3M™ ESPE™: Breaking ground in the dental industry

3M Dental Sales & Marketing Manager Thilo Naidoo says that what sets it apart from its competitors is 3M's commitment to research and development. With discovery at the core of its culture, 3M has led the dental industry with 45 patents over the last five years.

Naidoo says it's not just innovation that earned 3M ESPE its leading position in the market: "It's an intense focus on understanding customers' needs and then applying a century's worth of knowledge and technological expertise to meet them. This has led to the contribution of many amazing firsts to the dental industry."

Dentistry world firsts

Filtek™ Silorane

The recently launched Filtek Silorane Low Shrink Posterior Restorative is the first direct posterior composite that shrinks less than 1 per cent. By addressing a significant and longstanding problem in the dental industry - that of composite shrinkage - this scientific innovation offers excellent marginal integrity, reduced risk of stress-induced enamel fracture, and reduced risk of post-operative sensitivity.

Ketac™ N100 Light Curing Nano-Ionomer Restorative

Building on its long history of providing glass ionomer technology to the dental industry and leveraging its expertise in nanotechnology, 3M ESPE has taken glass ionomers to the next level. Ketac N100 is the world's first nano-ionomer, providing an aesthetic, wear-resistant, excellent polish and high fluoride-releasing restorative solution.

Lava™ Precision Solutions

3M ESPE combined material science with advanced digital technology to produce Lava Precision Solutions. This fully-automated digital milling unit scans models and produces Lava All Ceramic restorations - a solution that offers improved productivity and superior quality crowns and bridges. Its excellent marginal fit has been clinically documented. In addition, with natural translucency and unmatched aesthetics, 3M ESPE has established itself as a leading brand in CAD/CAM-produced zirconia restorations.

Illustrating Thilo Naidoo's assertion that it takes more than innovation to dominate the market is the successful launch of an established 3M ESPE product in South Africa in 2007.

Astutely identifying a gap in the South African dental anaesthetic market, 3M™ ESPE™ South Africa introduced its local anaesthetic - called Ubistesin™ and Ubistesin Forte - in 2007. This articaine-based anaesthetic has a quicker onset and reduced elimination half-time, which makes it significantly safer for patients. As result, 3M ESPE has gained considerable market share in this segment.

It is products and services like these that have resulted in 3M ESPE's position as the division within 3M that showed the biggest growth in 2007. However, Thilo Naidoo says that it doesn't end there.

Still to come

3M ESPE plans to launch many new products in the near future. Among these are two new adhesive products that are set for release in May 2008. Adper™ Scotchbond™ SE Adhesive and Adper Easy Bond Self-Etch Adhesive were built on 3M's strong tradition of bonding technology and 25 years of dental science. These self-etch adhesives allow for a simpler procedure and reduced risk of post-operative sensitivity.

According to Naidoo, Adper Scotchbond SE Adhesive's major advantage lies in its unique colour-change technology, which gives a visual confirmation of coverage. It provides a hydrophobic overcoat similar to that of Adper Scotchbond Multi-Purpose Adhesive. "This novel bonding approach results in low technique sensitivity and more consistent performance."

Adper Easy Bond Self-Etch Adhesive is a one-bottle, one-coat self-etch adhesive that is designed for strength, simplicity, and convenience.

While 3M ESPE continues to build on its core business with products like these, the company is also expanding into adjacent market segments, including preventative care and the laboratory market. This has led to the acquisition of various companies in order to provide an even broader range of ingenious dental products and technologies.

Driven by innovation, dedicated to the highest standards, and committed to providing practical solutions, 3M ESPE will continue to shape and reshape the dental industry.

3M ESPE

3M ESPE AG, located in Seefeld, near Munich, develops, produces and markets more than 2,000 dental products for the dental surgery and laboratory. The company supplies dentists and dental technicians around the world with a wide range of top-class materials and systems based on innovative 3M technologies. For more information, visit www.3Mespe.co.za

3M, ESPE, Filtek, Ketac, Lava, Ubistesin and Adper, are trademarks of 3M ESPE or 3M ESPE AG.