Align Technology (Nasdaq: ALGN) is expanding its use of direct 3D printing beyond orthodontic treatment with a new line of custom sports mouthguards, while reporting third-quarter 2026 revenue of $1 billion, up 1.9% from a year earlier.The company announced on October 28 that it is launching a U.S.pilot of its 3D printed Invisalign Sports Guard, continuing development of its next-generation NXT printing technology, and preparing for a leadership change as longtime CEO Joe Hogan steps down at the end of the year.
The biggest development for the 3D printing industry is Align’s move into sports protection.The new Invisalign Sports Guard is made directly with 3D printing using a digital scan from the company’s iTero intraoral scanner.Traditionally, companies 3D print a dental model and then shape the aligner around it.
With direct 3D printing, they can print the finished product instead.Align has been working toward this shift for years, including through its acquisition of Cubicure, a company specializing in advanced polymer 3D printing.The sports mouthguard will be available through participating Invisalign providers and offered in multiple thickness options.
Align is beginning the U.S.pilot this week, although the company has not announced a broader commercial launch date just yet.For Align, this creates another use for its existing digital dentistry platform.
The company already works with dentists and orthodontists who use iTero scanners and Invisalign products, giving it a network through which it can introduce the new mouthguards.Hogan also pointed to the opportunity among younger patients, particularly those who play contact sports.During the earnings call, he explained that “The reason I thought it was time to do this is we have a unique resin we have developed that has significant advantages over resins that are used for mouth guards today.” He added that 3D printing allows the company to customize mouthguards for different sports and personal needs.
“I can tell you that almost every orthodontist we have out there is asking for mouth guards,” Hogan went on, specifying that the sports mouth guard business is anywhere between six and eight billion dollars.Patrick Mahomes, star quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, already wears Invisalign.Image courtesy of Align Technology.
The new sports mouthguard is also part of Align’s push to use direct 3D printing across more of its products.The company is developing NXT Technology, a new printing and materials platform designed to make Invisalign appliances “more precise, consistent and customizable.” Earlier this year, Align also launched its Invisalign Specifix attachment system, bringing direct 3D printing to the small attachments used during orthodontic treatment.Clear Aligner Revenue Grows as Scanner Sales Decline Align sold more clear aligners in the third quarter, but revenue from its digital scanners and related services fell.
That makes sense, though, since dentists can use the same scanner for years.Except Align also pointed to changes in how dentists are buying scanners, instead of a lack of demand for them.It seems more practices are choosing lower-priced models, leasing or renting equipment instead of buying more expensive scanners.
As Hogan explained during the earnings call, “Revenue continues to reflect a greater mix of lower price configurations as well as flexible acquisition models, including leasing, financing, rentals, and certified pre-owned systems.” Despite the drop in revenue, Align continued to expand its scanner installed base.iTero scanner systems.Image courtesy of Align Technology.
Overall, Align’s Q3 revenue reached $1.015 billion, compared with $995.7 million in the same quarter last year.Clear Aligner revenue increased 4.2% to $839.3 million, while shipment volume rose 6.6% to roughly 690,600 cases.And as Align sells more aligners, it also needs to manufacture more of them.
The company relies heavily on 3D printing in that process, although it doesn’t report how much of its revenue comes specifically from 3D printing.Meanwhile, Align’s Imaging Systems and CAD/CAM Services business, which includes its digital scanning and design technologies, saw revenue fall 7.6% year over year to $175.5 million.Align also reported a more profitable quarter, with net income of $135 million, up from $56.8 million a year earlier.
Its operating margin rose to 16.7%, up from 9.7% in the third quarter of 2025.Looking ahead, the brand expects full-year revenue of $4.11 billion to $4.13 billion, with Clear Aligner revenue and shipments both expected to grow around 5% to 6%.Align hasn’t said how much revenue it expects from NXT Technology, Specifix or its new sports mouthguards.
For now, it’s still too early to know how much these products will add to the business.A New CEO Takes Over as Align Expands Its 3D Printing Strategy Along with its quarterly earnings, Align announced that Jennifer L.Davis will become president and CEO on December 31, 2026, replacing Joe Hogan, who has led the company since 2015.
Davis most recently served as CEO of Procter & Gamble‘s Global Healthcare business, overseeing a portfolio that included oral-health and personal-health brands.She will join Align as CEO-elect and a board member on November 2, working alongside Hogan during the transition.Hogan will step down as CEO at the end of December and is expected to remain on the board until June 2027.
The leadership change comes as Align moves into a new phase of its digital manufacturing strategy.Under Hogan, the company expanded its Invisalign business, developed its digital dentistry platform, and invested in technologies intended to make direct 3D printing a larger part of its product offering.Davis will inherit a company that is still growing its core aligner business while developing new applications for its printing and materials technologies.
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