by Cantel to acquire Hu-Friedy
Cantel Medical Corp. announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Hu-Friedy Mfg. Co., LLC, a 111-year-old global leading manufacturer of instruments and instrument reprocessing workflow systems serving the dental industry. After closing, Cantel will combine Hu-Friedy with its dental division, Crosstex, a global leader in infection prevention, sterility assurance, dental water management and conscious sedation systems.
Hu-Friedy’s large sales and customer care team, supported by a strong marketing organization, will enhance Cantel’s commercial and customer engagement capabilities. The acquisition will also enhance the dental division’s supply chain efficiency and enable it to better support its distribution partners while also addressing the increased concern among healthcare professionals in the areas of clinical performance, compliance, technology, education and training. Finally, the acquisition will further help dental professionals eliminate risk and streamline operations to deliver best-in-class patient care.
“The combination of our two dental businesses provides a clear and immediate opportunity to become the leading provider of a ‘Complete Circle of Protection’ offering for instrument reprocessing workflow and infection prevention and compliance solutions in the dental industry,” said George Fotiades, president and chief executive officer of Cantel. “By bringing together our highly complementary dental portfolios, we will create a business that is uniquely positioned to address the most critical workflow needs of our customers while improving patient care. Hu-Friedy brings us the scale, commercial capabilities and portfolio breadth to enable our dental business to be a significant driver of long-term profitable growth for Cantel.”
“We are excited to join forces with Cantel and are looking forward to the opportunities this combination will bring for our customers, employees and other stakeholders,” said Ron Saslow, chairman and chief executive officer of Hu-Friedy. “As a leader in dental instrumentation and instrument management solutions, Hu-Friedy’s combination with the Cantel portfolio of leading infection prevention dental consumables is a perfect match to further enhance our ability to serve our dental customers.”
Children’s Choice Pediatric Dental Care names new CEO
Children’s Choice Pediatric Dental Care, a portfolio company of Amulet Capital Partners LP (Greenwich, CT), appointed Stan Andrakowicz as CEO. Andrakowicz most recently was president and CEO for Familia Dental, a privately held DSO. He succeeds Dr. Jeff Saladin, founder and CEO, who has been with the company for 12 years. Dr. Saladin is leaving Children’s Choice to head the newly formed “innovation Business,” an organization focused on leveraging technology-enabled services to drive innovation in dental care delivery.
Four groups endorse AAP-AAPD dental sedation guidelines for children
Four health organizations have added their endorsements to recent guidance from the AAP and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) that aims to improve the safety of pediatric patients undergoing dental sedation. The American Society of Anesthesiologists, Society for Pediatric Anesthesia, American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists, and Society for Pediatric Sedation issued a statement supporting a joint AAP-AAPD clinical report, which recommends at least two individuals with specific training and credentials should be present with a pediatric patient receiving deep sedation/general anesthesia for dental treatment.
Global dental implants market to reach to $721.0M by 2024
A new report from Zion Market Research, shows that the global dental implants market was valued at approximately $5.08 billion in 2017 and is expected to generate revenue of around $7.97 billion by end of 2024, growing at a CAGR of around 6.63% between 2018 and 2024.The “Dental Clinics” segment holds over half the market share in terms of revenue. The report says that, “Moving forward, this segment is likely to receive a considerable boost from developing countries of the world due to increasing demand for private clinics.” Regionally, Europe is anticipated to lead the market throughout the forecast period. The report authors say that the geriatric population is the most profitable market for companies in the dental implants market. Additionally, endosteal implants are expected to lead the market with nearly 75% of the market share through 2024. Subperiosteal implants, which are based on CT scans of a patient’s jaw and custom made, will also be growing in demand.
Colorado dentist sentenced to 3 years for illegal prescriptions
A Greenly, Colorado dentist was sentenced July 29 to three years in prison for illegally prescribing opioids to employees. Bonifacio Guillena, DDS, who worked at Comfort Dental, pleaded guilty in January to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. A former employee tipped off authorities about Dr. Guillena’s prescribing patterns. Dr. Guillena’s dentistry license was suspended at the end of 2017. Dr. Guillena then surrendered his license in 2018.
Florida Career College launching dental assistant program across all of its FL campuses
Florida Career College announced it will be launching its Dental Assistant program across all Florida campuses to include Boynton Beach, Hialeah, Jacksonville, Lauderdale Lakes, Margate, Miami, Tampa, and West Palm Beach. Currently, the Dental Assistant program is offered only at the Orlando and Pembroke Pines locations. All students who enroll in this program will receive the hands-on training they need to be successful in an entry-level role, the company said. The Florida Career College dental assistant program trains students in preventative, radiographic, and clinic dentistry procedures.
Dental Trade Alliance CEO to retire
Gary W. Price, president and CEO of Dental Trade Alliance (DTA) (Arlington, VA) has announced his intention to retire. Price will work with the DTA leadership over the next few months to ensure a smooth transition to new staff leadership for the association.
Liberty Dental announces value-based insurance program
Liberty Dental Plan (Irvine, CA) has created a dental insurance program that rewards providers based on patient health outcomes. The program will be available in California, Florida, Nevada, and New York during Q3 2019. Liberty’s Value-Based Dental program rewards providers with incentive payments based on the following criteria:
•Changing practice patterns from restorative to preventive
•Practicing preventive dentistry that leads to healthy outcomes
•Encouraging patients to establish a dental home
•Engaging patients to take an active role in their own care to help ensure their oral health
