YORBA LINDA, Calif., Sept. 15, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Nobel Biocare (Other OTC:NBCHF), the world leader in innovative esthetic dental solutions, today announced it will contribute $2.5 million to the UCLA School of Dentistry, California, to create an endowed chair in surgical implant dentistry. The Chair will promote education and training of students, faculty and national and international dental practitioners as well.
"Since the 1960s Nobel Biocare has set the industry standard by developing state-of-the art, esthetic dental implant technologies. Creating innovative products, however, does not guarantee patients will receive long-lasting, beautiful smiles. Dentists must be properly trained to best integrate the latest implant solutions into their practices," said Heliane Canepa, President and CEO of Nobel Biocare. "This is why Nobel Biocare is committed to working with world-leading dental schools like UCLA to develop undergraduate education and training programs as well as research, that help dentists around the world deliver solutions that offer patients beautiful teeth now -- and for the long term."
The occupant of the endowed chair will be a worldwide leader in implant dental education and research, deeply involved in the training of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members, and practitioners, both nationally and internationally.
"This endowment is a very important and exciting development for the section of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, the division of Diagnostic & Surgical Sciences, and the School as a whole," said Dr. No-Hee Park, Dean of the UCLA School of Dentistry. "The Nobel Biocare Endowed Chair in Surgical Implant Dentistry is a wonderful way to advance the teaching and research activities of a leading scholar while helping to strengthen UCLA's position at the forefront of dental education."
This initiative is an extension of an ongoing collaboration between Nobel Biocare and UCLA School of Dentistry, which dates back to 1984 when UCLA was one of the first dental schools to introduce education and research programs in implant dentistry.
NOBEL BIOCARE HOLDING AG
Nobel Biocare is a medical devices group and the world leader in innovative esthetic dental solutions with its brands Branemark System(r), NobelSpeedy(m), NobelReplace(tm), NobelPerfect(r), NobelDirect(r), Replace(r) Select (dental implants) and Procera(r) (individualized dental prosthetics). Nobel Biocare is a one-stop shop for restorative esthetic dentistry, offering a wide range of innovative Crown & Bridge & Implant products, as well as training and education and clinically documented treatment concepts. Nobel Biocare has around 1,900 employees and recorded revenue of EUR 485 million in 2005. The Company is domiciled in Zurich, Switzerland with headquarters in Zurich and in Gothenburg, Sweden. Production takes place at four production sites located in Sweden and the USA. Nobel Biocare has direct sales organizations in 33 countries. The shares of the parent company Nobel Biocare Holding AG are listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange and on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, Sweden.
Training and education of dental professionals continues to be a key strategy of Nobel Biocare. To meet the growing patient demands, the change of current undergraduate education programs and the integration of dental implant therapy and esthetic dentistry is an important factor.
California's largest university, UCLA enrolls approximately 38,000 students per year in dozens of varied disciplines and has been home to five Nobel Prize recipients.
The UCLA School of Dentistry is dedicated to improving the oral health of the people of California, the nation and the world, and has established an international reputation for its teaching, research, patient care and public service initiatives. The school provides education and training programs that develop leaders in dental education, research, the profession and the community; conducts research programs that generate new knowledge, promote oral health, and investigate the cause, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of oral disease; and delivers patient centered oral health care to the community and state. The school enrolls nearly 500 students and residents in a number of academic programs including the four-year D.D.S program, the two-year D.D.S. program for foreign-trained dentists, M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Oral Biology, combined D.D.S. and M.S., Ph.D. and M.B.A. programs, and 13 postdoctoral/specialty training programs.