January 29, 2013 – In 2012 the IdentAlloy/IdentCeram Council fulfilled a record 18.6 million requests for the certificates used by restorative material manufacturers to verify the content of their products for labs, dentists, patients and insurers.
According to Charles Yenkner, Executive Director of the IdentAlloy/IdentCeram Council, demand for certificates was up 22.2 percent for the year. Since 2008, certificate orders have increased 63.1 percent.
“Several factors are driving demand,” says Charles Yenkner, Executive Director for the Council. “Dentists continue to see the certificates as an easy way to underscore their professionalism. Labs and manufacturers use them to attest to their own commitment to quality and thereby gain competitive advantage over rivals not providing the verification.”
Yenkner said another reason for the rise in certificate orders is continued growth in the number of companies in the IdentAlloy/IdentCeram program. Last year, five more companies applied for and received licenses to use the Council’s certificates and educational materials, bringing the total to 54.
“It’s very gratifying to see industry leaders and start-ups alike embracing a program of voluntary, self-regulation,” said Stuart Steinbock, VP of Whip Mix and President of the IdentAlloy/IdentCeram Council. “It’s helping improve both the quality and efficiency of dental healthcare, and at no cost to the labs and dentists receiving the certificates.”