What the new KaVo Kerr Group means for popular brands, new products and dentists

The formation of the KaVo Kerr Group strategically unites the leading dental consumable, equipment, high tech, and specialty brands under a single global platform. But what does this mean for consumers?

Dental Products Report Content Director Kevin Henry recently had a chance to get to the bottom of the KaVo Kerr Group formation with Henk van Duijnhoven, senior vice president responsible for the KaVo Kerr Group.

1. It’s been said that the average dental practice has an average of five KaVo Kerr Group brands already in use in their practice. Why was it important to bring these brands together under one umbrella?

Our portfolio of brands are in virtually every dental practice around the world. Up until now, we lacked a halo or identity that bonded our brands together; therefore our customers didn’t realize there was common DNA and values that connected us. Thus KaVo Kerr Group simply tells our customers that we are uniquely connected together and that our products, processes and people work together to better dentistry. 

The KaVo Kerr Group is the halo that offers outstanding brands like KaVo, Kerr, i-CAT, Pelton & Crane, Orascoptic, Gendex, Instrumentarium, Ormco, Implant Direct, DEXIS and many others that our customers know and trust.

2. Now that KaVo Kerr Group has debuted, how will it impact the average dental practice? 

Simply spoken, it’s our desire to enhance clinical outcomes and improve workflows so our clinicians can optimize and simplify their work and personal lives. Our culture is founded on the relentless pursuit of continuous improvement and we anticipate that by leveraging our portfolio of brands, technologies and resources that we can deliver greater value to our entire customer base including our distributors, clinicians, and institutional customers.

3. One of the main points I have heard from KaVo Kerr Group is that its portfolio of products complement each other. How important is that for the dental practitioner?

It’s very simple actually. Our job as a leading provider of outstanding brands is to simplify and enhance the lives of our clinicians. Helping them work more effectively, efficiently and confidently, will improve clinical outcomes and support our customer’s desires to be successful both in and out of work. 

Our business model creates a unique interrelationship between our brands, research and development, and global resources that will streamline workflows and simplify dentistry.

A great example is our Kerr Sonicfill product. This product improves quality of posterior bulkfill restorations and reduces the time a clinician spends on completing the restoration by combining KaVo sonic technology with Kerr composite know-how.

4. You’re launching over 20 new products at the upcoming 2014 Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting. Why launch so many products at once?

We are committed to R&D and innovation over the long haul. The launches at Chicago Midwinter are a product of that intent and commitment. We have a thorough and sustainable processes that yield a steady flow of new products each year and 2014 will not disappoint. 

The Midwinter meetings are always a great launching pad to showcase our new innovations and ring in the New Year. Considering we have over 15 relevant brands and a robust R&D group, it doesn’t take long to add up. 

We really hope our customers get excited and see the value in all our new innovations of 2014 and of course in years to come.

5. What’s the one message you want dental practitioners to know about KaVo Kerr Group?

Great question. Two things that we want to share. 

First, we simply want our customers to know that KaVo Kerr Group is a halo that represents an outstanding portfolio of brands that they use and trust every day and that we are committed to enhancing clinical outcomes, improving clinical workflows and simplifying dentistry. 

Second, we are committed to the dental community and will continue to invest in the lives of our distribution partners, clinicians, patients, educators, charitable groups and the entire dental profession.

6. What are the core values of KaVo Kerr Group and how does that affect its products?

Our values are trust, experience, choices, quality and smart innovation. As I’ve alluded to before, we simply want to enhance clinical outcomes and simplify the lives of our customers. The way it plays out is that we are relentless on defining, developing and ultimately delivering products and services that yield this promise.  If our products don’t meet this standard, then we don’t launch them. 

Our brands have established a relationship with our customers over the years and we take the responsibility of being good shepherds of our brands very seriously.

7. Do you believe your equipment and consumables can help a dental practitioner find a work/life balance?

Absolutely! We see it every day. One of our principles is that “when customers talk, we listen.” 

Our customers have unique problems that they need solved. Sometimes they are articulated problems and other times we simply observe them as we do our research. If we can cut a procedure time in half because of the interrelationship of the products, processes and techniques, then the patient and clinician both win. I’m sure you are the same as me-if I could get home a few minutes earlier or get some extra work done in the normal span of business-then I feel pretty good. If the patient has to make fewer visits to the offices, experience less complex cases and always works with a confident dentist, they win. This principle drives us every day! 

The best part of dentistry is that our customers are passionate about solving problems and enhancing clinical outcomes.  It’s what we all do.

8. The companies that make up KaVo Kerr Group have more than 500 years of industry experience-What does the future hold?

We’ve never been more excited. Our investments in innovation and R&D continue to increase and the steady flow of new products is very healthy. More than new products this year is not an anomaly. Our global team continues to work more effectively, sharing technologies and collaborating to solve problems. We continue to invest in our customers’ lives and are convinced that we will all win together.