Dental potential COLTENE

DENTAL POTENTIAL

Global leader in dental consumables COLTENE, currently in a transition phase, is committed to its highperforming product range while staying focused on the future requirements of developing markets. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to the marketing director, Joerg Weis, to find out more.

AS a Swiss public company with a long history in leading the dental consumables and small equipment market, Coltene has been the leading developer and manufacturer of high precision impression materials and filling materials since 1963, with the company celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2013. Following a series of mergers and acquisitions including, in 1990, that of American company Whaledent Inc., a specialist in products and technologies such as root canal posts and table-top ultrasonic equipment, the company became COLTENE AG.

Today, COLTENE operates state-of-theart production facilities in Switzerland, the USA, Germany and Hungary, with all its sites operating as “technical centres of competence for manufacturing”. Marketing director Joerg Weis told Industry Europe how these sites are imperative to the company’s ongoing success: “We are able to develop and produce high quality, market-led dental products and small equipment at our sites across the world, and it is this capability that supports our reputation for excellence.” Time for transition

COLTENE’s strong reputation is a key part of its success too. The company is currently going through a strategic transition phase and it appreciates that it must protect the areas where it best performs, while looking forward to a commercially viable future. Mr Weis continued, “We are working on a consolidated strategy that is best for how we can and will work in the future. We can see how the dental market is changing, particularly in our active areas in Europe and the USA, and we are keen to ensure that we are well-positioned to maintain our positive results.”

COLTENE’s strategy primarily lies in focusing on three core product segments – Endodontics, Restorations and Treatment Auxiliaries. Endodontics refers to all root canal and related products and technologies and the company has over a century of experience in this field, providing essential and reliable endodontic materials. Its range includes root canal instruments and rinsing solutions, filling materials and root canal posts, all of which are clinically proven products that ensure successful endodontic therapy.

COLTENE’s Restorations segment is closely connected to its adhesives portfolio and includes a comprehensive range of essential and innovative restoration materials such as its Synergy D6 and Miris2 brands, which are known for combining aesthetics and clinically proven performance. The Treatment Auxiliaries segment sees all the products and small equipment that make daily work in a dental practice easier and more efficient. COLTENE’s range in this area includes Roeko Luna cotton rolls, Surgitip aspirator tips and a complete range of Dental Dam products.

There is also a fourth core product segment that is expected to continue to play an important role in COLTENE’s consolidation – its ‘traditional pillar’ of Impression Materials. Mr Weis explained, “The three areas of Endodontics, Restorations and Treatment Auxiliaries are where COLTENE has best performed in recent years but each area is also expected to continue to perform well in the future, in the global territories where we expect to gain. The fourth area of Prosthetics and Impression Materials sits well alongside other areas of our business that offers sup-

port and practical products to our customers, so we do not intend to cut this out of our portfolio, particularly for existing customers.”

Global push

He continued, “Our main global push in this consolidation transition phase is Endodontics and Restorations as this is where we see the most potential and where we have an unrivalled experience and expertise. In the past, the fact that we have a product portfolio of more than 18,000 items has made it difficult to keep focused. We’ve decided to change that, to focus on our core product segments and to make sure that we offer our customers exactly what they need and nothing they don’t need. We’re offering a clarity that is good for us all and will enable us to really focus on Endodontics and Restorations.”

Part of this focus strategy is the investment aspect of COLTENE ‘s research and development programme. With such a large product portfolio, the company has decided to condense its investment mainly into its core segments. Mr Weis added, “Endodontics and Restorations are both one of the most important consumable markets, with growth rates above market trend. For us to maintain our hold and our reputation for excellence, we must continue to offer innovative products and solutions for our existing customers and potential customers.”

The revised COLTENE strategy taking into account the latest market developments will fully exploit and leverage the group’s expertise by strengthening and expanding the distribution networks in the traditional European and North American markets.The company will continue to offer “everything from A to Z needed for dental treatment” while it implements its future strategy for success in new markets. n