In the season of giving PREAT Corporation generously donated to several non-profit organizations throughout the month of December. Organizations included the San Luis Obispo County Noor Foundation providing free dental care to the uninsured in the surrounding communities, the Little Lighthouse Foundation for families with children diagnosed with chronic diseases, and participated in their annual company shopping trip of gifts for three local families to the non-profit CALM of Santa Barbara County. “We consider our own team and the dental professionals we work with our family. This sense of family extends to our communities and the patients we ultimately serve. It is PREAT’s core mission to improve the quality of life of all involved.” said Chris Bormes, President of PREAT Corporation.

For information, www.preat.com or 800-232-7732.

PREAT Corporation is proud to announce the promotion of Ruben Arebalo as Vice President in December of 2018. Mr. Ruben Arebalo has 15 years of dental laboratory experience with 11 years of digital design and edentulous, full-arch case planning skills. A graduate from the University of La Verne, Ruben is frequently sought out for technical advice and implant identification and is recognized as an expert in attachments and implantology. Ruben joined PREAT Corporation in 2008, was named Sr. Technician in 2010, promoted to General Manager in 2014, and is now Vice President. “Ruben possesses exceptional technical skills along with a true commitment to our partners and their success. I have the utmost respect for him as a family man and professional. He truly represents what PREAT is all about.” said Chris Bormes, President of PREAT Corporation.

For information, visit www.preat.com or call 800-232-7732.

Roland DGA Corporation, a provider of wide-format inkjet printers, dental milling machines, and other digital imaging devices, has been awarded a 2018 Top Workplaces honor by the Orange County Register. This marks the eighth time Roland DGA has received this honor from the region’s largest newspaper.

The selection of companies as Top Workplaces is based solely on information obtained from anonymous employee surveys administered by Energage, LLC (formerly WorkplaceDynamics), a provider of employee-based engagement tools. This year, the surveys – which take into consideration meaningfulness of work, leadership strength, training, workplace flexibility and diversity, social responsibility, and other key elements that contribute to employee satisfaction – were completed by 40,564 employees at the selected large, medium, and small-sized companies throughout Orange County. Each employee responded to 24 statements that define their workplace environment and, based on those responses, a total of 140 companies were chosen as “Top Workplaces” for 2018.

Doug Claffey, CEO of Energage, points out that being a Top Workplace is more than just recognition. “Our research shows organizations that earn this award attract better talent, experience lower turnover, and are better equipped to deliver bottom-line results,” said Claffey. “These companies’ leaders prioritize and carefully craft a healthy workplace that supports employee engagement. This recognition is an achievement these organizations have worked for, and a distinction that gives them a competitive advantage.”

“Being recognized as an Orange County Top Workplace is a tremendous honor, especially because it’s based on feedback from the employees themselves,” noted Andrew Oransky, president of Roland DGA. “The fact that we’ve received this award eight times reflects Roland DGA’s success in not only creating, but also maintaining, a positive, collaborative, and supportive work environment.”

The Orange County Register published its complete list of Top Workplaces for 2018 on December 7. For more information, or to view the entire list, visit https://www.ocregister.com/2018/12/07/top-workplaces-2018-see-the-list-of-all-140-orange-county-honorees.

To learn more about Roland DGA Corporation, or Roland DGA’s complete line of products, visit www.rolanddga.com.

DentalEZ announced the acquisition of Forest Dental, a 45-year-old manufacturer of dental operatory equipment. Located in Hillsboro Oregon, Forest is known for its highly reliable yet simple technology. The acquisition of Forest Dental gives DentalEZ an exciting new addition to a diverse and growing portfolio of dental products.

“We’re in a time when practices recognize the importance of elevating and enhancing the patient experience,” said Heather Trombley, President and COO of DentalEZ. “Forest Dental uses beautifully crafted design to create a fun factor for both the patient and the staff. But the brilliance of their design extends well beyond the esthetic. Their products embody the design idea of simplicity, no more or less than exactly what the customer needs.”

The acquisition of Forest Dental allows DentalEZ to continue with its new long-term strategic goals. The complementary product offering extends the DentalEZ reach across a variety of customer segments. In addition, the companies will be able to leverage the benefits of shared supply chains and operational functions.

Current Forest customers will have the benefit of availing themselves to the more diverse line of products available from DentalEZ. Plus, the two entities will be able to utilize a single sales team, Professional Sales Associates, that is already familiar with Forest Dental Products.

The Forest Dental brand will continue as part of the DentalEZ portfolio of products, and the company will go to market as Forest Dental Equipment. The current Forest Dental leadership team will remain in place in Hillsboro, OR, including Hank Barton who bought Forest Dental in 2004.

Barton’s vision—making dental equipment more exciting and esthetically appealing—has become a signature trait of Forest designs. This includes offering practices a diverse color palate, carbon fiber trims, chrome accents, contrast upholstery stitching and more.

“It’s with great enthusiasm that we take this next step forward for Forest Dental,” said Barton. “The real beauty of this is that DentalEZ recognizes and respects what we have accomplished in the market place, and with their backing Forest can go further, faster than we ever could have alone. Everyone at Forest is excited about this next stage in our long history.”

About DentalEZ

DentalEZ Integrated Solutions is committed to providing real solutions to everyday challenges in oral healthcare by uniquely combining innovation focused on simplification and efficiency in value-based products and outstanding customer service and support. DentalEZ manufactures a full line of products and well-known brands, including StarDental®, DentalEZ® Equipment, RAMVAC®, NevinLabs™, and Columbia Dentoform®. For more information, please visit www.dentalez.com.

BIOLASE, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIOL), the global leader in dental lasers, announced that they are bringing an increased awareness of advanced oral healthcare through the use of dental lasers to those in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. BIOLASE sponsorship of ESPN Events will be active through three NCAA football bowl games in December: the DXL Frisco Bowl on December 19, the 2018 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on December 22 and the 2018 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on December 26, providing multiple opportunities for fans to be educated on how to maintain their oral health with minimally-invasive Waterlase dental lasers.

"We're excited to provide BIOLASE the opportunity to advance awareness of the benefits of dental lasers to fans in the Dallas area," said Brant Ringler, executive director of Armed Forces & First Responder Bowls. "This is a terrific way for those watching their favorite teams to be reminded of the importance of maintaining their oral health."

The sponsorship will run alongside BIOLASE's #GameDayGrin social media campaign, which began December 4 and will run through January 13. Fans attending the bowl games or watching from afar can participate in the sweepstakes for a chance to win one of five $100 Ticketmaster gift cards to go towards a game of their choice. To participate, fans can post a selfie of what makes them grin during game day. Select Dallas Mavericks NBA games and Allen Americans ECHL games are included in the sweepstakes as well. Visit the official rules and regulations page for more information on how to enter.

"This sponsorship with ESPN Events is reflective of our ongoing mission to ensure that all patients have knowledge of and access to advanced laser dentistry," said CEO of BIOLASE, Todd Norbe. "We want the community to know that with access to dental lasers, dentistry no longer needs to be associated with pain, needles, long recovery times and anxiety. Motivating fans to show off their grins at the games that they love is one way that we can offer a reminder to keep their teeth healthy, so that they can stay focused on what makes them truly smile."

BIOLASE has teamed up with several different professional sports and community organizations to foster the education of dental lasers and advance dentistry in the region, including the Los Angeles Chargers, the Los Angeles Angels, the Dallas Mavericks, the Allen Americans, as well as TeamSmile and Healthy Smiles OC. For more events and updates, follow @waterlase on Twitter, @waterlase_laserdentistry on Instagram and Waterlase Laser Dentistry on Facebook.

About BIOLASE, Inc.

BIOLASE, Inc. is a medical device company that develops, manufactures, markets, and sells laser systems in dentistry and medicine and also markets, sells, and distributes dental imaging equipment, including three-dimensional CAD/CAM intra-oral scanners and digital dentistry software. BIOLASE's products advance the practice of dentistry and medicine for patients and healthcare professionals. BIOLASE's proprietary laser products incorporate approximately 244 patented and 74 patent-pending technologies designed to provide biologically clinically superior performance with less pain and faster recovery times. BIOLASE's innovative products provide cutting-edge technology at competitive prices to deliver the best results for dentists and patients. BIOLASE's principal products are revolutionary dental laser systems that perform a broad range of dental procedures, including cosmetic and complex surgical applications, and a full line of dental imaging equipment. BIOLASE has sold over 37,600 laser systems to date in over 90 countries around the world. Laser products under development address BIOLASE's core dental market and other adjacent medical and consumer markets. For updates and information on Waterlase iPlus®, Waterlase Express™, and laser dentistry, find BIOLASE online at www.biolase.com, Facebook at www.facebook.com/biolase, Twitter at www.twitter.com/biolaseinc and LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/biolase.

GC Corporation has announced that the US International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled in its favor in Inv. No. 337-TA-1050, finding that the importation and sale of GC’s Initial® LiSi Press lithium disilicate ingots does not violate Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930. This significant ruling by the full Commission affirms the result of an initial determination by the ITC’s Chief Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). 

“We consider this ruling to be a complete vindication for GC and its Initial® LiSi Press development team,” said Mr. Makoto Nakao, Chairman and CEO of GC. “This is good news for dentists and dental labs, and for their patients, who will now continue to have access to GC’s high-quality restoration materials. We have never wavered from our position that these allegations were without merit, and we are deeply gratified that the Commission has agreed. We respect the intellectual property rights of our competitors, as we expect our competitors to respect ours, but we will aggressively defend GC against unfounded allegations of infringement.” 

In the original complaint, submitted in March 2017, Ivoclar Vivadent and several affiliates alleged that GC’s Initial® LiSi Press lithium disilicate ingots infringed 33 separate claims of four different patents – U.S. Patent Nos. 7,425,836, 6,517,623, 6,802,894 and 6,455,451, and that Ivoclar’s domestic industry (anchored by its own IPS e.max® products) would be harmed. Prior to a full hearing in March, Ivoclar voluntarily dismissed all claims based on the ’623 and ’451 patents, and the investigation proceeded solely on claims from the ’836 and ’894 patents. Following trial, the Chief ALJ concluded that there had been no violation of Section 337 with respect to any of the remaining patent claims, as all outstanding claims were either invalid or not infringed by GC. After extensive additional briefing by the parties, the Commission upheld the Chief ALJ’s determination of no violation. 

Darby Dental Supply LLC, one of the largest dental distributors in the United States, has moved to a new 13,845 square foot office located at 600 West Hillsboro Boulevard in Deerfield Beach, positioning the company for continued growth in South Florida.

Relocating east from their former location in Coral Springs, the new expanded footprint at Hillsboro Center allows the company to better scale operations and add talent in support of Darby Dental Supply’s national growth initiatives. With 60 employees currently in South Florida, the firm plans to continue to recruit over the next year and add additional talent to the Deerfield Beach outpost. The Jericho, New York-based company currently operates seven regional locations nationwide, including the South Florida location.

“Our success is largely driven by our sales representatives and customer service specialists who pride themselves on building personalized relationships and understanding the unique needs of our clients,” said Kraig Zaharia, Director of Darby Dental Supply’s Florida branch. “Aligning our real estate footprint to better serve and recruit our employees will also ensure an enhanced service experience for our clients.”

The six-story, 116,116 square foot office building sits on the highly-visible southwest corner of Hillsboro Boulevard and is the only Class A office building in Deerfield Beach. Its close proximity to I-95 was a key selling point for Darby as the company gears up to recruit new employees. Darby Dental Supply occupies 13,845 square feet on the second floor, where the firm has created a state-of-the-art communications and customer support center with an open floorplan, leaving room to continue expanding its footprint.

Darby has invested in a number of growth initiatives in the past few years, including the addition of a capital equipment division, expanded private label offerings, and a surgical division which features the Alfa Gate line of implants exclusively in the U.S. The company also formed an exclusive partnership with Dental Fix Rx to provide on-site equipment service and in January 2018 debuted Darby TechForce®, the company’s new technology services arm. Most recently, Darby acquired the dental supply division of West Coast-based distributor SmartPractice, expanding its coverage and availability for customers nationwide.

About Darby Dental Supply

Darby Dental Supply, LLC, is one of the largest dental distributors in the United States, shipping over one million orders each year. Headquartered in Jericho, NY, the company was founded in 1948 and has seven sales offices and three fully-automated distribution centers strategically positioned across the country. With over 45,000 products in stock, Darby services the general practitioner as well as numerous specialties. In addition to Darby’s supply vertical, the company also hosts a technology services division (Darby TechForce®), a capital equipment division, a surgical division, equipment repair services (through an exclusive partnership with Dental Fix Rx), and a full line of private label products. For more information about Darby, please visit darby.com.

The Key Group Inc., a global healthcare market research firm specializing in primary custom research and market intelligence, announced the upcoming release of its 2018 US Dental Laboratory Market Assessment and Trends Report, planned for late January. Now in its 8^th year, this annual report provides a comprehensive overview of material usage and trends in many categories including crown & bridge, digital technologies, dental implants, dentures, and production methodologies in the US dental market.

With data from 300 US dental laboratories, segmented by laboratory size, the report provides robust, quantitative, and statistically valid information with contemporary product market shares. The report delivers an in-depth analysis of production methods and material usage in both fixed and removable dental restorations, covering both in-house and outsourcing business models.

“Based on feedback from the dental industry professionals that we have worked with over many years, there is a real need for accurate data from the dental laboratory market that quantifies the actual ‘voice of the customer.’ True market share and trending statistics are critical for dental products companies to understand the competitive landscape and build a reliable forecasting model,” says Tim Mafale, President of the Key Group.

Our increasingly globalized society thrives on mobility–both in professional and private life. At vhf, they depend on air travel for important business trips and for time-sensitive international transports. All the advantages of air travel and transportation do, however, have their downside: Air traffic is responsible for up to 10% of human-induced warming.

This is where atmosfair comes into play. atmosfair is an independent, non-profit climate protection organization based in Berlin that is financed by private donations. The organization emerged from a research project of the German Ministry of the Environment in 2004. It actively protects the climate through renewable energy projects that compensate for greenhouse gases emitted by air travel. For example, an emissions calculator on atmosfair.de/en/ allows users to calculate the CO₂emissions produced by a flight and compensate for these directly on the site either fully or in part. The contributions support projects in developing countries that seek to save the corresponding amount of CO₂.

The current climate protection campaign, “New Energy for Nepal,” for instance, is supporting the ongoing reconstruction of the Himalayan country following the devastating earthquakes in April and May 2015 by supplying schools, medical wards, tourist infrastructures, and private households with renewable energy. It provides solar panels for electricity, constructs biogas plants, or installs efficient ovens and solar hot water systems, depending on the local requirements. The aim is to support the reconstruction of Nepal’s energy infrastructure with resource-efficient technologies that emit very little CO₂.

The board and employees of vhf are happy to make a meaningful contribution with their donation and are confident that their business partners are also more than happy to support this good cause.

Zest Dental Solutions® announces that dental clinicians and laboratories can now order LOCATOR®, LOCATOR R-Tx®, and LOCATOR F-Tx® components for Neodent®, a Straumann® Group brand, Cone Morse Implants directly from Zest or a Zest Distributor.

The innovative and award-winning LOCATOR Attachment System was launched 17 years ago. Since then, Zest has added LOCATOR abutments for the majority of implant systems and now offers abutments for over 250 implant connections and more than 75 companies worldwide. As of December 16, 2018, customers can order the Zest Products for Neodent CM Implants directly from Zest or a Zest Distributor. Products include LOCATOR, the next generation LOCATOR R-Tx Removable Attachment System and the revolutionary LOCATOR F-Tx Fixed Attachment System. All systems include abutments for the Cone Morse platform used with the CM Implants.

To place an order, please call Zest Customer Service at 800-262-2310 or order on-line at www.zestdent.com

About Zest Dental Solutions

Zest Dental Solutions is a global leader in the design, development, manufacturing and distribution of diversified dental solutions for a continuum of patient care from the preservation of natural teeth to the treatment of total edentulism. The company’s product portfolios consist of Zest Anchors, Danville Materials, and Perioscopy with global distribution through OEMs, dealer/distributor networks, as well as a domestic retail sales operation for the Zest Anchors Portfolio. Zest Dental Solutions corporate headquarters is in Carlsbad, California with satellite operations in Anaheim and Escondido, California.