4th International Heraeus Dental Symposium Draws 68 Distinguished Dental Leaders

SOUTH BEND, Ind., Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Heraeus Kulzer, LLC, the worldwide leader in dental esthetics, together with their international colleagues held the 4th International Heraeus Dental Symposium October 27-30 at the Scottsdale Center for Dentistry in Scottsdale, Arizona.  This was the first Heraeus symposium held in the Western Hemisphere, with the first three having been held in Europe.  A total of 68 prominent dentists, laboratory owners and researchers attended the event, with roughly one-third of the attendees being from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Germany or Mexico.

The theme of the meeting, which was chaired by Jacinthe Paquette, DDS of Newport Beach, California, and Marcos Vargas, DDS, MS of the University of Iowa, was "Passion for Dentistry—Technology for Today and Tomorrow."  The symposium featured fourteen presentations about the latest products and practices concerning composites, adhesives, desensitizers and facial rejuvenation, as well as the use of social media in dentistry.

"Our company has a 160-year history of developing innovative materials and technologies," said Marianne Grafin Schmettow, Head of Scientific Relations & Communication International for Heraeus Kulzer GmbH in Hanau, Germany.  "For us to ensure that our innovations are laser-focused on meeting the needs of dentists and their patients, it is essential that we maintain a rich and open dialogue with the world's leading dental practitioners and researchers.  And that is precisely the goal of our regular International Heraeus Dental Symposiums."

Chris Holden, President of Heraeus Kulzer US, said, "What made this Symposium so noteworthy and stimulating is the fact that our audience was of the same impressive caliber as our speakers.  We are truly thrilled that these luminaries would honor us with their presence and participation for four days." He added, "The insights and feedback exchanged both during and between our fourteen presentations will unquestionably enhance the ability of our company and our attendees to continue to transform the lives of dental patients for years to come."

One of the more provocative presentations was given by Dr. Susanne Busch of Heraeus' R&D team in Germany regarding the concept of biomimetical mineralization.  According to this concept, dentine and enamel surfaces may be overgrown by a dense layer of enamel-like mineral comprising components that are primarily of biological origin or parts of natural mineralization, such as calcium, phosphate, fluoride and proteins.  As a result, Dr. Busch explained, it may soon be possible to prevent early tooth decay by mineralization of apatite.

The US-based speakers were: Lee Ann Brady, DMD; Gary DeWood, DDS, MS; Jack Ferracane, PhD; Brian LeSage, DDS, FAACD; Kaleim Manji, MBA; Rade Paravina, DDS, MS, PhD; and Marcos Vargas, DDS, MS.  The internationally-based speakers were: Daniel Adler, DDS; Dr. Susanne Busch; Claus-Peter Ernst, DDS, PhD; Luis Antonio Felippe, DDS, MS; Marcelo Giannini, DDS, MS, PhD; Walter Miranda, DDS, MS, PhD; Alejandro Trevino, DDS, MS; and Warren Roberts, DMD.

Heraeus plans to make edited versions of the Symposium presentations, as well as interviews with the speakers, available online in the near future.

About Heraeus

Heraeus, the precious metals and technology group headquartered in Hanau, Germany, is a global, private company with 160 years of tradition. Our fields of competence include precious metals, materials, and technologies, sensors, biomaterials, and medical products, as well as dental products, quartz glass, and specialty light sources. With product revenues of euro 4.1 billion and precious metal trading revenues of euro 17.9 billion, as well as more than 12,900 employees in over 120 subsidiaries worldwide, Heraeus holds a leading position in its global markets.

About Heraeus Kulzer Dental: Transforming Lives

The Heraeus Kulzer Dental Division mission is to advance the oral health of patients around the globe. To that end, we continually apply our research, science and global resources to deliver unparalleled innovation and exceptional products to both dental practitioners and laboratories. While product safety and efficacy are always our main goals, we also aim to create value-based products that unlock new levels of productivity in dental practices and dental laboratories. Interrelated products including the Venus® brand of low stress composites, Venus White® Whitening Systems, Flexitime® Impressions Systems, Gluma® Desensitizers, iBond® Bonding Solutions, PALA® Mondial® Teeth, and Modern Materials® Gypsum Products offer exceptional diagnosis, treatment, and restorative care.  

Heraeus also collaborates with health care providers, researchers and academic institutions to support community wellbeing and overall oral health. To that end, Heraeus is a corporate supporter of the National Children's Oral Health Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides access to care for thousands of underserved children, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Heraeus is the world's largest private refiner with over 50 years experience. For more information on Heraeus or its products, call (800) 431-1785 or visit http://www.heraeusdentalusa.com.

SOURCE Heraeus Kulzer, LLC