Industry Insider
3i is a Biomet company and a leading manufacturer of dental implants, abutments, and related products. Since its inception in 1987, 3i has been at the forefront in developing, manufacturing, and distributing oral reconstructive products, including dental implant components and bone and tissue regenerative materials. The company also provides educational programs and seminars for dental professionals around the world. |
Town & Country Becomes “Super Elite” Laboratory for Atlantis CAD/CAM AbutmentsTown & Country Dental Studios, a leading full-service laboratory in the Northeast, has been recognized as the first laboratory in the New York metropolitan area to attain “Super Elite” status from Atlantis Components, Inc. As a Super Elitelaboratory, Town & Country will enjoy faster processing of Atlantis CAD/CAM Abutments, enhanced customer service, and greater educational support. Atlantis CAD/CAM Abutments are at the heart of Town & Country’s complete Simpl™ Implant Abutment System. |
Cheryl Wolf received her BS in Health Science Education from New York State University at Buffalo in 1980 and has since enjoyed a 25-year teaching career. Wolf is a Certified Dental Assistant as well as a North Carolina DA-II who has taught all courses related to Dental Assisting. She has served on the Board of Trustees for the Health Center For Teens & Young Adults and for Community Health Services; she is a past president of North Carolina’s Dental Assisting Educator’s Association; former advisor on Johnson & Johnson’s Infection Control Advisory Panel; and past member of North Carolina’s Department of Community College’s OSHA Policy and Procedures Committee. |
OCO Biomedical Appoints New Chief Executive OfficerOCO Biomedical, Inc., one of America’s leading manufacturers and distributor of dental implants, has appointed John W. Holt Jr. as president and chief executive officer (CEO). “John brings a proven level of leadership in sales, business management and operations to OCO Biomedical,” said Dr. David D’Alise, DDS, founder and chairman of OCO Biomedical. “He has extensive experience in private industry and government, as well as high profile communications firms. John has a history of building excellent consultative relationships with both internal and external clients, and his experience will be invaluable to OCO Biomedical as we continue to develop effective, innovative, and profitable sales and business strategies.” Prior to joining OCO Biomedical, John was chief operating officer of The Xochi Collection, a Santa Fe- and Los Angeles-based manufacturer of wholesale table and kitchen linens; CEO of Direct Mail of Maine; and was president and CEO of Acadia Group, Inc., a healthcare billing and Internet-based physician continuing medical education company. In addition, as former president and partner of Holt, Hughes, & Stamell, one of New England’s leading communications companies, and director of special projects for former Maine Governor Angus S. King, Jr., he brings more than 25 years of solid business experience to OCO Biomedical. Founded in 1973, OCO Biomedical, with headquarters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, manufactures and distributes a complete line of proprietary high-quality products for every dental implant and attachment system solution. OCO Biomedical developed the first reproducible system for attaching prosthesis to a dental implant and now also offers a full line of patented 1- and 2-piece Dual-Stabilization Line™ dental implant process that literally “locks” the implant into the bone at the time of placement. |
Centrix Opens European HeadquartersCentrix, Inc., a leading manufacturer of dental products that make arduous and awkward procedures easier to perform, has opened its European headquarters, operating under the name of Centrix BV, in The Netherlands. The offices of Centrix BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Centrix, Inc., are located at Berweg 169, 3707 AC Zeist, and will be headed up by industry veteran Pieter Versteeg. “Providing localized support to our customers and dealers in Europe is the right way for Centrix to continue its growth pattern,” explained Bill Dragan, Centrix, Inc. president. “With Centrix BV, we will now have a dedicated corporate presence and experienced team in place that can more readily handle the increased amount of product and informational requests that come in every day.” “Pieter has a long history of success in our industry,” Dragan continued, “and he will chart the course for further expansion and office locations in the appropriate geographies.” The formation of Centrix BV reflects not only Centrix’ commitment to satisfying the immediate service needs of its local European customers and dealers, but that it will be a driving force in the development of future products that are specific to a given geographic market need. As new offices open throughout the continent, Centrix BV will therefore be optimally positioned to uncover new opportunities to make dentistry easier in these areas. Contact information for the European headquarters is: Phone: +31 (0)30 692 70 50; Fax: +31 (0)30 393 14 21; E-mail: Europe@centrixdental.com. |
Pulpdent Founder Harold Berk Dies at 88Harold Berk, DDS, FICD, FACD, ScD, who founded the company now known as Pulpdent Corporation, has died at the age of 88. When Harold Berk died on January 9, the dental profession lost one of its great mentors, teachers, innovators, and clinicians. Dr. Berk graduated from Northwestern Dental School in 1941 and received the coveted internship in pediatric dentistry at Forsyth Dental Infirmary for Children in Boston. He was Chief of the Clinic from 1944-1946 when he joined the faculty at Tufts Dental School, where he remained until his death. In 1947 Dr. Berk, together with Ben Rower, founded Rower Dental Manufacturing Company, now known as Pulpdent Corporation and owned and managed by his3 sons, Kenneth, Fredrick, and Donald. On Dr. Berk’s 88th birthday, his long awaited book, Save That Tooth, was published. The beautifully designed book chronicles his research and his life in dentistry and presents fascinating cases in an informal style that brings his patients, and his philosophy, to life. He understood that nature has tremendous healing powers and one of the practitioner’s responsibilities is to create an environment that is favorable for the natural healing process. Dr. Berk was a pioneer in the use of calcium hydroxide for vital pulp therapy and root canal therapy. He developed Pulpdent Paste, the first premixed calcium hydroxide methylcellulose pulpal dressing. In the 1940s, he conducted original research and developed techniques for vital calcium hydroxide pulpotomy. His pulp studies at the National Institutes of Health in the 1950s led to techniques for pulp capping and a life-long friendship with Dr. Harold Stanley, who did the histological sections. In the 1960s he developed techniques for the use of the Endodontic Pressure Syringe for obturating root canals with sealer by filling the apex first and then backfilling the remaining canal space. He was a founding member of American Academy of Dentistry for Handicapped Children, now part of the Federation of Special Care Organizations. Each year the Academy gives the Harold Berk Award for Excellence in the Treatment of Persons with Disabilities to a deserving practitioner at its annual meeting. |
DUX Dental Celebrates Consolidation of Many Years of ExperienceDUX Dental (formerly Van R, Cadco, Clive Craig companies) conducted a national sales meeting in December 2005 to celebrate the consolidation of the three notable companies and their 52 years in business. The theme of the meeting, which took place at its Oxnard, California, headquarters, was “DUX Dental, A Unified Entity.” The companies, founded by Don Porteous, have been recognized worldwide for such products as hydrocolloid, procedure trays and tubs, Zone and Embonte temporary cements, and others. Don Porteous, his son Paul Porteous, and Mr. Frank Rovelli (vice president, general manager) have been instrumental in the consolidation of the Van R, Cadco and Clive Craig companies to DUX Dental. Bob Zettler, director of sales, presented awards to key sales personnel for outstanding performance in the field. Michael Durda, vice president of technical support, provided detailed technical and sales training to the group. There were several presentations within the week thatprovided updated information and assistance to the sales team. |
Symposium to Celebrate Accomplishments of Women in DentistryA collaborative effort among the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s School of Dentistry, the American Association of Women Dentists, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, a symposium titled “The Dental Monologues: Evolution of Women in Dentistry” will celebrate the accomplishments of trailblazing women in the dental profession and will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the University’s School of Dentistry. The meeting is scheduled for March 23-25 at the Jackson Marriott, in Jackson, Mississippi. The symposium’s keynote speaker is Dr. Dushanka Kleinman, deputy director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research at the National Institutesof Health and chief dental officer at the U.S. Public Health Service. It also will feature Dr. Jean Sinkford, who in 1975 became the first woman dean of an American dental school; Dr. Eleanor Gill, who in 2000 was the first female president of the Mississippi Dental Association; and Dr. Kathleen Roth, who in October will become the second female president of the American Dental Association; and other notable women in dentistry and dental hygiene including Anne Battrell, executive director of the American Dental Hygiene Association, Teresa Dolan, professor and dean at the University of Florida School of Dentistry, and Majorie Jeffcoat, professor and dean at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. The symposium will touch on issues including encouraging women to pursue dentistry careers, the contributions of women to the field, research opportunities for women, mentoring, and participating in dentistry organizations. The obstacles women face in the field as private practitioners and in the academic environment will alsobe discussed. The meeting is supported by the following organizations and corporations: Delta Dental of California, Procter and Gamble, Dentsply International, Nobel Biocare, Mississippi State Department of Health, Patterson Dental, Ultradent Products Inc., Mississippi Dental Association, Discus Dental, Southeastern Pond Management, Colgate, Surgitel, OralArts Dental Laboratories, Gillette, and Oral Tech General, Inc. For more information about the symposium, please call Dr. Pia Chatterjee Kirkat 1-601-984-6030 or visit https://dentistry.umc.edu/sda/servlet/Home. |
3i Launches New Website 
Cheryl Wolf Elected to OSAP Board 
