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Corporate Profile: Suni Medical Imaging Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, Editorial Director Dentaltown Magazine

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Pictured from left: Don Jackson, VP Sales; Mona Bedi, Director of Customer/Technical Service; Bill Fitzpatrick, President; Al Bettencourt, Chief Technology Officer; and Ken Kondo, CFO. Not pictured: Pascal Decoussemaeker, Director of International Sales and Marketing.
by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, Editorial Director, Dentaltown Magazine

Since its creation in 1995, Suni Medical Imaging has been a leader in digital radiography, pioneering several image sensor technologies. Today, Suni manufactures and sells the most advanced digital sensors and intraoral cameras from its state-of-the-art facility in San Jose, California. In the past two years, the company has undergone a lot of change, from ownership to new product offerings. Dentaltown Magazine sat down with Suni President Bill Fitzpatrick and Chief Technology Officer Al Bettencourt to discuss what's new at Suni and what its customers can expect today and in the future.
Bill Fitzpatrick, President
Bill, I understand a lot has happened at Suni over the past 24 months.
What's new and different these days?
Fitzpatrick: A great deal has changed at Suni in the past two years — new ownership
(Forstgarten Group), new management, new products and an expanded strategic vision
for the company.
What role does the new majority owner, Forstgarten Group, play in the business?
Fitzpatrick: Forstgarten is a private equity firm that invests in dental technology companies. It is owned and managed by Stefan Kaltenbach, an industry executive with a long and successful history in the global dental community. Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather (who founded KaVo nearly 100 years ago), Stefan managed KaVo until 2000 when the majority of the owners decided to sell the business. When Forstgarten acquired controlling interest in Suni in the spring of 2007, Stefan and Holger Essig, managing director of Forstgarten, immediately began providing the vision and the resources needed to take the company to the next level. The day-to-day operation of the business is handled by the management team in San Jose, California, but Forstgarten is very much involved in the overall strategic direction of the company. Both Stefan and Holger serve on Suni's board of directors.
How do you perceive Suni's role in the dental industry today?
Fitzpatrick: Suni's role in the global dental marketplace continues to evolve. In the late 80s and early 90s, our founder, Paul Suni, was one of the pioneers in the design and manufacture of digital sensors for dentistry. In 1998, he began producing sensors for some of the
leading brands in digital radiography, and in 2002 he launched the Suni brand digital sensor. Today Suni distributes sensors, imaging software and intraoral cameras to 55 countries around the world.

With the goal of offering a complete digital imaging solution to our customers, we are now in the process of expanding our product line beyond sensors and cameras. In partnership with Vatech/E-Woo, one of the world's leading manufacturers of dental imaging equipment, Suni will soon be introducing in the U.S. market the Suni3D, a two-in-one panoramic and 3D cone beam system with a very affordable price.
The Suni 3D will allow the dentist to transition from film to digital with a high-end panoramic system that is easily upgradeable to 3D as the needs of the practice evolve. Eventually, we believe that cone beam imaging will become standard of care in the field of implantology. As more and more dentists incorporate implantology into their practices, it's important for them to understand that not all panos are upgradeable to cone beam, and not all cone beam units can produce a panoramic image. In making an investment on this scale, it's vital that both functions can be performed by the same unit.
Why does Suni sell directly to dentists instead of through the dealer network? Is this an advantage or disadvantage?
Fitzpatrick: Actually, Suni sells directly to dentists only in the United States. In all other markets around the world, we distribute our products through our dealer partners. Our distribution channel in each market is directly related to the level of support that we, as a manufacturer, can provide to the end-user. In the United States, for example, we have a sales force of 24 reps who sell our products directly to dentists. They are supported by a strong engineering, production and service organization headquartered right here in Silicon Valley. In markets outside of the states, we rely on our dealer partners to provide that sales and service infrastructure, and they do an excellent job. Today, international represents 50 percent of our total business, and it's our fastest growing segment. Our international division, headquartered in Belgium, is capably managed by one of our most experienced executives, Pascal Decoussemaeker. Is it an advantage to sell direct? We think that both channels – dealer and direct – work well for our ultimate customer, the dentist, although the direct model offers one distinct advantage. By working directly with doctors and staff, we get to know our customers in this market on a more personal level. Elsewhere in the world our dealer partners provide that personal service on Suni's behalf. Without them, we could not effectively serve the needs of dental practitioners in those diverse markets.

   



When will the products you have been talking about be available?
Fitzpatrick: The new touch-activated intraoral camera was introduced at the 2008 ADA Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. The Suni 3D will be officially launched at the Greater New York Dental Meeting. I encourage all dentists to take a look at Suni before buying a pan or cone beam. We really do have a unique and cost effective 3D solution.

What is your vision for Suni in the future? Where will Suni be five years from now?
Fitzpatrick: Through continuous product innovation, expanded strategic partnerships, and technology transfer with other Forstgarten companies, Suni will develop a comprehensive, fully-integrated line of X-ray equipment, imaging software and optical systems to enhance the delivery of patient care in dental offices around the world. Our singular goal is to become the "value leader in dental digital imaging systems."
Al Bettencourt, Chief Technology Officer
Al, how long have you been with Suni?
Bettencourt: I have been employed by Suni Medical Imaging for almost 10 years, but I've been involved in the design and production of microprocessors and digital sensors in Silicon Valley for nearly three decades.

What makes Suni's sensors different from the other major brands in digital radiography?
Bettencourt: Utilizing both CCD and CMOS technology, Suni offers the broadest selection of dental sensors at the most economical prices. The sensors are durable and easy to use, and they produce excellent diagnostic images. As the thinnest dental sensor in the world, Dr. Suni Plus offers the ultimate in patient comfort. It also carries the longest warranty and in my opinion, is the industry standard when it comes to useful features at a great price. It's truly a great value.

Why do you offer multiple sensor technologies in a variety of sizes while many of your
competitors do not?
Bettencourt: Suni was founded on the principle of solving problems and providing dentists options. Back then, we believed that by providing a sensor solution for every clinical application, we could help facilitate the dental practitioner's transition from film to digital. So, it's not surprising that we offer two unique sensors that appeal to two very different practices. As the value leader in digital solutions, we understand that "one size fits all" does not benefit the practitioners, or the patients. They both need options.
How important is software compatibility to Suni? How do you stay on top of this to make sure Suni sensors always work with the leading practice management software programs?
Bettencourt: We work closely with our strategic partners to make sure that our image management software works seamlessly with the leading practice management software systems in the marketplace. We routinely collaborate with our customers and our partners to ensure that periodic modifications in office management systems are addressed in our image management software. Keep in mind, there are almost 20 major practice management software programs on the market, and making sure our software and hardware integrate into all PMS is something we pride ourselves on. We understand that when practitioners fire up a sensor, they expect it to work 100 percent of the time. We take that responsibility seriously, and work hard everyday to earn the trust and loyalty of our customers.

We are also pleased to announce that we recently formed a strategic partnership with MacPractice, the leading provider of practice management software for Mac users. As a result Mac offices can now make the transition from film to digital effortlessly using our newest CMOS sensor, Suniray.

Suni prides itself on being easy to work with.
Explain how this carries over into customer/technical support?
   



Bettencourt: "Easy to work with" means that every customer receives an immediate response, whether it relates to a service call on installed products or an order for new ones. While we're growing rapidly, we pride ourselves on still being nimble enough to provide responsive, personalized service.

How important is innovation in this segment of the industry?
Bettencourt: Like all high-tech market segments dental digital radiography is undergoing constant change. It seems every few months there is another technological advancement or product development. I'm proud to say that Suni has been and continues to be a part of that evolution. As one of the pioneers in the design of dental digital sensors, our company was founded on innovation, and innovation continues to be the underpinning of our company culture.

To learn more about Suni Medical Imaging, please visit www.suni.com, or call 800-438-7864.
Dentaltown Magazine
October 2025
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