KERR CORPORATE PROFILE

14 DentalTown Magazine August 2002

Nexus™

A universal resin lutingcement with a unique shading system indicated for all indirect applications,including posts, PFM crowns and bridges.

Kerr Composite Innovations

Herculite®

The first hybrid compositematerial with a sub-micronaverage particle size of0.6 microns.

Herculite XRV™

Same average particle sizeand distribution of originalHerculite with the widestvariety of true Vita* shadesfor lifelike color matching.Is still the standard bywhich all composites arejudged.

Revolution®

The first flowable compositematerial with a viscositythat flows easily into cavities, while providingcontrollable, slump-resistanthandling.

OptiBond®

First 48%- filled, fluoride-releasing bonding system.Provides deep, reinforceddentin tags for unparalleled protection againstmicroleakage.

Prodigy®

Same average particle sizeand distribution of originalHerculite but with a slightlymodified resin for a softer,creamier handling charac-teristic.

*Vita is a registered trademark ofthe Vita Zahnfabrik Company,Germany.

1985 1991 1992 1995 1996

Kerr R&D Focuses on Patented Core TechnologiesHad you been practicing dentistry 111 years ago, you would havebeen familiar with the quality and value of the Kerr name eventhen, but having a long history doesn’t necessarily connote innova-tion and that’s where Kerr distinguishes itself. Holding its ownwith companies twice its size, Kerr has firmly positioned itself as apremiere esthetic company, well poised to continue to address thedemands of today’s modern dental practice. Like most success stories,the reputation Kerr enjoys today is the hard-earned outcome of astrategy that started more than a decade ago. Regardless of theminor detours along the way, the goal has always been clear: Be thefirst to the market with innovative, high-quality products that fillthe demanding needs of today’s esthetic dental practices.

Market trends are driven by customer need. In order to be thefirst to market in satisfying those needs (given the lead timefrom creation to production of any dental product with com-

plex chemistry), Kerr emphasizes the creation of proprietarycore technologies that serve as the platform upon which a suc-cession of products can be quickly developed and brought tomarket. Point 4 and Point 4 Flowable, two of Kerr’s mostimportant offerings of late – composites that established a newcategory of esthetics – are built on the proven science of earlierbreakthroughs: Herculite, Prodigy and Prodigy Condensable.This formula for success has catapulted Kerr from an old-linemanufacturing company, best known for its amalgams and cast-ing machines, to an award-winning esthetics leader. To get aglimpse of Kerr’s importance in leading the dental communityin product innovation, we need to go back 20 years and tracethe evolution of its history.

It was the early 1980s and first-generation composites hadalready been popular for esthetic restorations for a number ofyears but were contraindicated for use in the posterior of themouth. Al Kobashigawa, Senior Research Scientist for Kerrwith 30 years in dental research, was given a mandate: Develop

A Platform for SuccessBy: Barbara Brunner, Manager, Corporate Communications

August 2002 DentalTown Magazine 15

OptiBond SoloThe first 26%-filled, single-liquid adhesive system.Another Kerr first. Solointroduced Unidose convenience to fifth- generation bonding.

Prodigy Condensable™

First low-shrinkage (1.8%),packable composite pack-aged in Unidose® delivery.Also, the first restorative toutilize rheological additives,a patented process thatallows higher filler loadingand a 5mm bulk cure.

OptiBond Solo Plus™

First 15%-filled, single-liquid adhesive for directand indirect bonding.

Point 4™

The most innovative break-through in the history ofcomposites, Point 4 bridgesthe gap between hybridsand microfills.

Revolution Formula 2™

The same ideal viscosity asits predecessor, the firstflowable, with more exact-ing Vita shade match.

Point 4 Flowable™

Combines two of Kerr’spatented technologies –ultra small particle sizeand high loading – along with additional Vita shades for a uniqueflowable composite thatintegrates beauty withstrength.

1997 1998 1999 20012000Nexus2™

The most complete and user-friendly resin luting system ever from Kerr. Withthe addition of Solo Plus andexpanded shade offerings,Nexus2 meets every indirectbonding need.

a process that would enhance composite to withstand stress-bearing placement. He and his team accomplished it by devel-oping Kerr’s proprietary glass-grinding process. This technologyled to the introduction of the first micro-hybrid composite,Herculite, in 1985. Now one of Kerr’s core technologies, thisintellectual property became the first platform process thatallowed Kerr to increase the fill in a number of products, notonly composites but also cements, temporary materials andadhesives.

Herculite is still considered by many to be the industry stan-dard by which all composites are compared. The first hybridever introduced with a sub-micron particle size, this product(and the two subsequent iterations that followed: Herculite XRand XRV) is one of the most recognized and respected brandnames in the dental industry. “This initial salvo across the com-petition’s bow was a formidable one,” states Al, “becauseHerculite set the bar high. I’m proud of the fact that more than15 years later, thousands of clinicians worldwide rely onHerculite as the staple in their esthetic practice.”

Al’s glass-filler technology was also key to the development ofOptiBond, which upon its introduction in 1992 was the firstfilled, fluoride-releasing adhesive on the market. In 1991, therewas considerable buzz about “total etch” bonding techniquesthat would remove the smear layer, but most capacity audiencessat aghast during presentations touting this dramatic change,convinced of the possible hazards such cavalier dentistry would

present. But with a body of evidence from respected sourcesgrowing worldwide, removing the smear layer and sealing thedentin/enamel surface to create an acid-resistant, insolublehybrid zone became accepted, and innovative adhesive systemsbegan emerging that took advantage of this new thinking.

During this time, in a small building in Southern California, anelite group of Kerr scientists were putting the finishing toucheson a dental adhesive that set in motion a bevy of copycats. Itsname is OptiBond. What made the difference was ethanol andthe addition of Al’s barium glass filler with an average particlesize of 0.6 microns and a fill rate of 48%. Glass filler particlesincorporate themselves into dentin tubules to create chemicaland micromechanical bonds. Reinforcing the dentin tubules inthis way means outstanding bond strengths and protection

Al Kobashigawa (far right), considered by many to be the father of modern esthetic composite, created Herculite and established the technological platform from which a number of Kerr’s other innovativeproducts were built, including OptiBond, the first filled dental adhesivefor which Dr. Daniel Ng (right) was largely responsible.

KERR CORPORATE PROFILE

16 DentalTown Magazine August 2002

against microleakage for long-term stability. Thanks largely tothe expertise of Daniel Ng, Research Scientist with 15 years indental research, Kerr has continued to refine this technology,using it as a platform for OptiBond FL, OptiBond Solo,OptiBond Solo Plus and, most recently, for OptiBond SoloPlus Self Etch Primer – all products that have continued to set,then raise the bar for dental adhesives. Eleven years later, thereare more than five major dental companies that have adoptedthe filled bonding agent approach, a testament to the clinicalsuccess of the OptiBond legacy. Keeping in mind the high levelof concern for operatory asepsis, OptiBond Solo was also thefirst one-liquid single-dose(Unidose) bonding agent everintroduced. Based on the factthat several other prominentnames in dental manufacturinghave since then introducedtheir own version of a single-dose adhesive, it is apparentthat Kerr’s innovative approachhas been validated.

Chris Angeletakis, CorporateScientist at Kerr with 20 yearsin dental research, has taken itscomposite technology one stepfurther by drawing upon tech-nology from the paint andcoating industry. His researchidentified compounds thatallow the glass filler in tradi-tional composites to occupyspace within the resin more efficiently. This technology wasfirst used in creating Kerr’s packable posterior resin, ProdigyCondensable. Its filler loading of 80% realizes shrinkage wellbelow 2%, addressing another popular trend among today’sresin restoratives.

Concurrent with this finding, Chris and his team found thatthe benefits derived from these compounds would work quitewell with one of his group’s newest challenges: create a materialthat would, for the first time, actually bridge the gap betweenhybrids and microfills. Building on the science from Herculiteand Prodigy and applying the dispersant technology developedfor Prodigy Condensable, Kerr patented a method to grindfiller to an average particle size of 0.4 microns. Today, Point 4and Point 4 Flowable are Kerr’s flagship composites that offer

the strength and durability of a hybrid with the luster of amicrofill for dental restorations with enamel-like vitality andstrength, actually creating a new category for esthetics.

“These dispersant and thixotropic compounds have allowed usto create unique offerings in the marketplace,” states Chris.“Combining our long history of glass-grinding technology withthese innovations has allowed us to create a new class of estheticfilling materials.”

“Some manufacturers rely heavily on a marketing effort thatoften rewraps old technology again and again,” states Vice

President of Research andDevelopment, David Tobia,PhD. “Here at Kerr, we havetried very hard to hold off ona product introduction untilthat material has a new andunique list of benefits. Thisgives us credibility with thedental community andempowers our salespeople toshowcase our products withpride and confidence.”

Considering the competitivelandscape in dental materialstoday, there is increasing pres-sure to continue the “new”product onslaught. Balancingthis with their primary goal ofoffering innovation to meetcontemporary demands, the

research and development team at Kerr strikes a position ofconfidence that they are up to the task.

For further information, contact Kerr at: 1717 West CollinsOrange, CA 92867 Phone: (800) 537-7123. Visit Kerr onthe Internet at: www.kerrdental.com

Kerr is a subsidiary of Sybron Dental Specialties whose family of companies – Ormco(orthodontics), SybronEndo (endodontics) and Metrex (infection control) – develops,manufactures and markets an entire spectrum of products to the dental profession world-wide. Kerr’s well-known subsidiaries are Pinnacle, KerrLab and Demetron. New to Kerrare Swiss-based Hawe Neos, well-known for engineering precision finishing productssuch as matrices, wedges and polishing instruments; and Orascoptic, the market leaderfor innovative flip-up and through-the-lens telescopic loupes that capitalize on the synergy of resolution and field width.

Developing cutting-edge technologies in the lab, Dr. Chris Angeletakisprefers a low-tech means of getting to work. Chris headed up theteam that created Point 4, the first composite to bridge the gapbetween hybrids and microfills.