to Align through a formal request from our president  . We are awaiting Align’s response and will keep you updated.