Invisalign continues to invest in elevating and celebrating the stories of youth sports, specifically those of young women in sports, which are at the forefront of a cultural revolution. They are gaining unprecedented visibility, breaking barriers, and inspiring a global movement of empowerment. Invisalign is elevating the stories of women in the sports industry – not just the players, but also women across the entire ecosystem.
This past weekend, Invisalign and Overtime crowned Saniyah Hall, captain of the All Knighters, the OT Select MVP after a win against ISO WRLD. Posting a dominant line of 28 points, 12 boards, six assists and four steals, Hall led her team to victory. The MVP celebration was a marquee moment of the partnership between Invisalign and Overtime, which centers on building confidence in athletes through sports.
Invisalign and Overtime are committed to promoting confidence in athletes by providing them with the tools they need to feel and play their best. The partnership highlights the importance of confidence in sports and both brands’ dedication to creating a lasting impact by celebrating youth athletic achievements in a fun, inclusive, and empowering environment.
Whether they are in the business of sports, youth sports or later in their career, Invisalign is teaming up with the best of the best to tell the real stories of these elite players who are choosing Invisalign to transform their smiles. Some of their partners include: the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, Jordan Chiles, the Creighton University Women’s Basketball Team and more.
I chatted with Invisalign's Kamal Bhandal ahead of the championship matchup to learn more about their impact in sports.
MORE: Wilson Sporting Goods serving up major energy in NYC Ahead of U.S. Open
Overtime Elite
SN: Thanks for chatting with us, Kamal! Alright, so I'll start with Overtime since we're here. Invisalign has been partnered with them for, you said, a couple of years. How was that decision to partner with the league in the first place?
Bhandal: We both believe in building confidence on and off the court, so that's one. The second piece is when you really take a step back and you think about Invisalign. Invisalign is an alternative to braces, and hence, our audience that we need to make sure that we connect with is here. And when you think about the confidence crisis that's going on with young girls, with 45 percent of girls dropping out of sport before the age of 14, we know that we can play a role in her life that adds to her confidence as opposed to taking away from it.
SN: Interesting! I think like there's sort of a connection because obviously, when you play sports, somebody can knock your tooth out or something like that. Can you explain the connection that people might not be thinking about, as far as teeth and sports?
Bhandal: I think one of the connections that people miss, or maybe isn't as obvious, is the connection to overall health and peak performance. When you think about athletes, athletes do everything that they can to ensure that they are at their peak performance, right? Whether it's training, supplements, a good diet, or working out. One thing that is often missed is oral hygiene.
And when you think about it in this line, teens and adults also, but teens, in you know, from an oral hygiene standpoint, you're going to have better oral hygiene, more likely than not, within this line than you will with an alternative. And hence, it really adds to their game in a way that most people don't think about. So, that's the one surprising element to people. There's certainly the safety aspect, as you were mentioning, in a contact sport. And if you take an elbow or, you know, something else with Invisalign, you won't have the broken bracket or wire.
Overtime Select
SN: What else does Invisalign do, and how else are they present in the world of sports?
Bhandal: So, first and foremost, with the Invisalign system, it's not just the appliance or the aligner, right? More often than not, that's what people think about. Certainly, with players and their busy schedules. We also offer it to everyone, but it's really beneficial for athletes. An aspect of virtual care, and from a virtual care standpoint, you can actually have appointments with your doctor and have your care in a way that you can connect virtually through the Mindvisalign app. It’s a complete system throughout your entire treatment; you always have someone by your side: your doctor, first and foremost.
It doesn't matter where you are; if you're on the road or you're here for the summer, as an example, and your hometown is somewhere else, you still can have your check-ins and have your doctor see your progress.
SN: Do you know how many of the players with all the partnerships that you have are actually wearing an Invisalign that we just can't see?
Bhandal: Yeah, absolutely. The players here from today's championship, as an example, we have two players, Saniyah Hall and Kaleena Smith, both captains tonight, who wear Invisalign. Not so much during the game, but in their regular life, they are part of the Invisalign Smile Squad. With both of them actually wearing Invisalign, they're doing it for the reasons we just described: both that confidence on and off the court, as well as then also that peak performance that they're looking for from an oral health standpoint.
Overtime Elite
SN: Why women’s sports specifically?
Bhandal: I always say that we are investing in the business of women's sports. It ladders back to that confidence crisis with the 45 percent stat that I shared earlier of girls dropping out of sport before the age of 14, not because of skill, but because of body confidence issues. You then also have a stat that's non-sports related: 55 percent of girls in fifth and sixth grade, athlete or not, do not have the confidence in themselves to achieve whatever it is they want to achieve. So, coming back to your question, why sports and why invest in women's sports? She is our customer. And at the end of the day, in order for us to earn the right to be a part of her life, we have to ensure that we are doing things to support her. We want everyone in women's sports to know that the Invisalign brand is as much a part of their health regimen, their beauty regimen, whichever might be the most important, that it is the one to choose as opposed to other alternatives.
SN: Amazing! Can you explain to our audience what’s happening in December?
Bhandal: As part of our commitment to women's sports, we are also focused on the college scene, with college basketball. We will be hosting the Invisalign Bay Area Classic at Chase Center, and it will be an NCAA doubleheader. We will have Stanford play, Cal play, the University of Oregon, and then also USC. And on many of these teams, you also have different players wearing Invisalign. We’re really excited about that, and actually, there are some Overtime graduates like Jazzy Davidson, who graduated last year. She's signed on to USC. There’s also Nunu Agara from Stanford and a few others. We’re really excited about hosting the Invisalign Bay Area Women's Classic at Chase Center.
SN: What about our boys? What does Invisalign have for them?
Bhandal: That’s a great question, because Invisalign expands to boys, as well. Our partnership with Overtime actually extends across three other major leagues: the OT7 side, then Overtime Elite, and now also Overtime Select. We want the boys to know as well, and their parents, that Invisalign is an option for them, both for oral health reasons, and the confidence piece on and off the court. I think that's another important point. Oftentimes, there's media coverage about the confidence crisis with young girls, but at the same time, we also need to acknowledge that there's a confidence element to young boys that we need to help, support and elevate.
SN: Did we cover everything? Is there anything else you want to add?
Bhandal: I think the last thing I would add is that oftentimes, and this goes back to maybe what's not so obvious about us being here, people associate the Invisalign brand with adults and just for cosmetic reasons, and the reality is that we have Invisalign for kids, for teenagers and also adults. So, whether it's a simple case or a complex case, we always say that a trained doctor with Invisalign can handle that. Always talk to your doctor about Invisalign, and just not assume that Invisalign is only for adults and for simple cases.
MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS:
- PSA: Matthew McConaughey is bringing his tequila to the New York Mets
- LeBron James' daughter Zhuri channels her inner 'Clueless' in 1990s preppy outfit
- Stephen Curry reveals his true feelings on Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us'
- Taylor Rooks shares surprise wedding with guests Kevin Durant, Jack Harlow