Alex Canfor-Dumas, vice president Africa, Align Technology.

Nasdaq-listed US-based medical device firm Align Technology has today launched direct operations in South Africa.,

The company says direct operations further strengthen Align’s local footprint as the company enhances its global expansion journey.

The Arizona-headquartered company is a manufacturer of 3D digital scanners and Invisalign clear aligners, used in orthodontics. Align has been increasing its footprint worldwide.

Clear aligners are orthodontic devices that are a transparent, plastic form of dental braces used to adjust teeth.

On establishing direct operations in South Africa, the company says it is ‘the latest step in Align’s international expansion’.

“The company aims to further empower Invisalign trained orthodontists and dentists by growing awareness about the significant benefits of treatment with clear aligners,” says the company

It says its goal in the region is to increase the adoption of clear aligner therapy as an innovative treatment option.

In South Africa, Align will also focus efforts on the education of doctors and patients, especially assisting doctors achieve optimum patient results while ensuring the safety of patients.

The company says that the investment strengthens Align’s position as a ‘strategic partner to its doctor customers in the region, by sharing orthodontic treatment possibilities and catering to the rapidly growing demands of South African dentists and patients for dental solutions’.

Markus Sebastian, senior vice president, EMEA, Align Technology, who launched the company today in Johannesburg, says: “We see enormous potential in South Africa, with a growing demand for Invisalign clear aligners.

“As consumer demand grows, we aim to make Invisalign treatment accessible to more doctors and help transform the smiles of more of their patients. We’re focused on supporting practices in their growth through digitisation with clear aligner therapy, intraoral scanners and digital workflows.

Also present at the launch was Alex Canfor-Dumas, vice president, Africa, Align Technology. Canfor-Dumas says: "The launch of direct operations in South Africa underlines our ongoing commitment to the African market and recognises the local needs of our doctor customers and our desire to support their efforts to provide the best possible outcomes for their patients.

“I am confident this investment will allow us to build a stronger local presence and further expand the Align business footprint in the Africa region. While South Africa represents healthy growth potential, we expect a gradual increase in case volume as we build our business over the next several years."