Heraeus' Venus® White Supports Breast Cancer Research for Third Straight Year

SOUTH BEND, Ind., Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Heraeus Kulzer, LLC, the worldwide leader in dental esthetics, announced that its Venus White line of teeth whitening systems is on a pace to raise its largest annual donation ever to breast cancer research in 2011.  For the third consecutive year, a portion of the proceeds from sales of Venus White is being donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. As of late October, "Venus Whitening for Hope" campaign is poised to bring its three-year total contribution to over to $100,000 by the end of the year.  In addition, Heraeus co-sponsored the October 15 American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Walk in the company's hometown of South Bend, Indiana, which involved over 3,000 participants and raised over $200,000.

Thanks in large part to the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization to increase mammography rates, the death rate from breast cancer has declined since the organization's founding in 1985.   There is still much work to be done, however:  the National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2011 over 231,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and that almost 40,000 women will die of the disease.

"Our company has a long and proud history of philanthropic support, and breast cancer awareness is one of the causes that is nearest and dearest to our hearts," said Nicole Turner, Heraeus Director of Marketing.  "Directly or indirectly, breast cancer affects virtually everyone, including our employees, the dental practices and laboratories that buy our products, and the patients for whom they care.  All of us at Heraeus are passionate about helping to transform lives, and one very important way we can do this is by ensuring that we are doing more every year to support breast cancer research."

Heraeus is dedicated to providing innovative, reliable products enabling dental practices and laboratories to transform their patients' lives, whether by effectively and efficiently restoring or replacing a tooth or by giving a patient the brightest and healthiest smile possible.  By supporting such crucial causes as breast cancer awareness, the company is helping to transform lives more profoundly than ever before.

Individuals wishing to make a donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation may do so by visiting http://myvenussmile.com/venus-white/.  On this web page, people may also experience a Venus "Virtual Smile Makeover" and see how much whiter and brighter their smile might be after being treated with one of Venus White's whitening systems.

The Venus White line includes three levels of patient-friendly teeth whitening systems sold through dental practices:

• Venus White Max: an in-office whitening system for brilliant results in about an hour.
• Venus White Pro: a high-performance take-home whitening system for use with custom trays.
• Venus White Ultra: an entry-level take-home whitening system composed of disposable pre-filled whitening trays.

About Heraeus

Heraeus, the precious metals and technology group headquartered in Hanau, Germany, is a global, private company with over 155 years of tradition. Our businesses include dental products and biomaterials, precious metals, sensors, quartz glass, and specialty lighting sources. With product revenues approaching euro 2.6 billion and precious metal trading revenues of euro 13.6 billion, as well as more than 12,300 employees in more than 110 companies 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 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 www.heraeusdentalusa.com.

SOURCE Heraeus Kulzer, LLC