Newport Beach, CA- Glidewell Laboratories announced today the hire of Dr. Neil Park as their Director of Clinical Affairs, a new position created to oversee the clinical aspects of product research and development. In addition to coordinating the activities of the company’s clinical staff, Dr. Park will help guide the company’s training and education efforts to meet the needs of dentists and enhance knowledge and awareness of new techniques, materials, and procedures.
After graduating from Temple University School of Dentistry, Dr. Park practiced as a general dentist for 12 years before moving on to an accomplished career in the dental implant industry. This included a 19-year stint with Nobel Biocare during which he managed the company’s continuing education programs and university relationships, and helped bring several key implant systems and restorative solutions to market. As part of this effort, Dr. Park was key in developing and implementing a pre-doctoral implant curriculum in universities throughout North America.
In 2010 Dr. Park transitioned from Nobel Biocare to ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers. There, he led efforts to increase patient acceptance of full-arch implant treatment.
Most recently, Dr. Park was at the helm of professional development at Zimmer BiometDental, where he oversaw practitioner education programs and managed the company’s relationships with universities and national dental associations. Having joined Glidewell Laboratories, Dr. Park is eager to aid the company’s efforts to improve treatment outcomes and expand patient access to care.
“Glidewell Laboratories has a unique perspective as a manufacturer of dental implants and prosthetics because of our long history supporting doctors in planning and restoring cases. We have a staff of clinicians that test the effectiveness of techniques, products and treatment protocols,” Dr. Park recently noted. “Dentists want to know that their restorations will be durable, esthetic, and serve the patient well. Our one-of-a-kind clinical operation allows the opportunity to develop implants and prostheses that accomplish just that and have been verified using licensed dentists and real patients.”
“This capability really doesn’t exist anywhere else,” he continued. “We generate a great deal of useful clinical data from a large number of patients, and we utilize that research to guide doctors in their choice of materials and techniques. Doctors want confidence in the restorations they prescribe, and 45 years as a market-leading dental lab has given us a great idea of what materials and implant designs will work well in the hands of dentists.”
In addition to overseeing the clinical aspect of product research, development, and evaluation, Dr. Park’s accomplished background in doctor training and education will inform the company’s efforts to help practitioners incorporate the latest procedures and technologies. Now that most dental school graduates have received some basic training in diagnosing, treatment planning, and restoring implant cases — a development he fostered during his tenure with Nobel Biocare — Dr. Park recognizes that the role of implant manufacturers in continuing education has shifted. “Glidewell Laboratories understands that the best way to serve dentists is by leveraging technology, innovation and education to improve the results and value they can deliver for patients, and I look forward to contributing to that effort.”
Dr. Park will be instrumental to the accelerating rollout of the Hahn™ Tapered Implant System, which was released in 2015 and designed by Dr. Jack Hahn, a pioneer in implantologyand developer of the original tapered implant. “Dr. Hahn has been placing and designing implants for quite some time and has seen what has worked and what hasn’t firsthand. His latest implant blends clinically proven features and innovations inspired by the four-decades-plus he’s been practicing implant dentistry. I’m excited to help get the word out on how this system can get practitioners even better results.”
