Around The Industry

Celebrate the industry.
Catch up with the latest awards and appointments, market moves and noteworthy items.

To submit items for publication contact JDT Unbound at jdt@nadl.org.


Prosthodontics Advisory Forum Connects
DENTSPLY Prosthetics with the Prosthodontic Community

In an effort to ensure the continued efficacy and relevance of its product line, service and direction, DENTSPLY Prosthetics conducted its third annual Prosthodontics Advisory Forum prior to the 2005 Midwinter Dental Meeting.

Twenty of the nation’s top prosthodondists participated in the forum, held Wednesday, February 23, at the Four Seasons Hotel.  V. Sundar, Ph.D., Manager of Product Commercialization, and Nels Ewoldsen, DDS, MSD, Director of Clinical Research, moderated the wide-ranging discussions.

Event feedback enables DENTSPLY Prosthetics to better serve, educate, and understand the needs of the industry, while uncovering ways to more efficiently direct company resources. As such, the forum dovetails with the broader corporate goal of DENTSPLY International to provide cutting edge technology, education and service.

Also participating were representatives from DENTSPLY Caulk, dental consumables division, and DENTSPLY Friadent/CeraMed, the implant division.   Among forum topics were over-dentures and prosthetic attachments; implant products their indication and applications; tooth occlusion; and new techniques for direct composite crowns.  Participants developed their own focus-issues in break-out sessions, which were presented to the group for discussion.

Later in the week, DENTSPLY International conducted the Women’s Dental Forum, bringing together 19 women dentists representing various specialties. Representatives of six DENTSPLY International divisions introduced attendees to new and existing products, with the hope of discovering ways of making company products and services more useful to the growing female dental professional segment.

DentalEZ Group Names Patterson
Dental Supply 2004 Dealer Of The Year

DentalEZ Group named Patterson Dental Supply the 2004 Dealer of the Year during its recent National Sales Meeting in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Patterson, a full service distributor, sells all four DentalEZ Group brands - StarDentalÆ, DentalEZÆ, CustomAirÆ, and RAMVACÆ.

According to DentalEZ Group president Carl Bretko, “This award recognizes Patterson Dental Supply for exceptional sales performance and growth of every product family throughout North America. Patterson’s performance contributed significantly to the success of DentalEZ in 2004.”

“This award is not only an honor; it’s also a testament to the success of a partnership dedicated to quality and professionalism,” said Scott Kabbes, President of Patterson Dental Supply, Inc.

 

DTI Expands Ontario Presence and Enters Ottawa Market

DTI Dental Technologies Inc. has acquired 100 percent of the shares of Dental Technology Group Inc. Based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Dental Technology Group has been offering a full range of dental laboratory services to the greater Ottawa market for more than 12 years. Allan Cayer and Kevin McDonald, RDT, founders of the laboratory, will join DTI to continue the growth and development of DTI business around Ottawa and throughout Eastern Canada. Rob Waters will continue to serve as DTI Dental Technology Group’s general manager, and Leo Boersch, RDT as quality assurance manager.

Paolo Kalaw, DTI CEO, stated, “Allan and Kevin have built a excellent team and we are extremely pleased that they have chosen to join DTI and contribute to our future growth.”
DTI owns and operates premium quality dental laboratories across Canada and the U.S. and is actively seeking acquisition candidates in both countries.  
   

Access to Oral Health Care: Not a Level Playing Field

Public-health policy-makers are increasingly concerned about the fact that, even with all the progress in oral health care, there are many groups who simply do not have access to it, and their oral and general health is suffering as a result.

At the 83rd General Session of the International Association for Dental Research, convening today at the Baltimore Convention Center, research groups from ten institutions will report on various studies designed to solve the problems of oral health disparities -- everything from treatment for Medicaid- eligible children, to the role of sugared beverages in tooth decay, to the connection between pregnancy and tooth loss, to the role of insurance in whether children get sealants and subsequent restorations.

All of the studies concluded that disparities in access are largely related to socio-economic status, race, gender, and age, and that the most successful strategy for improving access is via assessments of oral health, environment, behavior, microbiology, and genes within the family.

Inman Aligner Featured on Extreme Makeover

The Inman Aligner, the NADL Harry Hagman Award winning orthodontic appliance, was featured on episode 13 of this season's ABC hit series Extreme Makeover. The appliance straightens anterior teeth without the need for braces in as little as four weeks. The appliance was designed by Donal P. Inman, CDT, and is available exclusively in the U.S. through Inman Orthodontic Laboratory, CDL, Coral Springs, Fla., and Great Lakes Orthodontic Ltd., Tonawanda, N.Y.

Court Rules Against Dentsply

“The nation's dominant manufacturer of false teeth must end an anticompetitive practice that has prevented other companies from taking a bigger share of the market, a federal appeals court ruled. A three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said last week that Dentsply International Inc. had improperly stifled competition for more than a decade by requiring its dealers to sign exclusive sales agreements. The court based its decision, in part, on the testimony of a former Dentsply manager who said the company's objective had been to prevent labs and dentists from having a choice about what brand of false teeth to buy. Dentsply officials said in a written statement that they disagreed with the decision and were evaluating a possible appeal.” - Associated Press

IPS EmpressÆ Esthetic Cover Model Mania Winners

Ivoclar Vivadent is pleased to announce the winning makeover teams from Cover Model Mania. The winning teams were unveiled in conjunction with the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting. The winning Cover Model Mania teams are:

    * Dr. Edward Lowe and Nelson Rego, CDT, of Smile Designs by Rego;
    * Dr. Gerald Bittner Jr. and Shoreh Hemmati, CDT;
    * Dr. John Roberts and Michelle Robinson of CMR Dental Laboratory;
    * Dr. Elliot Mechanic and Camille Halaby of CRH Oral Design;
    * Dr. Jeffrey M. Leinasser and Suzzane Warrington of Microdental Laboratories;
    * Dr. Paul R. Barnes and James Morehead of Morehead and Associates Inc. Dental Ceramics;
    * Dr. Bard J. Levey and John Lavicka of Dental Ceramics Inc.;
    * Dr. Timothy M. Meyer and Ulf Broda of Aurum Ceramic Dental Laboratories;
    * Dr. Randy Johnson and Kent Hallmeyer of Frontier Dental Laboratory.