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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
financial_institution
segment
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Number of operating segments 2us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments    
Restricted cash $ 3.8us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue    
Original maturity of highly liquid investments included in Cash and cash equivalents 2 years    
Foreign currency net loss 3.8us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossRealized    
Number of financial instutions used 2algn_CashFinancialInstitutionsUsed    
Scanners, Warranty period 1 year    
Advertising cost 26.9us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense 26.0us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense 23.6us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense
Lease term 9 years    
Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries 260.9us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries    
Medical device tax expense 6.8algn_MedicalDeviceExciseTaxExpenseBenefit    
Building      
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Property plant and equipment estimated useful lives 20 years    
Software Development      
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Property plant and equipment estimated useful lives 10 years    
Capitalized computer software development expenses during period 2.6us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareAdditions
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SoftwareDevelopmentMember
   
Minimum      
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Property plant and equipment estimated useful lives 3 years    
Estimated useful lives of intangibles 1 year    
Maximum      
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Original maturity of highly liquid investments included in Cash and cash equivalents 3 months    
Property plant and equipment estimated useful lives 10 years    
Estimated useful lives of intangibles 15 years    
Noncurrent Assets      
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Restricted cash   4.0us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= algn_NoncurrentAssetsMember
 
Other Noncurrent Assets      
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Restricted cash 3.6us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_OtherNoncurrentAssetsMember
4.0us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_OtherNoncurrentAssetsMember
 
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets      
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Restricted cash   1.6us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_PrepaidExpensesAndOtherCurrentAssetsMember
 
Other Current Assets      
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Restricted cash $ 0.2us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_OtherCurrentAssetsMember