Ultradent announces exclusive partnership

UTAH and KYOTO, Japan--Ultradent Products and its orthodontic division, Opal Orthodontics, have unveiled a partnership with Shofu, an international dental materials and equipment manufacturers with more than 85 years of industry experience.

Shofu will be the exclusive distributor of Opal Orthodontics in Japan.

Shofu was founded in 1922 by Kajo Shofu III, a Japanese entrepreneur and researcher. Now a publicly traded company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Shofu has remained a top manufacturer of dental products used by dentists, dental technicians, and dental hygienists with affiliate companies in the United States, Germany, Singapore, United Kingdom, and China.

Shofu will be the exclusive distributor of Opal Orthodontics products in Japan. Ultradent Japan will continue with distribution for Ultradent’s dental products through a network of distributors in Japan.

Dr. Richard P. McLaughlin, a private consultant to Ultradent’s orthodontic division, is a proponent of the Shofu-Ultradent partnership.

“It is a pleasure to renew my relationship with Shofu in Japan under a new umbrella with a quality innovator of orthodontic products like Ultradent,” said Dr McLaughlin.

“Dr. Masatada Koga, a recognized orthodontic expert, and I share a history of working in tandem to educate Shofu customers on advanced orthodontic diagnosis, treatment planning and patient care. Ultradent will add more depth with its long history of continuing education and the development of quality, innovative orthodontic products. ”

Dr. McLaughlin's passion for improvement of the preadjusted appliance is what drew him to Ultradent and Dr. Dan Fischer, the company's president and founder. Last year, Dr. McLaughlin partnered with Opal Orthodontics as an advocate and consultant helping to lead the global orthodontic education program and as a contributor to new product development and design.

In the first quarter of 2010, Dr. McLaughlin represented Ultradent at a continuing education course in Japan, educating more than 200 orthodontists on case studies related to the Opal Orthodontics system.

For more information about Ultradent, call (800) 552-5512 or visit www.ultradent.com.

To read more about Ultradent, go to www.dentistryiq.com/index/display/article-display/373677/articles/dental-economics/industry-news-2/2010/04/ultradent-products-to-sponsor-serenade-of-the-seas.html.

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