BING Innovations brings manufacturing and assembly back to the U.S.

BING Innovations, makers of the DentalVibe® Injection Comfort System, announces the return of their manufacturing and product assembly to the United States. A new partnership with Contract Manufacturing Systems, Inc. (CMSI), located in Weston, Fla., and Florida Custom Mold in Odessa, Fla., will allow DentalVibe to ensure maximum production and distribution on a domestic basis for the first time.

"Since its inception, the DentalVibe has been manufactured outside the United States," said Glenn Riser, chief executive officer of BING Innovations. "We are excited to bring manufacturing and distribution back home to Florida with two highly reputable technology design companies like CMSI and Florida Custom Mold. The partnerships are effective immediately, and we hope to produce more than 100,000 devices here in the US in 2013."

CMSI recently welcomed a mechanical engineer and assembler to its team as a result of the new relationship with DentalVibe. CMSI estimates that by the end of the calendar year, it will hire an additional five to six employees to support assembly and engineering efforts.

Schein helps kids go "Back to School"

Henry Schein recently helped more than 2,400 children in 21 U.S. and Canadian cities return to the classroom well-dressed and well-prepared as part of the Company's 15th annual "Back to School" program.

Each year Henry Schein's "Back to School" program is eagerly anticipated by the children who participate, the human service organizations that serve them, and the Team Schein Members who sponsor the children. The program, which started modestly in 1998 by helping 150 children from Long Island, has now sponsored more than 18,000 children in need from communities across North America, providing the children with new school outfits and backpacks filled with school supplies.

The largest of the "Back to School" events took place at Henry Schein's world headquarters on Long Island, where 583 children identified by 10 local human service organizations in Nassau and Suffolk Counties participated. At the "Back to School" distribution event, which featured dinner, games, balloon animals, face painting, and music, the children received their new outfits personally selected and paid for by Team Schein Members, and backpacks filled with school supplies, books, and hygiene products. Additional 2012 Henry Schein "Back to School" events took place in Denver, Pa.; Sparks, Nev.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Bastian, Va.; Indianapolis; West Allis, Wisc.; Grapevine, Texas; American Fork and Sandy, Utah; Greenville, S.C.; Carlsbad, Calif.; Pine Brook, N.J.; Columbus and Boardman, Ohio; Mandeville, La.; Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario; Montreal; Halifax; Vancouver; and Concord, Ontario.

"It is the smiles of the children that we remember long after the event is over, and we hope that they take that same happiness and enthusiasm into the classroom," said Gerry Benjamin, executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Henry Schein. "'Back to School' is an incredibly rewarding and special experience for Team Schein, as well as the supplier partners and local businesses that have donated products or provided other support to the program. This opportunity to directly give to people in need in our local communities and to know that we are helping to enhance the overall wellness of the participating children is a day that we look forward to all year."

The "Back to School" program is a flagship program of Henry Schein Cares, the Company's global social responsibility program, and is supported by the Henry Schein Cares Foundation.

Dealers attend Roland DGA training

More than 20 dental product and software dealers from across the U.S. and Canada recently attended Roland DGA Corporation's dealer training at the company's headquarters in Irvine, Calif. The event provided attending dealers with in-depth information and comprehensive training on the features, operation, and maintenance of Roland's state-of-the-art DWX Dental Milling Machines.

The three-day course included product overviews and instruction from Roland product managers and technicians — presentations designed to help attending dealers supply their DWX customers with the highest levels of service and support. The dealers also received extensive hands-on training in the replacement of key machine components that qualified them as Roland Certified Engineers.

"We bring value to our customers by helping our dealers become experts on Roland technology," noted Tony Miller, sales manager. "This translates into a more informed sales process and better after sale support and service when units are in the field. We want our customers to have an exceptional experience, unmatched by our competition."

DHPI hosts annual national sales meeting

Dental Health Products, Inc. (DHPI) recently hosted its National Sales Meeting at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Green Bay, Wisc. More than 90 team members and two dozen vendors participated in the annual event.

This year's theme, "Right People, Best Solutions" illustrated how DHPI's multi-faceted employees work together to provide the best solutions to their customers' problems. At the meeting, the DHPI sales team attended a series of lectures and workshops and also participated in vendor rotations where they were educated about the newest dental products, latest technologies, and other services designed to bring value to dental practices.

This year's keynote speakers were Dirk Beveridge of 4th Generation Systems and Chris Cummins of the Gitomer Group, who spoke about the importance of thinking outside the box and becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable in order to grow personally and professionally. Workshop speakers included Laci Phillips of Practice Dynamics Group and Mike Miller of Professional Solutions Financial Services who rounded out the guest lectures on the best practices in insurance coding and new practice financing alternatives.

After hours, DHPI employees and vendors participated in a charitable fundraising event with our annual casino night.

"Another outstanding National Sales Meeting where we assembled a great program to cement our Right People, Best Solutions theme," said Steve Desautel, vice president of sales and marketing.

Patterson Dental acquires Iowa Dental

Patterson Dental has acquired Iowa Dental Supply (IDS), a full-service dental distributor based in Des Moines. IDS provided supplies, equipment and technology primarily to dental practices in Iowa. IDS extended its reach over the years through branch offices in Sioux Falls, S.D. and Omaha, Neb., and representatives serving customers in Missouri and Illinois.

"IDS has grown to a prominent position in the Midwest dental market and, like Patterson, has knowledgeable employees who have earned the trust of loyal customers," Paul Guggenheim, president of Patterson Dental, said. "Through our combined operations within the Patterson Dental Des Moines Branch, dental practices will benefit from additional technology and product offerings that continue to set the standard for the patient experience and practice lifestyle. We are excited to have Iowa Dental join the Patterson Dental organization. IDS will strengthen the competitive position of Patterson Dental in several of our Midwestern markets."

IDS has been family owned and operated since it was founded in 1935 in Des Moines. Brothers Rick and Mike Cacciatore are the third generation of the Cacciatore family to lead the business. A transition plan is in place for Rick Cacciatore to manage Patterson's North Central Region, replacing Rich Kochmann, who announced his retirement in May. Cacciatore served as president of IDS for the past 12 years and has spent more than 30 years in the dental industry.

"The addition of IDS employees, our closely aligned cultures and our shared focus on taking care of the customer is great news for dental teams across the Midwest," Guggenheim said.

NDC announces 2013 Dental Forum dates

NDC Dental will hold its annual Dental Forum on January 23-24, 2013, at the Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa in Las Vegas. The NDC Dental Forum brings independent dental distributors and manufacturer partners together for networking and strategic planning discussions.

Visit www.ndcdentalforum.com for more details.

DENTSPLY International receives $13.7 million military contract

Dentsply International recently received a $13.7 million contract to produce and deliver surgical and medical components for the U.S. Military.

The U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies will use the items, paid for by fiscal year 2012 Warstopper Funds, according to the U.S. Department of Defense website.

Patterson to distribute QDT's Canary System in Canada

Quantum Dental Technologies (QDT) has announced that Patterson Dental/Dentaire Canada will be distributing The Canary System (a low-powered laser-based tool for the detection of early tooth decay) in Canada.

"We're seeing incredible interest for The Canary System and we're excited about our partnership with Patterson Dental to help us fulfill the demand," said Dr. Josh Silvertown, QDT's vice president of corporate development.

"We are pleased to be an authorized dealer for The Canary System. This device is a breakthrough in caries detection," said Pierre Hunter, national equipment and technology director of Patterson Dental/Dentaire Canada.

Thanks to Henry Schein, World Oral Health Day gets its moment in Times Square

Henry Schein, Inc., recognized "World Oral Health Day" on September 12 with the creation of a photo collage that was posted on the Reuters sign in Times Square. Established by the FDI World Dental Federation, World Oral Health Day brings awareness to the significance of good oral health, its corollary effect on overall well-being, and the importance of preventing oral disease.

Dental has its day on Capitol Hill

Oral Health America (OHA), the Dental Trade Alliance (DTA), and more than 100 supporters assembled on Capitol Hill on September 12 to address the impact of our nation's economy on the overall health and well-being of American families. A survey by OHA, sponsored by Oral Healthcare Can't Wait and Procter & Gamble, found that Americans are more likely to take a pain killer for a toothache than to consult a dentist. Of those who don't regularly see a dentist, most (73 percent) give financial considerations as the reason.

"These findings confirm that many Americans are still struggling and that oral health suffers as a consequence," said Beth Truett, OHA's president and chief executive officer. "Dental disease is one of the leading chronic diseases in America and among the most preventable. OHA and the DTA's Oral Healthcare Can't Wait are collaborating on Fall for Smiles®, a promotion raising awareness of the importance of oral health to overall health. "

From left to right, Dr. Greg Folse, Outreach Dentistry; Joe Theissen, Voices for American's Children; Mary Foley, Medicaid-CHIP State Dental Association; Beth Truett, President & CEO, Oral Health America; Dr. Keith Suchy, Chair, Oral Health America Board of Directors; and Gary Price, CEO, Dental Trade Alliance.

"We have an obligation to make sure that our communities, business leaders, policy makers, health care providers, and schools are committed to the oral health of our nation," said Gary Price, DTA's chief executive officer. "All Americans need to understand the importance of oral health and make the care of their mouth a priority."

At the event, OHA and the DTA recognized U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) for his leadership in policy changes that help emphasize the importance of oral health throughout the country.

"Oral health care is a vital, yet often inaccessible, preventive health service," said Menendez. "This is especially true for at-risk populations for whom a lack of access to oral health care can lead to costly health complications down the road. I applaud Oral Health America, the Dental Trade Alliance and everyone here today for their efforts to promote proper oral health in our communities."

SomnoMed partners with Burkhart

SomnoMed has announced a strategic partnership with Burkhart Dental Supply. Following successful seminars for dentists in Portland, Ore., and Houston earlier this year, SomnoMed and Burkhart have agreed to expand the partnership.

As part of the expanded partnership, SomnoMed will organize seminars for Burkhart dental customers to become familiar with SomnoDent® sleep apnea therapy. These in-person and online seminars will be jointly instructed by accredited sleep physicians and dentists. They will provide Burkhart dental customers with training and certification to then properly utilize SomnoMedn products and services, including SomnoDent and the SomnoMed Health Claim Support Line™.

"Our partnership with Burkhart Dental is an important development and mutually beneficial," said Dr. Peter Neustadt, executive chairman of SomnoMed. "Working with Burkhart will help us directly reach their dental customers, who are interested in learning more about dental sleep medicine and want to know how they can effectively incorporate our treatment modality SomnoDent into their practices."

"Incorporating dental sleep medicine is of high interest to our customers and the feedback we had from our dental customers after the Portland and Houston courses was tremendous," said Bill Sundheimer, director of merchandise for Burkhart Dental Supply.

Darby Dental inks new distribution agreements, including Ritter re-launch

Darby Dental Supply, LLC, the largest all-telesales national distributor of dental merchandise and equipment, recently enhanced its product offerings with several new distribution agreements.

Newly-inked distribution agreements with Suni Medical Imaging, Ritter Dental, CarieScan LTD, ClikTech, Inc., and DentalEZ Group, have broadened Darby's expanding roster of leading-brand names and dental products.

One of the highlights of the new agreements is that Ritter Dental has chosen Darby Dental as the exclusive distributor for its long-awaited North American market re-launch. Unavailable to the U.S. dental market for many years, Ritter products will be available to American dental professionals, including a full assortment of Rittter chair units, operating lights, stools, X-ray units, and compressors — all available exclusively through Darby Dental Supply.

"We are honored that Ritter Dental has chosen Darby as the exclusive distributor for this exciting North American launch," remarked Gary Rosenberg, president of Darby Dental Supply. "Ritter has a long history of producing high quality dental products. Moreover, in line with Darby's mission and philosophy, Ritter prides itself on providing an advanced level of customer care which serves to compliment their superior product assortment."

Henry Schein sponsors Canadian Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Annual Meeting

Henry Schein recently sponsored the Canadian Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Annual Meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario at the Pillar & Post Retreat & Spa. During the two-day meeting, 85 pediatric dentists from across Canada were in attendance.

As the primary sponsor of this event, Henry Schein Canada hosted CAPD members, spouses, and supplier partners for a cocktail reception at its Canadian corporate office, located just minutes from the Pillar & Post.

From left to right: Peter Jugoon (vice president, marketing and planning), Dr. Lawrence Yanover (certified specialist in dentistry for children), Dr. Warren Brill (president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry), Dr. Michael Goralski (president of the Canadian Academy of Pediatric Dentistry), and David Marks (director of marketing, dental merchandising).

An update on Henry Schein's recent "Back to School" event was shared, then attendees were provided with a tour of the Henry Schein facility including the 94,000-square-foot distribution center. With a live jazz trio playing in the background, attendees mingled with Team Schein Members while enjoying Niagara wine and hors d'oeuvres.

Colgate enters electric toothbrush market

Colgate-Palmolive and Omron Healthcare, a leader in medical home healthcare and wellness products, recently announced a cooperation agreement to market and develop oral care products, including electric toothbrushes.

The partnership this year will launch a line of electric toothbrushes based on Omron technology that will be marketed by Colgate. This marks an expansion into the electric toothbrush category for Colgate, which is the global leader in manual toothbrushes and also markets battery powered brushes.

Schick changes to Sirona Dental, Inc.

After 20 years of continuous operation as Schick Technologies, Inc., the company's name has changed to Sirona Dental, Inc. Company officials say this change is simply the last step from the 2006 merger with Sirona to show that both companies are now fully integrated as one single entity.

This name change has no impact on the management team or the manufacturing of products and serves as an opportunity to re-brand the company. Schick is now a brand within the Sirona family of hi-tech dental products including the Cerec and Galileos. The Schick logo now features the Sirona orange and grey color scheme and will be placed alongside of the Sirona corporate logo on all products and marketing assets.

While the address and phone numbers remain the same, a new website has been established at www.SchickBySirona.com.

PROPEL Orthodontics opens new headquarters in Ossining, N.Y.

PROPEL Orthodontics has relocated its corporate headquarters to Ossining, N.Y. The office situated at 233 South Highland Avenue will serve as the company's center for operations, marketing, and administrative functions.

PROPEL Orthodontics is experiencing rapid growth with its recent product launch of the PROPEL System. It is expected that PROPEL Orthodontics will add 25 new jobs in the next year. Additionally, the company has received funding from the Mid-Atlantic Fund, a Westchester County, N.Y.-based venture capital firm which invests in local start-up businesses.

3Shape opens California office

3Shape continues to expand its presence around the globe with the opening of a new office in California. Located in Rancho Cucamonga, near Los Angeles, the office will offer training, technical support, product demonstrations, and business support to 3Shape partners and end-users.

3Shape's latest expansion will meet the increasing demands for CAD/CAM solutions in the area and lay the groundwork for the increased activity surrounding the release of 3Shape TRIOS – the digital impression solution system for dentists.

"The opening of this office represents our commitment to offer the best support and training possible," said Henrik Vestermark, the vice president of operations in North America. "We are witnessing a strong growing demand for our latest CAD/CAM solutions, and the new office allows us to continue building our market, while promoting the advantages of digital dentistry, and ensuring our customers' maximum uptime and competitiveness."

The office will be managed by Vestermark, who has also been managing the East Coast office in New Jersey.

Komet unveils new logo

On the cusp of the global celebration of the 90th birthday of Komet brand dental rotary instruments, Komet USA unveiled its new logo and new look at a press conference/birthday reception during the recent ADA Annual Session.

In partnership with Komet headquarters in Lemgo, Germany, and with Komet affiliates worldwide, Komet USA is embracing this unifying new image, which is designed to reflect both the tradition and quality inherent in Komet rotary, oscillating, and sonic instrumentation. The new logo incorporates the distinctive lettering associated with the Komet brand and identity and directly merges this famed identifier with the other Komet hallmark—the spiral, which stands for dynamics and innovative power. Combining the two elements inside an immediately recognizable single circle, the new logo's circular shape matches that of Komet rotary instruments, which continue to constitute Komet's primary product range.

Schein acquires majority interest in Exan

Henry Schein, Inc., has acquired a majority interest in The Exan Group (Exan), a privately held dental software company with headquarters in Port Coquitlam, B.C., Canada. The remaining ownership interest will continue to be held primarily by Exan executive management. Through this transaction, Henry Schein further expands its business with dental schools in the U.S. and Canada, as well as general practice dental offices primarily in Canada.

Exan's main product is axiUm, a dental institution management software solution that is sold to approximately 65 dental schools in the U.S. and Canada and represents approximately 75% of total revenue. Exan also develops and sells Power Practice, a practice management software solution for general dental practices that is used by approximately 750 practices, primarily in Canada, and represents approximately 23% of total revenue.

Exan has 82 team members, including 76 at headquarters outside Vancouver. Exan chief executive officer Ted Devries will serve as president of the company and chief financial officer Bill Gold will serve as vice president of finance.

NDC welcomes new member

NDC Dental has announced Kreiser's, Inc. as its newest NDC Dental member. Kreiser's has been active in the medical supply business since 1905 and is now extending its reach to the dental market. Kreiser's dedicated sales reps will call on customers in South Dakota and parts of Montana.

DHPI honors KaVo as Vendor MVP

Dental Health Products, Inc. (DHPI) recently recognized KaVo as being Vendor MVP at its 2012 National Sales Meeting. DHPI sales, service, and support representatives selected the company because of its quality product line, educational experience, presentation, enthusiasm, and knowledgeable sales reps.

KaVo was chosen over 23 other participating merchandise and equipment vendors by popular vote of attendees. Some sample comments made by the DHPI sales team were, "Bruce Hill and Katy Schroeder (pictured below, talking to DHPI reps) were outstanding presenters" and that "they provided quality, detailed information about their products." Furthermore, they were "extremely pleasant to talk to and seemed sincerely interested in working with us."

"All of our sponsoring vendors did an outstanding job this year; however the KaVo team really stood out. KaVo and Dental Health Products, Inc. have enjoyed a long and profitable partnership together," states Steve Desautel, vice president of sales and marketing.