today IDEM Singapore 2014 05 April

news02 IDEM Singapore 2014—5 April n A leading provider of tooth whiteningsolutionsandotherprod- ucts for dentistry, Ultradent (Level 6, booth 6C-09) is a familiar cor- porate face at IDEM Singapore. On Friday, today international had the opportunity to speak with Nicolas Sondaz (General Manager for Asia Pacific) and Suzanne Wilson (Sen- ior Marketing Manager—Brands) shortly about the company’s latest innovation in tooth whitening and whyitwillappealtodentistsinAsia. today international: You place alotofemphasisonOpalescence Go in your booth design. Is this product the main focus of your presentation here at IDEM? Nicolas Sondaz: Tooth whiten- ing is a big part our business, so we clearly emphasise this here at the show. Opalescence Go is a very unique product that offers tooth whitening without having to cope with the challenges that usually come with the process. It is de- livered in a ready-to-use prefilled tray that is very mouldable, so it can adapt better to the patient’s anatomy. It is not something you have to do chairside or for which you have to take impressions. Suzanne Wilson: Opalesence GowaslaunchedintheUSnotvery longagoandweareexcitedtohave it finally on display for the IDEM show. The Ultrafit tray is made of a unique polymer that warms with your body temperature and moulds to your teeth, keeping the gel in contact with the teeth for a betterwhiteningresult.Becauseof this material, the tray is also more comfortable to wear. It is certainly the best product for on-the-go whitening right now. How do you think this prod- uct is going to appeal to dentists in Asia? Sondaz: A question that people always ask is whether what works in the US is going to fit Asian teeth becauseofthesizeoranatomyofthe mandibular,forexample.Asamatter of fact, when this material was test- ed in the US, at least 30 per cent of the patients were of Asian heritage. The earlier version of Opalescence Go has also been successful in the market for about 10 years. While there might be cultural differences, Asian dentists will appreciate the convenience of this product. Wilson: The affordability of the product opens up possibilities in more markets. In-office whitening or custom tray bleaching may bring great benefits but they are sometimes prohibitive because of their high costs. Opalescence Go gives more people the opportunity to have access to tooth whitening on-the-go. In which markets is or will this product be available? This has been a global launch, which is kind of a new thing for us because we usually do not launch products this way. As it is highly accessible, we believe that Opales- cenceGocanreachanydentistand patient anywhere in the world. Thankyouverymuchforthis interview. 5 Suzanne Wilson, Nicolas Sondaz and Senior Brand Manager Steve Clark (from left to right). (Photo Daniel Zimmermann) n The US pavilion at IDEM re- ceived an important visit yester- day, when the US Ambassador to Singapore, Kirk Wagar, took some time off his busy schedule to ex- plore the booths at Level 4 and get anoverviewoftheinnovationsthat Americancompanieshavebrought to the show this year. The 44-year old former lawyer, who has been serving as Ambassador for about seven months, also talked per - sonallytorepresentativesfromthe US industry, who once again com- prise one of the largest groups of exhibitors at IDEM coming from a single country. Prior to the visit, US manufac- turershadtheopportunitytogetan update about medical device regu- lations in Singapore during a tradi- tional breakfast meeting organised by the US Commercial Service in theBuyer’sLoungeonLevel6.Asia Managing Director for Ortho Tech- nology, Alvin Chia, also provided an overview of the requirements forproductregistrationindifferent markets in the Asia Pacific region, which he admitted has become more fragmented in recent years. According to the latest figures fromtheUSCommercialServicein Singapore, the value of imports of dental equipment from the United States to Singapore has increased significantly from US$ 1.14 million in 2012 to US$ 1.7 million last year. Many companies are also using the city-state as hub to do business in other parts of Asia, bringing additional business to the region. AmbassadorWagar paysvisittoUSpavilion Imports of dental equipment from NorthAmerica to Singapore on the rise Tel: +1 424 744 0608 / email: c.ferret@tribunecme.com / www.TribuneCME.com AD “Asian dentists will appreciate the convenience of this product” An interview with Ultradent representatives about the launch of Opalescence Go 5 Ambassador Wagar (left) in talks with US exhibitors. (DTI/Photo courtesy of US Commercial Service, Singapore) TDI0714_02_News 04.04.14 13:25 Seite 1