On 16 and 17 June 2023, an official ceremony, the grand opening of the new head office building at the Ivoclar headquarters in Liechtenstein and a family day were the latest highlights in the celebrations to mark the 100-year anniversary of the Ivoclar Group.

A century full of innovation has come to an end, a new era has begun: Founded in 1923 in Zurich, what was once a tooth factory is now a leading supplier of integrated system solutions for premium quality dental applications. In 2023, its centenary year, Ivoclar has already celebrated its 100-year history with customers at international tradeshows and with continuing education opportunities. In June, there was yet another incredibly emotional moment – particularly for the Zellers, a family of entrepreneurs who have been a part of the company's story for many years. During an official ceremony with over 200 specially invited guests from across the globe, a century of innovations that revolutionized the industry was honoured and celebrated with the future in mind: “It is a great privilege on a very special occasion to be able to look back on 100 years of company history and on a century full of innovation,” said Christoph Zeller during his welcome speech on Friday evening. “Very few companies ever reach their 100th birthday. This makes this milestone an even greater pleasure.”

CEO Markus Heinz was also suitably moved: “A meaningful role with global importance in the health sector, the exceptional power of innovation of Ivoclar, the long-term perspective of a family business and the genuine interest that Ivoclar takes in people – particularly of course in its own employees and customers – have all contributed to our success over the course of 100 years of history,” he said.

A new look for the company’s headquarters

This special celebration was also the perfect setting for the grand opening of the new head office building at Ivoclar’s headquarters in Liechtenstein, duly attended by the Hereditary Prince and Hereditary Princess of the House of Liechtenstein as well as national representatives and representatives of Schaan municipal council. Measuring 16,350 square metres, this state-of-the-art administration hub, visitor centre, and training campus provides professional working spaces based on the latest research as well as a company restaurant. What's more, customers from all over the world will in future be welcomed in the new, cutting-edge facilities of the Ivoclar Academy. In attractive seminar rooms, Ivoclar will present a choice of continuing education opportunities for interested dental experts in a range of technical topics. In the replica clinical practice, speakers will demonstrate a variety of workflows, and the facilities will also allow the tested approaches to be performed on dental simulators.

The new “Ivoclar Experience” will also be part of the new head office building: In future, visitors with and without a dental background will be able to explore the interactive dental experience and learn about certain special aspects of esthetic dentistry – an impressive demonstration of how Ivoclar makes people smile. This experience will initially only be available to course participants.

International Ivoclar Family Day

“This anniversary would not have been possible without the thousands of employees who dedicate their time to our company today and who have done so over the last 100 years,” said Christina Zeller, wife of Christoph Zeller and member of the Supervisory Board of the Ivoclar Group. To show its appreciation, the company thanked all 950 employees at the company headquarters in Liechtenstein and their families the following day with joyful activities at the Ivoclar Family Day. And that was just the start: This summer, some 3,700 employees in the 56 subsidiaries and branch offices worldwide will celebrate local family days – as a token of appreciation for the contribution that each and every one of them has made during a century of innovation from Ivoclar. 

Pac-Dent, Inc., has announced the launch of the iMatrix™-Disposable Disposable Matrix Band. The addition of this pre-assembled disposable matrix and retainer system expands Pac-Dent’s existing iMatrix™ Sectional Matrix System, further solidifying Pac-Dent as a leading force in the dental industry.

The iMatrix™-Disposable is a single-use, pre-assembled disposable matrix and retainer system designed for both composite and amalgam restorations of every class. The iMatrix™-Disposable features a compact and easy-to-place matrix band that is easily adjustable with a 180° moving head for any quadrant or angle with a twisting handle to maximize patient comfort and quick-release locking system for fast removal without disturbing the restoration. The ultra-thin matrix bands are available in a V or pre-contoured shape to adapt to all tooth contours, allowing for a tight seal in any restoration.

Pac-Dent’s innovative clear mylar matrix band allows for a more seamless curing procedure as the curing light easily passes through the clear mylar band. This cure-through design allows for greater visibility during the curing process to more accurately assess shade compatibility and marginal integrity.

Features and Benefits of the iMatrix™-Disposable

1. Convenient and time-saving disposable system

2. Compact size allows for increased comfort and visibility

3. Easily adjustable with 180° moving head and quick-release locking system

4. Available in stainless steel and mylar V shape

5. Available in pre-contoured stainless steel

*Patent Pending

For more information on the iMatrix™-Disposable, visit the product page.

The Alpha Omega Foundation US announces the appointment of Joseph B. Breitman DMD, MS, FACP to the Board. Dr. Breitman is a Prosthodontist from Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania.

“We are excited to welcome Joe to our Board,” said Dr. Marc Rothman, Chairman of the Foundation Board. “His experiences and knowledge through speaking engagements, writing articles and as an active faculty member will enhance the board's capacity to collaborate on initiatives to promote oral health worldwide.”

A diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics and a Fellow of the American College of Prosthodontists, Dr. Breitman is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Kornberg School of Dentistry and has maintained a practice limited to Prosthodontics for 44 years in Philadelphia.

A 1977 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, he completed a residency in Prosthodontics at Temple University School of Dentistry. After completing his residency, Dr. Breitman earned a post-doctoral Master’s in Dental Materials and Oral Biology from Temple University School of Dentistry and the Veterans Administration Hospital in Elsmere, Delaware.

His accolades include receiving the Private Practice Award from the American College of Prosthodontists for outstanding contributions to the specialty; being awarded a Fellowship in the International College of Dentists; receiving an appointment as a Co-Chair for the Scope of Practice Committee of the American College of Prosthodontists; and being awarded a Fellowship in the Pierre Fauchard Academy.

Pac-Dent, Inc. is thrilled to announce the launch of the ProPaste™ One, a game-changing disposable prophy ring and AntiSplatr paste combo. This product will be officially launched to coincide with the ADHA meeting on July 7th, 2023. ProPaste™ One is the latest addition to Pac-Dent's preventative line of products and showcases the company's commitment to diversifying and expanding its innovative line of dental solutions.

ProPaste™ One is a revolutionary 2-in-1 disposable prophy ring and powerful paste combo, designed to enhance polishing efficiency while reinforcing infection control protocols. This pre-assembled system eliminates the need for autoclaving or sanitizing the prophy ring before each patient visit, enabling dental professionals to conveniently use and dispose of the ring after each procedure.

Each ProPaste™ One ring contains the optimal amount of desensitizing and low-splatter prophy paste, streamlining the polishing process. This innovative solution benefits all hygenists and proves to be particularly valuable for mobile hygienists. Each box includes 144 pre-assembled prophy rings, offered in a variety of flavors and grit sizes that cater to individual preferences and patient needs.

Key Features and Benefits of ProPaste™ One:

1. Saves an average of 15 seconds during setup, boosting efficiency

2. Desensitizing, easy rinse, and anti-splatter paste with 1.23% fluoride ion and TCP provides a superior polishing experience

3. Promotes dentin remineralization, aiding in oral health maintenance

4. No need for autoclaving and sanitization between patients, reducing cross-contamination and infection risk

5. Ergonomic design provides non-slip fit and comfortable finger grip

For more information on the ProPaste™ One, please visit the product page.

Dental LT Comfort Resin is a flexible, durable material for comfortable long-term occlusal splints, nightguards, and bleaching trays.

Approved for human contact, BioMed Durable Resin allows for durable biocompatible and impact-resistant medical devices and instruments.

Formlabs, the leading 3D printing company, today announced two new materials for dental and medical applications available for the Form 3B, Form 3B+, and Form 3BL printers: Dental LT Comfort Resin and Biomed Durable Resin. The company expands its library of over 40 3D printing materials to spark innovation and advance personalized patient care for point-of-care facilities, medical device makers, and dental and orthodontic practices and labs.

"At Formlabs, we are continuously empowering our customers to push the boundaries in 3D printing," said Guillaume Bailliard, President at Formlabs. "With the release of these two new materials, we're proud to expand our material library and enable dental and healthcare professionals and engineers to push the boundaries of device development.”

Dental LT Comfort Resin

Formlabs introduces Dental LT Comfort Resin, a new durable and flexible material for long-term occlusal splints, nightguards, and bleaching trays. This new material was designed to provide patient comfort, fit, and durability against wear, in order to make a clinical impact, e.g., improving patient compliance to a treatment plan and requiring fewer patient follow-up visits. With this latest addition to Formlabs Dental’s comprehensive dental platform, the company is continuing its mission to provide superior, affordable, and easy-to-use materials to practices and labs.

Dental LT Comfort Resin is optimal for comfortable long-term occlusal splints, nightguards, and bleaching trays. Dental and orthodontic labs, and dental practices can now directly print flexible splints that are long-term biocompatible, comfortable for the patient, and require minimal polish to reach high optical transparency for long-term use.

With Dental LT Comfort Resin, dental practices can easily, efficiently, and economically scan patients and create a comfortable, superior surface finish splint within hours to lower costs and increase ROI. Below is the difference in lead time and costs for outsourced and in-house 3D printed occlusal splints:

"When I had the opportunity to beta-test the Dental LT Comfort from Formlabs Dental, I was amazed,” said Stephan Kreimer, Director of Kreimer Dentallabor GmbH & Co. KG. “The material's pre-polished appearance and exceptional translucency right after printing significantly reduced post-processing time. Furthermore, I was impressed by its fracture resistance and flexibility, which ensure optimal comfort, making it the perfect choice for dental splints."

BioMed Durable Resin

Formlabs biocompatible resins, including BioMed Clear Resin, BioMed White Resin, and more, have been widely used in healthcare applications from surgical guides to anatomical models. To meet demand for mass personalization and patient-specific devices, procedure-specific instruments, and medical devices, Formlabs now introduces BioMed Durable Resin, a new formulation developed specifically to address the need for a biocompatible material that can withstand impact, rough handling, and pressure.

Patient-specific instruments (PSI) designed for unique patient anatomy have been shown to improve patient outcomes by 16% when using guides, reducing complications by almost 30%. In addition, personalized devices increase precision which lowers operating times and improves patient outcomes. BioMed Durable Resin will expand 3D printing in healthcare with impact-, shatter-, and abrasion-resistant properties and excellent clarity and surface finish, making it ideal for biocompatible and durable PSIs and customizable surgical instruments, such as medical devices that can be hit with a surgical mallet or shaken with a cutting saw.

At TechFit, a PSI provider that works with physicians to design and 3D printed surgical instrumentation, CEO and co-founder Mauricio Toro uses BioMed Durable Resin to produce patient-specific instrumentation that is impact-, shatter-, and abrasion-resistant. “We see Biomed Durable Resin as an ideal platform for the printing of single-use, patient-specific surgical instrumentation,” said Toro. “The increased mechanical properties provide more design flexibility and increased indications while maintaining the biological properties required for reliably producing the best surgical results.”

BioMed Durable Resin is a USP Class VI material, made in an FDA-registered, ISO 13485 facility and can be used in applications for long-term skin, and short-term tissue, bone, and dentin contact.

Dental LT Comfort Resin (U.S. only) and BioMed Durable Resin are available now; visit www.formlabs.com to learn more.

Pac-Dent, Inc., is proud to announce the launch of the EzAim™ X-Ray Positioning System. The EzAim™ X-Ray Positioning System expands Pac-Dent’s growing digital x-ray dental portfolio, further solidifying Pac-Dent as a leading force in the dental industry.

The EzAim™ X-Ray Positioning System features disposable, self-adhesive sensor holders with peel-and-stick adhesive technology that firmly secures digital sensors to holders. The holders are color-coded for easy identification and fit all types of sensors on the market. EzAim™ X-Ray Positioning System holders can be used with existing aiming rings and positioning arms. Tabs can be easily managed with hemostats. Available with matching positioning arm and aiming rings.

Features and Benefits of the EzAim™ X-Ray Positioning System

• Peel-and-stick adhesive technology

• Fits with all sensor types

• Compatible with existing aiming rings and positioning arms

• Color-coded for easy identification

For more information on the EzAim™ X-Ray Positioning System, visit the product page.

Versatile direct-to-patient solution makes cleaning around implants a breeze

Zest Dental Solutions, the only manufacturer of the Zest LOCATOR® Family of Abutment Systems, including LOCATOR FIXED®, LOCATOR Implant System and, the provider of clinician-trusted dental materials and small equipment, announces the release of Regal GO, the all-in-one oral care brush that combines an effective design and specially formulated cleaning gel for patients with dental implants, orthodontic appliances, or even natural teeth.

Proper hygiene is critical to the long-term success of dental implants, including ones used to support a fixed prosthesis. As a result, the Regal GO gel is a perfect compliment to LOCATOR FIXED, the new FIXED full-arch solution from Zest Dental that uses the same abutment and workflow as the original, removable LOCATOR. It is also effective with other leading implant supported, full-arch screw-retained solutions.

“We are very excited to bring this simple yet effective cleaning solution to market,” said Tom Stratton, Chief Executive Officer of Zest Dental Solutions. “It’s the perfect product to partner with and support full-arch dentistry, including LOCATOR FIXED, ensuring patients can enjoy their permanent-like teeth for years to come.”

According to Dr. Michael Scherer, renowned prosthodontist, implantologist, and Zest Dental Solutions Chief Clinical Officer, “The direct-to-patient subscription service makes this exciting new offering a no-brainer; whether you’re cleaning around implants, as well as crowns, orthodontic appliances, you name it, Regal GO delivers.”

Regal GO effectively breaks up food debris in hard-to-reach areas and freshens breath, making it easy for patients to maintain their oral hygiene routine at home or on the go, and keep their smiles clean and healthy. The fine-bristled pen applicator is used to accurately apply the cleaning gel under fixed prosthetics, around dental implants, crowns, ortho brackets and wires, and more.

Two product configurations are available for patients to best meet their oral care needs: Regal GO and Regal GO mini. Regal GO is available in 4-packs of 4 mL pens for a month's supply, while Regal GO mini is a single 2.3 mL pen that makes for a great sample or travel cleaning option.

To learn more about how Regal GO can help you exceed patient expectations and grow your practice, call 800-262-2310 or visit www.zestdent.com.

Strategically Located Facility To Provide Best-in-Class Education & Training Programs

BIOLASE, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIOL), the global leader in dental lasers, today announced plans to open a state-of-the-art training facility, "BIOLASE Education Center" with an Open House scheduled for 5 PM Pacific time on Thursday, July 27, 2023. The BIOLASE Education Center will be strategically located adjacent to BIOLASE's global headquarters in Lake Forest, California, and will provide dentists with hands-on training and education using BIOLASE's industry-leading dental laser technology.

The BIOLASE Education Center is designed to provide dental clinicians with a comfortable, engaging learning environment tailored around laser education. Its modular design will allow BIOLASE to host a variety of events and courses. The BIOLASE Education Center will also be located adjacent to a state-of-the-art dental office, "Laser Smiles," which will be able to provide access to live patient education.

The BIOLASE Education Center will serve many purposes for the company. First and foremost, this facility will provide best-in-class education and training to dental clinicians on BIOLASE's Waterlase all-tissue and Epic diode laser products. Waterlase all-tissue laser course offerings will focus on various dental disciplines, including restorative, periodontics, endodontics, and pediatric dentistry. Epic diode laser course offerings will include soft-tissue surgical and non-surgical hygiene applications.

"This new facility is designed to build upon our success in adding new laser dentists and to attract the 90% of U.S. dentists that are not currently benefiting from laser technology," commented John Beaver, President and Chief Executive Officer of BIOLASE. "We expect these destination-style facilities to encourage wider participation and ensure dental practitioners receive a consistent educational experience from experts in their fields. We also expect the hands-on training will give these practitioners greater confidence to adopt our lasers for better patient outcomes while at the same time attracting new patients interested in the enhanced capabilities made possible with dental laser technology." 

MGF Srl., the Italian manufacturers of compressors, has now signed a distribution agreement with Werther Internatonal Inc. of Houston, Texas. 

Werther International Inc., with a long history in servicing various compressor markets, will stock and provide all the necessary technical support to US customers.

With this partnership MGF offers the US dental market its line of high-performance compressors for dental operatories, laboratories and compressors specifically designed for CAD-CAM milling that can run 24/7 with exceptional service and prices.

Find more information about MGF Compressors at: www.mgfcompressors.com

Dentsply Sirona has refreshed its clear aligner training platform, SureSmileU, with enhanced, interactive content to support case submission, tips and instructive videos to guide patient interactions, and printable resources to support and guide practices every step of the clear alignment treatment.

Recently updated, SureSmileU e-learning platform is designed to provide the knowledge and confidence to deliver an excellent treatment experience. It is an on-demand self-paced learning platform that is accessible anytime, anywhere from most devices.

Within a new updated platform design, the streamlined content includes interactive features to help doctors practice how to submit a case, along with updated tips and instructive videos to guide patient interactions. It also includes step-by-step workflow guidance and printable educational resources for easy reference. The platform has five training models: new practice orientation, how to submit a case, case review, clinical application, and integration.

“SureSmileU is an educational platform that supports success every step of the clear alignment treatment,” said Dr. Anthony Ponzio, Dentist in Oak Park, IL. “The platform offers a variety of interactive content, videos, and educational resources, giving users at all skill levels the knowledge to provide an excellent treatment experience. It is an extremely helpful resource for not only dentists, but the entire team as they integrate clear aligner therapy into their practice.”

“An excellent treatment experience begins with excellent training,” added Erania Brackett, Senior Vice-President Orthodontic Aligner Solutions and Customer Experience at Dentsply Sirona. “With SureSmileU, we want to ensure that clinicians have access to easy-to-follow guidance and knowledge, so they can confidently focus on delivering the best treatment experience for their patients.”

SureSmile® Aligners build confidence in treatment process with excellent results

Dentsply Sirona revealed some findings from a global analysis of SureSmile® aligner cases, that no refinements were required in three out of four cases¹, delivering predictable results that both clinicians and their patients can appreciate. More predictable results mean less chair time for patients – allowing for greater productivity for dental practices and increased patient satisfaction.

By drawing on twenty years of experience in digital planning for orthodontic treatment, SureSmile® combines its unique understanding of customer needs with advanced materials and technology to provide treatment plans with a high degree of predictability to give patients the confidence boost that comes with a straighter smile.

For further information on SureSmileU, please check the website: https://suresmileu.com.

1. Based on an internal analysis of more than 100,000 global SureSmile aligners cases conducted between Jan 2019 – December 2021. Data on File.”