Amsterdam/Basel, 21 December 2011: Straumann, a leader in implant and restorative dentistry and oral tissue regeneration, has signed a novel collaboration agreement with the Academic Center for Dentistry in Amsterdam (ACTA), a leading international university center for dentistry, with the goal of furthering education in dental implantology.

The shared goal of high quality education in dentistry has brought ACTA and Straumann together. This collaboration has led to a novel dental education concept for oral implantology in the bachelor/master dental curriculum. From now on, ACTA’s undergraduate program will include teaching on all basic aspects of oral implantology, including the prosthetics, diagnosis, compliance and treatment planning – subjects that are often covered only in postgraduate courses.

The new curriculum has been made possible thanks to Straumann’s commitment to supply materials for tooth replacement solutions, planning software as well as training for key faculty staff at ACTA.

Straumann – the obvious choice for ACTA

ACTA wanted to limit this program to one implant system, and the success of its previous collaboration made Straumann an obvious choice. The decision was also driven by the fact that it is considerably easier to train staff in surgical and prosthetic procedures using a single implant system. Straumann offers a comprehensive system for tooth replacement – from implant to crown – as well as state-of-the-art integrated digital solutions with seamless connectivity.

Professor Daniel Wismeijer, Chairman at ACTA’s department of Oral Implantology and Prosthetic Dentistry, commented: “We have reserved 400 hours in an extra training year to teach the students the basic principles of oral implantology. One of the main aspects of this additional training program is that all students must incorporate implantology into their treatment plans. This is a prerequisite to receive the dental degree. On a yearly basis, we expect to insert and restore 160 implants in the dental curriculum training.”

Matthias Schupp, Head of Region Western Europe at Straumann, noted: “We are pleased that Straumann has been selected as the system of choice in this project with ACTA. We see this as a long-term relationship that could shape dental education in the future. Working alongside dental faculties to support and advance training and education is important to Straumann, and we are exploring possibilities to introduce similar models to other universities as well”.

About ACTA (Academic Center for Dentistry in Amsterdam)

Founded in 1984 through the merger of the dental faculties of the Universiteit van Amsterdam and the VU University, Amsterdam, ACTA conducts scientific research, provides educational programs and delivers patient care in the field of dentistry. Besides training students to be dentists, ACTA provides postgraduate courses for dentists. With a workforce of approximately 500 and some 500 enrolled students in its dentistry program, ACTA delivers dental care to approximately 500 patients every day.

About Straumann

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, the Straumann Group (SIX: STMN) is a global leader in implant and restorative dentistry and oral tissue regeneration. In collaboration with leading clinics, research institutes and universities, Straumann researches, develops and manufactures dental implants, instruments, prosthetics and tissue regeneration products for use in tooth replacement and restoration solutions or to prevent tooth loss. Straumann currently employs more than 2400 people worldwide and its products and services are available in more than 70 countries through its broad network of distribution subsidiaries and partners.