Doceram Medical Ceramics GmbH, headquarted in Dortmund, Germany, and 3M, headquarted in St. Paul, Minnesota, announced they have signed a licensing agreement for Doceram to use 3M’s patented techology that enables the coloring of unshaded ceramics by color-matching dental restorations to the natural color of patients’ teeth.

Doceram Medical will expand the Nacera® brand as a complete system solution for dental laboratories and dental technicians, leveraging 3M’s patented technology for staining zirconia with a new product marketed as Nacera® Classic Liquids.

3M has licensed its patented technology to several other partners in the dental industry and remains open to licensing this technology to other interested parties.