Ivoclar Vivadent and Nobel Biocare announce materials partnership

Schaan, Liechtenstein – 11 January 2010

Ivoclar Vivadent announced today a materials partnership with Nobel Biocare. This partnership allows dentists and laboratory technicians to benefit from the market-leading esthetic, restorative and prosthetic systems strengths of both companies.

Ivoclar Vivadent and Nobel Biocare have signed a global agreement to provide and commercialize high-performance ceramic and acrylic materials, allowing Nobel Biocare to expand its NobelProcera restorative and prosthetic portfolio through new products, solutions and materials. “We see a partnership with Nobel Biocare as an ideal combination of premium skills and focused commitment to quality esthetic restorative and prosthetic dentistry. Ivoclar Vivadent is very pleased to have IPS e.max as a material solution within the NobelProcera system,” said Robert Ganley, CEO Ivoclar Vivadent AG.

High-performance acrylics for an expanded range of temporary prosthetic solutions
Ivoclar Vivadent will provide Nobel Biocare with newly developed acrylic material for temporary crowns and bridges. The acrylic material from Ivoclar Vivadent together with the NobelProcera state-of-the-art CAD design and unique CAM manufacturing process will represent a durable prosthetic solution with excellent surface finish and fit. The new temporary solution will be introduced to the market as of March/April 2010.

IPS e.max ceramics for full-contour crowns
Furthermore, Ivoclar Vivadent will supply Nobel Biocare with IPS e.max CAD lithium disilicate ceramics for the milling of full-contour crowns. IPS e.max lithium disilicate ceramic material offers premium material strength, excellent translucency for best esthetics and long-term durability. IPS e.max ceramics can be used for final restorations on natural teeth and implants. Nobel Biocare will start the launch of its new range of IPS e.max products as of mid-2010.
 
Veneering solutions
Ivoclar Vivadent offers a broad choice of ceramic veneering solutions. Both parties have joined forces to develop a unique certification process that ensures the highest standard of final restorations based on their combined product offerings. NobelProcera customers will benefit from ceramic and composite veneering solutions and procedures fully compatible with NobelProcera products and materials.

Commercial, training and research partnership
According to the agreement, the prosthetic collaboration includes the development of new materials, training and education and commercial activities. Nobel Biocare will recommend the usage of veneering material in combination with NobelProcera products. In addition, NobelProcera customers will receive access to Ivoclar Vivadent’s denture teeth portfolio through the new NobelProcera CAD software. Both parties will combine their leading training and education competencies and offer customized training programs for temporary solutions, IPS e.max solutions, veneering, denture prosthetics and treatment planning, preparation and placement techniques. Furthermore, Ivoclar Vivadent and Nobel Biocare will cooperate in clinical research and clinical studies.

Ivoclar Vivadent’s materials partnership strategy – new technologies for new technologies
“Ivoclar Vivadent is committed to developing innovative dental material technologies for advanced fabrication technologies such as CAD/CAM,” said Ganley. “Simply stated, our goal is to develop new technologies for new technologies. As a market leader in material systems we have and will continue to partner with the market-leading digital-based CAD/CAM systems. We believe that our clear focus on materials gives us both a clear developmental advantage and our partners an equally clear partnership opportunity.”

Nobel Biocare’s preferred partner program
Nobel Biocare establishes a preferred partner program targeting a select number of major global dental material providers. “This partnership  with the world-leading dental materials provider, Ivoclar Vivadent,  marks another step  in our strategy to strengthen NobelProcera’s position as a  key offer in CAD/CAM dentistry,” said Domenico Scala, CEO Nobel Biocare. “This cooperation, which also encompasses research, development and education, ensures optimal product fit between the two providers, leading to better clinical results for dental professionals and their patients.”

About Ivoclar Vivadent
Ivoclar Vivadent AG is a privately held company based in Schaan, Liechtenstein. The company is specialized in prosthetic and restorative materials for dentists and dental laboratories. Ivoclar Vivadent AG is an innovative enterprise with one of the largest Research & Development centers in the dental industry. As a global player, the company is present in all dental markets across the globe with its own subsidiaries in 22 countries. Ivoclar Vivadent builds on over 80 years of extensive dental material experience and employs over 2,300 specialists worldwide.

IPS e.max is a registered trademark of Ivoclar Vivadent AG.