Sultan Healthcare Inc.

Englewood, New Jersey

Interviewee:
CAREY LYONS, Executive Vice President, Sultan Healthcare Inc.

Question #1

Inside Dentistry (ID): The dental industry and the oral healthcare arena have been changing rapidly within the past 5 to 10 years. What do you see as the most significant of those changes?

Sultan: The most significant change in the dental industry has been the dramatic increase in demand for services because of an aging population with more wealth and, therefore, the desire to look better and retain their natural dentition. In addition, there is a decreasing provider population that adds pressure to work more rapidly and service more patients.

Question #2

ID: In what ways—both internally andin dealing with the broader oral healthcare marketplace—has your company responded to these changes?

Sultan: Sultan Healthcare’s strategic plan is to provide more effective products that reduce the number of steps to complete a procedure in less time. This allows dentists and hygienists to see more patients without extending their work hours. Some product examples would be our fast-set GENIE™ Impression Materials, ThreeWay™ Impression Trays, LYSOL® IC™ Surface Disinfectant, Topex 60 Second Fluorides, and Topex® Topical Anesthetic.

Question #3

ID: What do you see as your biggest responsibility to the marketplace, and why does your choice rank as your #1 priority?

Sultan: We believe our biggest responsibility is continuous improvement of our products, our team members, and our distribution partners. Continuous improvements allow us to evolve products of high quality while remaining cost effective, so that at the same time we can work on truly revolutionary products.

Question #4

ID: What product categories—whether preventive, restorative, operative, auxiliary, diagnostic, etc.—do you feel are most in need of innovation based on what’s currently available?

Sultan: Sultan Healthcare is already diversified into many categories with leadership positions and above-average market growth in each category, such as restorative, preventive, infection control, oral therapeutic, and endodontic materials. We believe that each category has tremendous innovation potential because of new compounds, formulas, research, and investment. Sultan has new products under development in each category that will be coming to market over the next 5 years.

Question #5

ID: What do you see as the best approach to the research, development, testing, and ultimate delivery to the market of such needed advancements?

Sultan: We have a multiple-prong approach that includes internal research and development; licensing technology that is ready for market, such as our Purevac Hg Amalgam Capture System that was developed with $1.7 million in NIH grants; dental university research; individual dentist inventions; and strategic alliances with very large multinational companies. Examples of strategic alliances would be Lysol® IC™ with Reckert Benckiser, Prosonic Ultrasonics with Emerson Electric, Assure Plus™ Pouches with Alcan, and Genie™ Impression Material with Rhodia Silcone. These alliances allow us to leverage the tremendous resources these multibillion dollar companies possess for Sultan to direct development and market the products. Dentistry is the most inventive profession and, with the strength of our global distribution network and manufacturing capabilities, we are its ideal commercial partner for individual dentist invention and strategic alliance partners.

Question #6

ID: There are many challenges facing dentistry and oral healthcare today. How is your company helping to resolve them?

Sultan: It goes back to the same strategic initiative. Continue to develop products that allow providers to offer services economically, rapidly, and reliably. This reduces the amount of office visits per patient and allows dentists to provide more care to more people that is longer lasting.

Production facilities at Sultan’s Englewood, New Jersey, location.

CAREY LYONS Executive Vice President Sultan Healthcare Inc.