Nobel Biocare opens new Procera Plant

Nobel Biocare has firmly demonstrated its commitment to the Asia Pacific market, including Australia and New Zealand, with the opening of a brand new Procera Production Centre in Tokyo, Japan on September 1. This new operation, the third in the world, promises to halve delivery times into Australia and New Zealand to as little as two days.

Representatives from Nobel Biocare Australia accompanied 35 dental technicians (pictured right) from Procera Forte laboratories in Australia and New Zealand to Tokyo for the opening of the plant and an insight into upcoming innovations in both software and solutions.

"Our network of Procera Forte laboratories are vital to our continued success," said Mike Covey, Nobel Biocare Regional Director for Australia and New Zealand, "and so we believed it was very important that they see first hand our commitment to the solution they have invested in.

"In addition, they are our front line ambassadors when dealing with the many dentists who use Procera solutions in the marketplace. Our Procera Forte laboratories are uniquely placed to ensure dentists are aware of the latest developments that may provide solutions to enhance their clinical outcomes."

Mr Covey said Procera was again at the forefront of restorative dentistry with the introduction of the Procera Implant Bridge in Titanium and Zirconia and that this new option had generated much interest in the dental community in Australia. As part of the visit, the Australian contingent was also briefed on imminent new releases including the new Procera Maryland Bridge and the option of ordering Zirconia copings in a thickness of 0.4mm while maintaining a flexural strength of 1200 Mpa.

Close to 8 million Procera restoratations have now been placed over the System's 20+ year history and there are Procera Network Laboratories in 75 countries.

Locating the new facility in Japan was a strategic move for the company, with allceramic restorations only receiving government sanction in the heavily regulated Japanese market earlier this year. The new facility will look to target the 19,233 labs and 95,000 dentists in Japan by literally introducing them to a whole new world of aesthetic options for the very first time.

The opening of the plant was also the last official function for outgoing President and CEO, Heliane Canepa and a perfect opportunity to introduce her successor, Domenico Scala.

"The opening of a production facility in Japan is a dream come true," Ms Canepa said. "It is yet another milestone in the history of Nobel Biocare and hopefully the first of many such facilities in the Asia/Pacific region. We will be able to give our customers a much higher level of service and support and become much more in tune with their needs.

"We are a company built on the innovations of our customers and we know that by having this important base in Japan that more innovation will flow from this and ultimately become solutions for all our practitioners and their patients."

"Only 10% of dentists in Japan currently use dental implants," said incoming President and CEO, Mr Domenico Scala. "So by establishing this plant we can give Japanese dentists much greater access to our aesthetic restorative solutions."

Mr Scala said that in taking over the role of President and CEO, he would continue the company's commitment to ongoing research and development to provide practitioners and patients with a range of solutions for every indication with the utmost efficacy.

"We are the undisputed world leader in aesthetic restorative solutions by a clear margin," he said. "Providing a one stop shop backed by a multitude of clinical evidence is critical to our current and future success."

In it's traditional plant "ramp-up" procedure, the new production facility will initially produce Alumina and Zirconia Copings and Zirconia Abutments. Bridges and Procera Implant Bridges (PIB) in Zirconia will follow in late 2007. PIB Titanium and Titanium Abutment production will be introduced in 2008.

A full roll-out across Australia and New Zealand will occur in the fourth quarter.