ZURICH, Switzerland, Nov. 14, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Nobel Biocare, the world leader in innovative esthetic dental solutions, and New York University College of Dentistry, the largest dental school in the U.S., will cooperate to integrate a dental implant therapy and esthetic dentistry curriculum into all four years of the NYU pre-doctoral dental education program.
Heliane Canepa, President and CEO of Nobel Biocare said, "Everyone should be able to have a good quality of life and be able to eat what they want, not what they can. Today, many general practitioners are not empowered to offer their patients the high esthetic and functional benefits of implant technology. We are extremely excited to cooperate with NYU to develop a curriculum that will enable future dentists to meet the growing patient demands in esthetic dentistry."
Dr. Michael C. Alfano, Dean of the NYU College of Dentistry, commented, "In the past, dental students were taught to treat a patient missing all teeth with a conventional full denture. With this new program, they will be taught how to treat these patients using an implant-retained overdenture. This enables the dentist to provide optimal patient care and helps to minimize the eventual loss of bone seen in denture patients."
Nobel Biocare will donate USD 5 million over five years to be used to integrate dental implant therapy into the overall pre-doctoral education of the general dentist, as well as to support additional areas, including research, dental esthetics, and ceramics.
Training and education are cornerstones of Nobel Biocare's strategy to offer durable and esthetic tooth replacement solutions to dental professionals and patients. As one of the world leaders in continuing and post-graduate education, the company has been providing specialist training and mentoring for its clinically documented treatment concepts for more than 20 years. In 2005, Nobel Biocare expects to enroll over 200,000 dental professionals in its training and education courses around the world.
However, up to now, training in dental implant technology has not been introduced in the predoctoral programs. The newly developed curriculum will empower future dentists to offer patients lasting high esthetics and patient comfort combined with the shorter, simpler and safer treatment procedures that they are demanding.
NOBEL BIOCARE HOLDING AG
Disclaimer:
This release may contain forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, projections of future performance of materials and products, financial conditions, results of operations and cash flows, containing risks and uncertainties. These statements are subject to change based on unknown risks and other factors that could cause the actual results or performance to differ materially from the statements made herein.
Nobel Biocare is a medical devices group and the world leader in innovative esthetic dental solutions with its brands Branemark System(r), NobelSpeedy(tm), NobelReplace(tm), NobelPerfect(r), NobelDirect(r), Replace(r) Select, (dental implants) and Procera(r) (individualized dental prosthetics). Nobel Biocare is a one-stop shop for restorative esthetic dentistry, offering a wide range of innovative Crown and Bridge and Implant products, as well as training and education and clinically documented treatment concepts. Nobel Biocare has some 1,600 employees and recorded revenue of EUR 388 million in 2004. The company is domiciled in Zurich, Switzerland with headquarters in Zurich and in Gothenburg, Sweden. Production takes place at four production sites located in Sweden and the USA. Nobel Biocare has direct sales organizations in 29 countries. The shares of the parent company Nobel Biocare Holding AG are listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange and on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, Sweden.
Celebrating 40 years of scientific heritage. In 1965, the first patient was treated with the original scientific dental implant system, the Branemark System(r). This event marked a breakthrough in modern dental implant therapy. Since then, millions of people have been helped with dental implants, enjoying improved function, appearance and quality of life. The original fixtures that were placed in the first patient 40 years ago are still in place, providing the individual with firm bridge support. The Branemark System(r) has been scientifically documented in 1,500 articles.