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.
 

Industry Loses Questad
Washington State Dental Lab Association Past President Gary Questad, CDT, died Jan. 4. He was 60. He had several dental laboratories and, at the time of his death, owned Pilchuck Dental Lab in Snohomish, Wash. He had been a technician for more than 30 years and a Certified Dental Technician for 25 years. He received the Chet Claus award for outstanding effort on behalf of the Dental Laboratories of Washington in 2004. Gary was a member of the Donated Dental Services. He was on the board to spearhead the program for dental laboratory technician education in the greater Seattle area at Lake Washington Technical College.

Industry Leaders Appear on TV

Norbert Ulmer, marketing and sales manager of CAD/CAM lab applications for Sirona Dental Systems, recently appeared on CNBC during the Health Journal Television roundtable discussion with host Gen. Alexander Haig; Christian Sager, executive director of the Pankey Institute; and Lee Culp, CDT, about how technology has affected the dental industry.

The panel focused on the obstacles and challenges that the dental lab industry contends with and how technology can improve the current conditions facing the industry. During the discussion, Ulmer explained that Sirona strongly believes that technology has improved the dental industry in a tremendous way. Sirona has explored the possibilities that technology has to offer and has created a resourceful and affordable CAD/CAM system, inLab, which can fit any size laboratory. Sirona will continue to deliver the many benefits that technology has to offer in order to help ease the communication gap between dentists, technicians and patients.


Market Moves

Harvest Dental Products, LLC has acquired Burbank, California-based AVTEK Dental Products and its assets. Harvest Dental Products will assume all manufacturing, direct marketing and distribution of the Avtek product mix. Operations will be moved from Burbank, Calif., to Ontario, Calif., with no lapse in service or distribution.

Awards and Appointments

Recently, Dr. Robert Hersh, who practices in the Center for Oral Health in Freehold, N.J., won a complete DentalEZ operatory unit for his dental practice.  The well equipped operatory includes the J/V-Generation Chair, Lumina Lights, and a Galaxy Delivery Unit.

Sirona Dental Systems, LLC, has expanded its North American instruments sales force in response to tremendous demand for its recently-released handpiece line. In recent months, the following have joined the Sirona team: Shane Burrows - territory manager - instruments, Northwest region; Art Geier - territory manager - instruments, Ohio Valley region; Dawn Roniger - territory manager - instruments, Mid-South region; Margaret Rose - territory manager- instruments, Mid-Atlantic region; Timothy St. Clair - territory manager - instruments, Great Lakes region. Also, the company has added six new sales professionals to the imaging and operatory sales team: Kevin McNulty - regional sales manager, East; Kent Albrecht - territory manager, Michigan and Indiana; Rick McLane - territory manager, Metro Philadelphia; and Chris Lashley - territory manager, Mid-South.

Noteworthy

DENTSPLY Prosthetics conducted its third annual Prosthodontics Advisory Forum prior to the 2005 Midwinter Dental Meeting. Twenty of the nationís top prosthodondists participated in the forum, held at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Thirty people from seven countries attended Sterngoldís first ERA Implant System certification course at the Amara Institute in Stillwater, Minn.

Byung Kim, CDT, and Gary Eddins won $150 gift certificates at the Southeastern Conference of Dental Laboratories. The prizes were given out by NADL as part of a drawing for subscribing to JDT Unbound and were funded by David Tietz, CDT.

NextGen Work Stations

DentalEZÆ Group will officially launch its new ergonomically designed NextGen Work Station Cabinets at this yearís California Dental Association Meeting in Anaheim.

NextGen Work Stations are specifically designed to put the most commonly used tools within easy reach of the dental professional from a seated position. In addition, the cabinets are constructed with the highest quality materials and craftsmanship to withstand many years of constant use.

According to Aggie Pennington, DentalEZ senior product manager, “The NextGen Work Station line is the result of more than a year of research and development. We surveyed dental professionals during the design phase and also enlisted them to test our prototypes. I think it’s fair to say that this is the cabinetry line that dental professionals designed for themselves.”

NextGen Work Stations can be purchased individually or in a variety of package options to fit any dental office. All three packages incorporate the design philosophy “a place for everything and everything in its place.” The following package example is for a double bay operatory:

•    2 NextGen Team Work Stations (one with duo-instrumentation)

•    NextGen Doctor Work Station

•    NextGen Assistant Work Station

•    NextGen Dual Access Work Station

•    SilhouetteÆ Chair with Ultraleather upholstery

•    GalaxyÆ Magellan Euro-Style Unit and Magellan-style Lumina Light

•    2 Premium Doctor and 2 Assistant Stools

•    J/V-Generation Chair with Ultraleather upholstery

NextGen Work Stations include the quality, features and benefits that dentists, hygienists and dental assistants have come to expect from DentalEZ products and are now available for shipment. For more information please call 1-866-DTE-INFO and press “2” for DentalEZ Customer Service or visit www.dentalez.com.