SoftSmile Reveals New Aligner Software Solution Using Biomechanics and Advanced Machine Learning Algorithms at Annual Meeting of American Association of Orthodontists
SoftSmile's software platform brings the entire aligner treatment process - from treatment plan to aligner creation - directly to the orthodontists' practices to better enable them to craft beautiful and affordable smiles for their patients.
NEW YORK, May 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SoftSmile, a software platform with a suite of features for orthodontists and their practices, revealed today the U.S. development of their aligner software technology. SoftSmile's user-friendly interface enters the estimated $945 billion global orthodontic market providing orthodontists the ability to create precise aligner treatment plans in-house that are then developed using advanced 3-D printing technologies. SoftSmile announced the launch at AAO 2020: A Virtual Experience held by the American Association of Orthodontists.
"We have long been perfecting our technology to provide orthodontists with the tools they need to fully utilize their skills, lower the cost of the treatment for the patients and usher in the next revolution in orthodontics," said Khamzat Asabaev, Co-Founder and CEO. "We are confident that the proprietary technology and algorithms integrated in our software will help to transform orthodontists' practices and such problems as uncertainty in the result, high cost and lack of accessible treatment will vanish. We believe that SoftSmile is the solution orthodontists and patients have been waiting for."
The SoftSmile aligner software helps to create a 3-D model of the orthodontic treatment plan, including the revolutionary visualization of teeth roots and movement of the lower jaw during the treatment. It models optimized teeth movement and suggests, along with the knowledge and skill from the orthodontist, the exact number of aligners required for achieving the optimized result. The software is enhanced by AI, which generates key aspects of a treatment plan. Machine learning algorithms automate the time-consuming processes and facilitate the final setup of aligned teeth based on orthodontic measurements, allowing for the industry's most precise software for modelling a digitally optimized treatment plan.
Following the creation of the treatment plan, SoftSmile's software automates 3-D printing for orthodontists, making the entire manufacturing process smooth, intuitive and straightforward. SoftSmile is currently working with the pioneering 3D printing company Carbon to integrate software and manufacturing so that distributed dental printing will become accessible to a wider group of orthodontists.
"I was very impressed when I first started using the SoftSmile technology in my practice that specializes in the application of lingual braces," said Roberto Stradi, DDS MSc in Caserta, Italy. "The learning curve for this technology was fairly minimal and the software was completely customizable, allowing me to remain in control and produce a successful result for my patients."
The SoftSmile team started developing their aligner software technology in mid-2019. Their digital platform is based on years of work and research by SoftSmile co-founders, experienced orthodontists and engineers – including pioneers who first printed lingual braces with a 3-D printer – who devoted years to building the best solutions for orthodontists. Over 100 of the most acclaimed orthodontists from around the world have tested the technology developed by the SoftSmile team, treating over 1,000 people outside of the U.S. In the United States, SoftSmile is backed by the Columbia Start Up Lab and cooperates with Columbia University in general.
To date, the SoftSmile team has been granted 12 U.S. patents for their innovative technologies (over 10 additional U.S. patents are pending). Within the upcoming months SoftSmile will be submitting to the U.S. Federal Drug Administration a Section 510(k) premarket notification of intent to market its software. Ahead of the notification, orthodontists can request to use the SoftSmile software in their practice on a trial basis.