Dental News Roundup May 2010
BY LAUREN UZDIENSKI, MAY 28, 2010
M&A
National Dentex announced the closing of its go-shop period in its planned acquisition by GeoDigm. The company reports that no further written offers were submitted and expects the transaction to close at the end of 2Q:10 or the beginning of 3Q:10.
Funding
Citing market conditions, Smile Brands, a provider of practice management services, withdrew its plans for an IPO. Initially filed in December of 2009, the S-1 stated that the company would to offer 7.4 million shares priced at $16.00 to $18.00. The company reported 2009 revenues of $456.5 million.
Product Introduction and Update
BIOLASE Technology, a manufacturer of dental lasers, described some of their marketing efforts at the California Dental Association 2010 Meeting in Anaheim, CA. Among their materials are a collection of videos aimed at children and their parents to introduce them to the company's Waterlase device, which can help patients "avoid the shots and the microfractures that accompany a traditional drill."
Sirona modified its database for its GALILEOS implant software. The database now features "realistic visualization of Nobel Biocare implants." The database now includes 228 Nobel Biocare models, and 19 other manufacturers have either updated their models or been added for the first time.
Sirona also released the ApexLocator, which is integrated with its TENEO treatment center for "the reliable and precise measurement of root canals." The device uses a differential multi-frequency impedance measurement to gauge distance, and the company says this measure is error-free, even with fluid in the tooth.
Straumann received Frost & Sullivan's 2009 Medical Device Technology of the Year Award for its Roxolid material, an alloy of titanium and zirconium used to produce small-diameter dental implants.
Clinical
A study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association indicated that patients taking biophosphonates for the prevention or treatment of osteoporosis may not be aware that the drugs put them at risk for osteonecrosis of the jaw. In an interview of 73 patients receiving biophosphonates, 82% "could not recall receiving information" about potential side effects, including oral osteonecrosis.
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have discovered a way to regenerate teeth using autologous stem cells delivered with an organic scaffold. The new tooth can be growth orthotopically, or inside the socket. The procedure has been tested in an animal model and eliminates the need for donated cell lines or ex vivo generation of the tooth.
