Dr. Edwin Yen (left), Dr. Sharmila Arjunan (right)

Congratulations to Drs. Edwin Yen and Sharmila Arjunan who are the recipients of the Align Technology Research Award – 2021.

This award was created with the goal of supporting clinical and scientific orthodontic and dental research in universities across the globe. In 2021, there were only four of these awards available for researchers in North America!

Drs. Yen and Arjunan were awarded $25,000 USD for their research project titled: Accuracy of Diagnosing Interproximal Enamel Caries Using Bitewing Radiographs and Near Infra-Red Imaging (NIRI) Technology (iTero element 5D scanners) – In Vivo Study. Through this project, they will be testing to learn if the Near-infra red imaging (NIRI) technology of iTero element 5D scanners can be used as a non-ionizing triage test to detect interproximal enamel caries in patients starting orthodontic treatment. Their funding will go towards the purchase of the iTero element 5D digital scanner.