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How did KaVo Kerr Group get started, and what was the goal at the time?
KaVo Kerr Group really originated back in 2004, when our parent company, Danaher, acquired KaVo and Gendex, followed shortly by DEXIS, Pelton & Crane, and Sybron, which brought Kerr and Ormco and then followed many others as time evolved. We were fortunate to have been able to assemble such an outstanding portfolio of brands during the past ten years. The formal name KaVo Kerr Group was articulated just recently and will define our global dental business and portfolio of brands.
It’s been said that the average dental practice has an average of 5 KaVo Kerr Group brands already in use. Why was it important to bring these brands together under one umbrella?
Two reasons. First, all of the brands in our portfolio share common values of trust, experience, choices, quality, and smart innovation. Unfortunately, most of our customers didn’t realize that the brands they use and trust every day are actually produced by the same global dental company. Second, our vision is to simplify dentistry and enhance clinical outcomes by enhancing workflows and delivering smart innovation. By bringing all our brands together, we can leverage our portfolio of resources, particularly R&D, to make this vision a reality.
How will KaVo Kerr Group impact the average dental practice’s workflow?
We believe that our products and solutions work better together and ultimately will optimize workflows, enhance clinical efficiency, and lead to better clinical outcomes. Since our portfolio includes everything from (1) diagnostics such as digital imaging and intraoral scanning to (2) software to (3) handpieces and operatory equipment to (4) consumables such as restorative, ortho, endo and infection control materials, we can easily serve the entire spectrum of workflows.
It looks like KaVo Kerr Group portfolio of products complement each other. How important is that for the dental practitioner?
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| Henk van Duijnhoven is a senior vice president at KaVo Kerr Group. From 2008 to 2011, he was group executive and president of KaVo. |
Our products compliment each other; they work together, and that in turn benefits users. It enhances the clinical outcome, improves workflow, and therefore improves and simplifies their work and personal lives. This is a win-win.
You are launching more than 20 new products at the Chicago Midwinter Dental Meeting. Why?
We are thrilled to be bringing so much news to Chicago. We are committed to smart innovation and the pursuit of continuous improvement; thus, the yielded output is a steady flow of new products. While Chicago is a big show for us, we have a full pipeline of innovations across our brands that will continue to flow each year.
What’s the one message you want a dental practitioner to know about KaVo Kerr Group?
KaVo Kerr Group is the company that delivers the outstanding brands you use and trust every day, and we are committed to enhance clinical outcomes and improve workflows that simplify and improve the life of both clinicians and patients.
What are the core values of KaVo Kerr Group and how does that affect its products?
Trust, experience, choices, quality, and smart innovation are our values. Similar to what I said beforehand, these values influence how we evaluate and go about developing great products that enhance dentistry.
Do you believe your equipment and consumables can help a dental practitioner find a work/life balance?
Absolutely! Clinicians are passionate about their patients, and we can help with yielding better clinical outcomes. We also know that improved workflows means more efficient practices that allow our customers to either see more patients or see the same patients in less time. A great example is our Kerr SonicFill, which improves the quality of posterior bulk-fill restorations and reduces the time a clinician spends on completing the restoration by combining KaVo’s unique sonic technology with Kerr composite know-how.
The companies that make up KaVo Kerr Group have more than 500 years of industry experience. What does the future hold?
Hopefully, we have another 500 years of excellence. Our future is bright with more innovation, and we hope to continue to expand our portfolio of brands to better serve our customers.
