BIOLASE Establishes Long-Term Collaboration With World Renowned Laser Dentistry Expert Professor Norbert Gutknecht and the Aachen Center for Laser Dentistry
Clinical Laser Education, Training & Research Partnership to Promote Laser Dentistry Worldwide
IRVINE, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 07/31/12 -- BIOLASE, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIOL), the world's leading dental laser manufacturer and distributor, today announced it has signed a long-term agreement with world renowned laser dentistry expert Professor and Doctor Norbert Gutknecht and the Aachen Center for Laser Dentistry (AALZ) in Germany. The partnership is designed to promote laser dentistry worldwide through clinical laser education, training and research.
As part of the agreement, Prof. Dr. Gutknecht will direct courses and oversee research that is critical for the broader acceptance of high-tech laser dentistry. In addition, he has agreed to become a member of the BIOLASE Dental Advisory Board. He is on the faculty of the Department of Restorative Dentistry at RWTH Aachen University, School of Dentistry, Aachen, Germany, and is one of the world's most widely published and highly respected researchers and educators in laser dentistry.
Prof. Dr. Gutknecht said, "This alliance will have a major impact on the quality and standardization of dental laser education for laser dentists and their success in the treatment of patients. Furthermore, it will increase the confidence in and acceptance of BIOLASE's dental lasers with dentists who are not yet working with lasers in their dental offices. I believe that the combination of the best laser education offered by the AALZ with the best lasers in the market from BIOLASE will enable dentists to provide the highest possible clinical outcomes for their patients and also greatly expand the market for dental lasers worldwide."
The acknowledged leader in dental laser education since its founding in 1992, the AALZ and related World Academy for Laser Education in Dentistry Network (WALED) will expand the availability of postgraduate advanced wavelength clinical laser education to more than 40 countries while also making major steps toward standardizing laser dental education for all BIOLASE owners worldwide.
BIOLASE Chairman and CEO Federico Pignatelli said, "We are pleased to have formalized our agreement for clinical laser research and publication for the foreseeable future in addition to accessing the AALZ's well established strength in clinical laser education. The AALZ will add 3,000 participants to the 10,000-plus members of our World Clinical Laser Institute, the world's largest and most influential dental laser network. Professor and Doctor Gutknecht has already made significant contributions in multi-wavelength clinical applications in periodontics and endodontics for our new Waterlase iPlus™ Er,Cr:YSGG and iLase™/EPIC diode systems. We are also looking forward to Professor and Doctor Gutknecht's contributions to our Dental Advisory Board."
Prof. Dr. Gutknecht added, "In 2011, we began discussions with BIOLASE, who we recognize as the industry leader, particularly because of its patented Waterlase technology, for an extraordinary cooperation with us and our education network to better address the needs of dentists interested in laser technology, and especially to provide BIOLASE owners around the world with a special adapted education program for Waterlase courses with associated BIOLASE diode technologies.
"Today these plans have been completed and for the first time in dental laser history, BIOLASE as the world leader and largest dental laser company, has agreed to provide its owners with a profound education experience through the AALZ, the largest university-based Laser Education Institute," commented Prof. Dr. Gutknecht.
"Life-long-learning is the most important factor to be successful in the dental profession," said Prof. Dr. Gutknecht. "Since the use and indication-based applications of lasers in dentistry are not part of the undergraduate curriculum in dental education, I was concerned and convinced that a postgraduate laser education program in dentistry had to be established. For this reason, the AALZ was founded to provide research-based and clinical-oriented education in the application of lasers in dentistry. In 2004, the world's first postgraduate Master of Science program in 'Lasers in Dentistry' was established at RWTH Aachen University. This program is currently the only fully accredited laser education program in dentistry in the world."
Besides clinical laser education, the AALZ is involved in performing many basic and advanced clinical research projects and is a leader in the publication of clinical research articles in the trade, scientific and professional journals.
About BIOLASE, Inc.
BIOLASE, Inc., the World's leading Dental Laser Company, is a medical technology company that develops, manufactures and markets dental lasers and also distributes and markets dental imaging equipment; products that are focused on technologies that advance the practice of dentistry and medicine. The Company's laser products incorporate approximately 285 patented and patent pending technologies designed to provide biologically clinically superior performance with less pain and faster recovery times. Its imaging products provide cutting-edge technology at competitive prices to deliver the best results for dentists and patients. BIOLASE's principal products are dental laser systems that perform a broad range of dental procedures, including cosmetic and complex surgical applications, and a full line of dental imaging equipment. BIOLASE has sold more than 19,600 lasers among 16,000 customers. Other products under development address ophthalmology and other medical and consumer markets.
For updates and information on laser and Waterlase dentistry, find BIOLASE at http://www.biolase.com, Twitter at https://twitter.com/GoWaterlase, and YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/Rossca08.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of safe harbor provided by the Securities Reform Act of 1995 that are based on the current expectations and estimates by our management. These forward-looking statements can be identified through the use of words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," and variations of these words or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current, preliminary expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from the statements contained herein, and are described in the Company's reports it files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual and quarterly reports. No undue reliance should be placed on forward-looking statements. Such information is subject to change, and we undertake no obligation to update such statements.
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Source: BIOLASE, Inc.
Released July 31, 2012
