Basel, 17 October 2018: The Association of the Swiss Dental Laboratories has sent a mass-mailing to its members in reaction to the acquisition by Straumann’s Country Organization in Switzerland of a stake in a local lab/milling center. In the meantime the contents of the mailing have been broadcast on social media. Some of the Association’s statements are incorrect and have aroused concern and questions among customers about Straumann’s strategy.

The facts are as follows:

Straumann’s highly efficient and competitive milling center in Markkleeberg Germany, has been supplying high quality CADCAD prosthetic solutions to dental labs and practices in Germany, Switzerland and other countries for more than ten years. However, it is unable to meet certain Swiss customer requirements, including the preference for products that are made and finished in Switzerland, and faster delivery. Furthermore, transportation from Markkleeberg, customs procedures and import duties increase delivery times and add costs for patients. These and other factors have prompted Straumann to invest in a local solution.

Straumann Switzerland has purchased a majority stake in a dental lab in Rheinfelden (CH), which also operates as a local milling center. This investment is a local initiative in the Swiss market. Straumann does not intend to extend this service beyond Switzerland and is not pursuing a global strategy to acquire local labs. The Group’s milling centers in Germany (etkon) and in Spain (Createch) will continue to serve Swiss and European lab customers.

The Straumann Group is committed to providing labs and dentists with optimum treatments for their patients. Digital dentistry and CADCAM workflows are important global trends because they offer significant benefits for customers and patients. The Group is convinced that labs that embrace these trends and invest in digital technologies will be successful in the long term.

The Straumann Group is committed to being the partner of choice for dental labs and practices. It will continue to invest in CADCAM technologies to keep up with demand patterns and to provide customers with an open system architecture that enables them to work with central, in-lab and chairside milling workflows. They can then decide which solution is in the best interest of their patients. The Group will also continue to offer solutions like the Variobase and PreMilled abutments, which were developed specifically to enable dental labs to achieve optimum results in-house.

About Straumann

The Straumann Group (SIX: STMN) is a global leader in tooth replacement and orthodontic solutions that restore smiles and confidence. It unites global and international brands that stand for excellence, innovation and quality in replacement, corrective and digital dentistry, including Straumann, Neodent, Medentika, ClearCorrect, Dental Wings, and other fully/partly owned companies and partners. In collaboration with leading clinics, institutes and universities, the Group researches, develops, manufactures and supplies dental implants, instruments, CADCAM prosthetics, biomaterials and digital solutions for use in tooth replacement and restoration or to prevent tooth loss.

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, the Group currently employs approx. 5700 people worldwide and its products, solutions and services are available in more than 100 countries through a broad network of distribution subsidiaries and partners.