COLOGNE, Germany, April 12, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The International Team for Implantology (ITI) and Quintessenz Verlags -GmbH (Quintessence) today announced a new collaboration to develop and market a multilingual, multimedia tool to educate patients and inform dental teams about implant and prosthetic procedures. Called the 'Implant Explorer', the new tool will be based on the popular award-winning 'Dental Explorer', which is already marketed by Quintessence and is broadly recognized as the standard work in dental chairside communication. Financial details of the collaboration were not disclosed.
Using photographic and video material in conjunction with a 3-D simulation program, the Implant Explorer will make it possible for patients to view their own dental situation on a chairside computer screen. It will also enable the dentist to develop and simulate an individualized treatment plan for each patient. This can be demonstrated and explained to the patient on screen and a treatment cost estimate generated at the push of a button. The Implant Explorer will be designed to run on a standard PC.
"Leading experts agree that teamwork and communication are essential to achieve predictable long-term esthetic results in implant patients. The team does not just comprise the dentist, the surgeon and the lab technician, it also includes the patient -- which underscores the need for effective educational aids. The Implant Explorer will undoubtedly fill an unmet need in this respect and will therefore be an important contribution towards improved treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction," said Professor Daniel Buser, Chairman of ITI Education Committee and Chairman of the Department of Oral Surgery at the School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.
"The ITI is widely accepted as a world-leading authority in implant dentistry with an unparalleled wealth of clinical and educational expertise. With Quintessence's leading position in multi-media chairside communication platforms, we are clearly partners of choice for this project, which will take chairside education to a new level," commented Alexander Ammann, CEO of Quintessenz Verlags-GmbH.
About the ITI
The International Team for Implantology (ITI) unites professionals around the world from all fields of implant dentistry and dental tissue regeneration. As an independent academic association, it actively promotes networking and exchange among its members. ITI Fellows and Members regularly share their knowledge and expertise from research and clinical practice at meetings, courses and congresses with the objective of constantly improving treatment methods and outcome, to the benefit of their patients.
The ITI is active in three principal areas: research, development and education. Over the past 25 years, the ITI has built a reputation for scientific rigor coupled with a concern for patients. The organization strongly supports the premise of well-documented treatment guidelines backed by extensive clinical testing and the compilation of long-term results. The core of the ITI is formed by more than 370 Fellows from more than 30 countries, who represent most of the world's leading universities in dentistry.
The ITI is the academic partner of Straumann, a global leader in implant dentistry and tissue regeneration.
About Quintessence
In its continuing efforts to serve the dental community, Quintessence provides the latest scientific and clinical information in formats designed to meet the varying needs of busy professionals: books, journals, videotapes, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and symposia. Dental practitioners, researchers, and students all have come to rely on Quintessence for timely articles, for clearly written and superbly illustrated books, and for texts by world-renowned experts. As people from around the world have come to expect, the Quintessence name represents a commitment to quality that is unsurpassed in the dental publishing world.
Quintessence was founded in 1950 in Berlin, Germany, and today is located with own publishing houses in Chicago, Tokyo, Barcelona, Istanbul, London, Milan, Moscow, Mumbai, Paris, Prague, Sao Paolo and Warsaw.
Today the company's publishing activities encompass 56 professional journals in 16 languages, more than 1,300 book titles (many in multiple languages), and more than 200 Video-, DVD- and multimedia programs. Addressing the education and information needs of both the beginning dental student and the experienced practitioner, Quintessence publications have earned many prestigious international prizes and awards over the company's 50-year history. The Quintessence Expert Community is represented by more than 3,000 authors worldwide.
In addition to its various publishing articles, Quintessence regularly sponsors continuing education seminars in various parts of the world, ranging from small-scale workshops to large international conferences that attract more than 5,000 participants.
The quality of knowledge transfer in a dynamic and innovative process is the aim and scope of Quintessence Publishing to support the community in dentistry worldwide.