Align Technology, maker of braces alternative Invisalign, has a lot to smile about. After years of tepid growth, Align’s Silicon Valley tech is winning over more customers in the slow-changing orthodontics business, boosting company sales 28% year-over-year. It has an estimated 80% of the North America “clear aligner” orthodontics market, and is offered by more than 50,000 orthodontists and dentists. Invisalign hit its 4 millionth patient in September. In 2016, sales hit $1 billion for the first time. The stock is up 62% in the last 12 months, well outpacing the S&P 500, which is up 13% in the same time.
