Corporate Profile: BISCO Benjamin Lund, Editor Dentaltown Magazine

In 1981, Dr. Byoung I. Suh (initials B.I.S forming the first three letters of “BISCO”) had a vision for better resins. With focused research and a dedicated team, BISCO pioneered dental adhesion technology and many of the dental products you rely on today can be traced back to a humble lab in northern Illinois. Dentaltown Magazine spoke with Dr. Suh and his team to learn more about BISCO’s history and its future.

If you were to bump into a dentist on the street who didn’t know about BISCO, how would you describe your company to him or her?
Child: BISCO is an international dental restorative company that produces well-known products such as the All-Bond family of adhesives, Duo-Link resin cement, Z-Prime Plus and TheraCal LC. We specialize in making high-quality products that are chemical-based and required for successful adhesion to teeth and other dental substrates. BISCO is expanding into all areas of dentistry that are restorative-based and where we can provide products that are both innovative and better.

Tell us about how BISCO got its start? Tell us a little about your evolution. Why did Dr. Byoung Suh choose dentistry?
Carolyn D. Suh: During the 1970s, Dr. Suh had been working in the dental industry, synthesizing his own BisGMA resin and developing Adaptic-like, self-cured composites. In 1981, he decided to start his own dental company because he felt that dentistry needed new dental adhesives that would bond to dentin and to metal, and had some chemistry-based solutions in mind. By 1990, BISCO introduced All-Bond, followed by the improved version, All-Bond 2, in 1991, which revolutionized adhesive dentistry into what it is today

To what do you attribute BISCO’s successful penetration in dentistry?
Carolyn D. Suh: BISCO’s success has always been attributed to Dr. Suh’s understanding of chemistry, and his dedication to research and knowledge of adhesion dentistry. His commitment to teaching and sharing information with dentists and other lecturers, as well as his dedication to the highest standards for quality products, has helped BISCO achieve its success over the last 30 years.

How does BISCO set itself apart from its competition?
Czervionke: Categorically, there are many similarities among products currently marketed in dentistry. BISCO takes great pride in developing products that not only provide the dentist with the highest level of quality but also offers the added assurance and confidence in the product they are using. It’s commonly known that there is a high degree of science at the core of every BISCO product, but more importantly, there is an even higher degree of integrity at the foundation of each developed product. It’s not about just marketing a product, but rather marketing the best product possible to meet the needs of the dentist and the patient.

In addition, BISCO also develops and manufactures almost all their products in the United States. Products are virtually made-to-order, so products are not warehoused for any extended period of time, assuring that materials are always fresh and will function at peak performance. Furthermore, BISCO is a direct selling company which allows the pricing of our products to be very competitive, thereby providing our customers the very best value for their purchases.

Who would you say is your typical customer?
Czervionke: Generally speaking, there really is not a “typical” customer per se. BISCO’s customers come from all levels of experience, backgrounds and demographics. A common thread among BISCO’s customers is that they have high standards for the products they purchase and they have come to expect and consistently receive this from BISCO products. BISCO is certainly not the largest or most visible dental company, but we have a very strong and loyal customer base, which continues to grow.

Tell me about research and development of your products. How does it happen from start to finish?
Zuffa: New product ideas come from many sources… market research, customer requests, literature searches and patents. The products we develop stem from all of these things coupled with BISCO’s desire to keep scientific integrity at the forefront of what we do. When we talk about the product development process, it is an iterative process... something that we have refined over the years. Requirements change as we develop the product, but we keep our focus on maintaining the quality of the products that we produce.

In general, it works like this: We have an idea that needs to be tested and we look at all the implications of the development, even though it is very early in the process (so we look at the technical, market, economic and manufacturing implications). Once those things have been demonstrated, we work on the development – can we make the product meet the market requirements? Is the product safe and effective, stable under the storage conditions? After that, we work on implementation. We follow a traditional Stage-Gate model of product development, coupled with the Design Control requirements spelled out by the FDA. The final stages of design transfer have to do with the actual product realization and manufacture of the material, packaging, advertising, etc. When we are ready, we “launch” another great new product to market. Of course, we analyze post-launch feedback to make sure that we have done our jobs correctly.

How can a dentist get involved in the development of your products?
Carolyn D. Suh: Many of BISCO’s product development ideas come from the feedback and input from our customers and our KOLs (key opinion leaders) who use our products and understand how BISCO can help improve clinical dentistry by utilizing our strong research and chemistry-based knowledge. We also have implemented a group called the BISCO Institute for Education & Innovation, a focus group formed of local dentists who meet at BISCO to discuss and evaluate new ideas and innovations to help improve everyday dentistry.

How is BISCO branding itself today? What are you implementing to ensure your brand is the most pervasive in the dental profession, nationally and internationally?
Child: BISCO is branding itself as the premier dental restorative company to go to regarding innovation, integrity and unquestionable products at competitive prices. We take pride in knowing our customers trust us 100 percent with their patients’ best care in mind. We are expanding this message of trust and loyalty to new customers every day through education and direct contact. BISCO will continue to grow and become a major source for all dentists worldwide for their needs.

What’s BISCO’s current business philosophy?
Julie Suh: BISCO’s business philosophy is best reflected in our key core value – integrity. Highest standards for our products, science-based product innovation, respect for others and promoting knowledge to benefit the industry are all aspects of integrity for BISCO. These values reflect the ethics of a true scientist, our founder, Dr. Suh. It is with these values that Dr. Suh has led BISCO for the last 30 plus years. Our business is not driven by numbers, it is driven by the desire to promote excellence and continual progress in dentistry for the benefit of our customers through products developed and activities conducted with integrity.

Tell me about your team. What’s the culture like at BISCO?
Julie Suh: Our employees are all part of the BISCO family. About one-third of our employees have been with the company for more than 15 years. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and births, and provide support to each other in times of need. While we maintain a professional atmosphere and strong business processes at BISCO, there is no corporate bureaucracy or formality to hinder our business operations. Our decision-making is usually by consensus, with just enough controversy to keep our decisions sharp. With almost everyone working in one location, working relationships are direct and personal, and communication is easy and quick.

Tell me about your management team. What experience do all of you have under your belts?
Julie Suh: Our management team consists of eight directors that report to our President Dr. Byoung Suh, or our Executive Vice President Dr. Paul Child, along with our Vice President of Finance and Administration Minsook Suh. The BISCO management team has experience working in small, medium and large companies (Fortune 500); public and private companies; a variety of industries; and of course, our clinicians have clinical experience. Our sales and marketing managers and directors have had significant experience in the dental industry before coming to BISCO, including companies such as GC America, Lifecore and Clinician’s Report. Our scientific directors have had relevant experience in medical device or polymer chemical companies. It is this diversity of experience in related industries that has allowed our management team to bring a variety of best practices to BISCO operations.

What can a practice expect when it purchases a product from BISCO?
Czervionke: Consistency of product, high quality and outstanding value – these would be the three main deliverables when purchasing a BISCO product. In addition, BISCO makes every effort to provide the highest level of customer care and service. BISCO’s technical staff is extremely well-trained in product knowledge and is able to assist a dental practice with a wide variety of product or procedural questions. BISCO consistently receives high marks in the ability to service our customer’s needs.

How do you work with clinicians to ensure they are using your products in the best way possible?
Czervionke: Utilizing the resources and expertise of clinicians and industry leaders is essential in the development and implementation of dental products. BISCO makes every effort to work with clinicians at all stages of product development, from concept to post-market surveillance, to achieve the desired success and to provide the best possible materials to meet the demand of the clinician.

What is the protocol if a dentist is experiencing any difficulty with one of your products? Are there people on staff who can speak the doctor’s language?
Brown: BISCO sales professionals take pride in their accumulated knowledge. This knowledge is a valuable asset to our dentist/dental-auxillary customer. Our sales professionals are trained on solution-based delivery of this knowledge. You have challenges; we have solutions! Expect prompt, pragmatic and professionally delivered solutions to clinical challenges. Customer service professionals will immediately ask specific diagnostic questions and have dentists immediately available when needed to serve as clinical resources such as the Director of Clinical Education, Director of Research and Development, and always, Dr. Byoung Suh, BISCO’s founder.

How does BISCO keep in touch with its customers?
Czervionke: Unlike many of our competitors, BISCO being a direct selling organization allows us the distinct advantage of providing regular and personal contact with our customers in a variety of ways. In addition to strong telemarketing capabilities, BISCO maintains a strong presence in attending tradeshows, seminars and workshops. BISCO also routinely communicates with customers via newsletters, direct mail programs, and electronic and social media, in an effort to keep our customers current on new products, promotional opportunities and clinical information as well. BISCO is currently in the process of completing a new upscale Web site, which will provide customers with easy access to a variety of informative and useful product, technique and procedural data.

What is an interesting story about a customer interaction you had?
Dr. Byoung Suh: At the Greater New York meeting five or six years ago, Adrian Jurim, a ceramist and master dental technician, approached me and requested that I develop a zirconia primer due to a recent experience he had. He relayed a story of a patient who’d had full-mouth reconstruction, all with zirconia as the substrate. A few weeks after final cementation, both maxillary canines became dislodged, and the patient swallowed them! Due to this request and story, we developed and launched a zirconia primer, Z-Prime Plus, which bonds chemically to zirconia.

In your opinion, how does incorporating BISCO products impact a doctor’s overall practice?
Brown: Incorporating BISCO products will make one a better dentist. BISCO chemistry is proven, reliable and simple. BISCO products allow the clinician and auxillary to standardize clinical protocols for effective delivery of adhesion over and over again. BISCO’s universally compatible adhesives and cements provide significant cost savings for the office and guaranteed clinical effectiveness!

Think about the company’s most significant accomplishment. Can you tell us all about it?
Dr. Byoung Suh: BISCO’s most significant accomplishment is not one of commercial or financial success, but that we have stayed true to my philosophy of business that has always been to put research, science and integrity first. By staying true to this business philosophy, BISCO is regarded worldwide as a company of integrity and the products are accepted as truly science-based materials by practitioners around the world.

What are you most excited about in the upcoming year?
Dr. Byoung Suh: I am excited about BISCO’s possible expansion into the regenerative line of products, designed specifically to lay the foundation for rebuilding tooth structure. This follows the successful launch of TheraCal LC, the first light-cured calcium silicate product to help remineralize tooth structure by stimulating hydroxyapatite growth. In addition, I am also excited to see BISCO products reach more dentists worldwide so that we can share the benefits of our science-based products with more patients.

If you would like more information about BISCO, visit www.bisco.com or call 800-247-3368.