SensAble Technologies’ Dental Business Ends 2009 On Another High Note with International Expansion, Strategic Wins
As Economic and Demographics Drivers Increase Numbers of Removable Restorations, the SensAble Dental Lab System Delivers A Key Advantage
WOBURN, MA January 12, 2010 – SensAble Technologies, Inc®, the leading provider of touch-enabled modeling solutions and haptic devices, announced that it concluded 2009 with record sales, led by the growth and international expansion of its dental business unit. During 2009,SensAble added key customers and distribution relationships for its award-winning SensAble Dental Lab System in Belgium, Australia, Vietnam, Korea and Japan - while continuing to expand its network of SensAble Authorized Production Centers (SAPCs) worldwide. The company’s growth was propelled by the release of version 2.0 of the SensAble Dental Lab System software, which shipped in spring 2009 with new features for both partial dentures and crown & bridge restorations. The company’s dental business doubled from 2008 to 2009.
As baby boomers age, they are fixing their teeth in record numbers; however current economic conditions are driving the need for less costly restorations. Formerly popular choices, such as dental implants, showed their first-ever decline in 2009 -- while the partial denture category showed a strong uptick. Over 70 percent of dental labs surveyed in September reported a significant increase in their partials business during 2009. SensAble is the only dental CAD/CAM provider that sells an integrated digital solution for creating both flexible and metal partial dentures, as well as crown and bridge restorations – an advantage at a time when dental labs are seeking more value for their technology investment, and are looking for ways to complete more work with the same number of technicians.
"The SensAble Dental Lab System really delivers on ease of use and productivity, and we are currently creating over 30 partials a day on it,” said Jerry Lord, CDT and general manager of the Combination Crowns and Partial Frameworks division of Glidewell Laboratories. “It's a great addition to the Glidewell CAD/CAM department that enables us to free up our more senior technicians for other tasks – and we are looking forward to gaining even more benefits from it with some of the upcoming enhancements."
Other 2009 SensAble Dental highlights include:
- Continued OEM revenues from cosmetic dentistry leader Remedent Inc. (OTCBB: REMI) of Deurle, Belgium, and that company’s licensing agreement with Den-Mat Holdings, LLC, maker of the revolutionary Lumineers® porcelain veneer laminates.
- Multiple integrated digital tooth libraries from industry leaders Heraeus Kulzer GmbH and VITA, providing dental labs added speed and choice when designing crowns and bridges with the perfect fit and superlative aesthetics for their patients. Dental lab technicians can create a range of anatomical restorations, with increased speed and productivity, from these ‘virtual teeth.’.
- First-ever CAD/CAM support for design and fabrication of Valplast® removable partials. A natural-looking, flexible nylon restoration that eliminates the need for metal clasps, Valplast partials are in high demand by dentists and patients for their comfort and aesthetics. By streamlining technique-sensitive processes required for producing flexible partials, SensAble’s system helps dental labs to deliver a better fit in less time – with partials that require less chair time for the dentist and provide a better experience for the patient.
- Expansion in Europe and Asia-Pacific. SensAble’s largest customer in France, SOCA Networks, expanded its operations in France and Vietnam. SensAble added several international customers, including key labs in Belgium, as well as labs in Australia, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Several of these labs will also sell the SensAble Dental Lab System and provide fabrication services to other labs.
- Expanded SensAble Authorized Production Center Network in US. New labs who joined this network in 2009 include Dental Prosthetic Services of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a member of the prestigious Technical Research Consortium (TEREC) dental lab association; Babichenko Dental Lab of Meridian, Idaho; and DuraCastings, Inc. of Hurst TX. SensAble Authorized Production Centers produce restorations for their own dentists, as well as provide design and fabrication services to other dental labs that prefer to outsource part of the process to a qualified lab. SAPCs ensure consistently high-quality results and fast turnaround by using only SensAble-approved fabrication methods and system components, and adhering to strict quality standards to remain “SensAble-certified.”
SensAble’s system is an integrated CAD/CAM solution to scan, design and fabricate a wide variety of dental restorations, including full-contour crowns and bridges, as well as metal and flexible partials. Its unique integration of haptics or “3D virtual touch” technology provides a fast and intuitive way of working that allows dental technicians to easily maintain their unique style and artisanship in the digital domain, while delivering accurate fit and consistent quality.
“Forward-looking dental labs used 2009 as a time to invest in strategic technologies, often taking advantage of favorable tax incentives provided by the U.S. Economic Recovery Act,” said Bob Steingart, president of SensAble Dental Products. “As we enter 2010, SensAble’s dental business is expected to continue to accelerate to meet the changing demographics worldwide and allow labs of all sizes to take advantage of CAD/CAM technology to produce the types of restorations that dentists and their patients want today.”
About SensAble Technologies
Founded in 1993, SensAble Technologies is the leading developer of 3D touch-enabled (force feedback) solutions and technology that allow users to not only see and hear an on-screen computer application, but to actually “feel” it. With 41 patents granted and over 7,000 systems installed worldwide, SensAble Technologies' haptic technology is being used in applications ranging from designing toys and footwear, to surgical simulation and stroke rehabilitation, to dental restorations, as well as a range of research and robotic applications. The company markets its own 3D modeling solutions as well as its haptic devices and developer toolkits to medical, dental, design, and manufacturing companies; educational and research institutions; and OEMs. SensAble products are available through direct and reseller channels worldwide. www.sensabledental.com.
SensAble and SensAble Technologies, Inc. are trademarks or registered trademarks of SensAble Technologies, Inc. VITA is a registered trademark of VITA. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective holders.