TULSA, OK – (February 20, 2014) - DENTSPLY Tulsa Dental Specialties recently celebrated its 25th year of advancing the specialty of endodontics through innovative products, clinician support and world-class continuing education.
The company was founded as Tulsa Dental Products by Dr. Wm. Ben Johnson, DDS, in October 1988 with the introduction of Thermafil®, the world’s first endodontic obturator that gave clinicians an efficient new way to three-dimensionally fill a canal system during root canal therapy.
Dr. Johnson was joined by Mark Oliver, who helped shape the company’s culture of innovation by starting an annual Endodontic Opinion Leaders Forum to better understand the needs of the market. The growing company was also championed by Russ Vanderslice, who spearheaded Tulsa Dental Products’ early marketing initiatives. The company lost an admired friend when Mr. Vanderslice passed away in October of this year.
DENTSPLY Tulsa Dental Specialties’ emphasis on research and development and collaboration with leading endodontists has created a continuous pipeline of product “firsts” and procedural advancements. The company introduced the world’s first endodontic nickel titanium (NiTi) rotary files, ProFile® Series 29® rotary files, in 1994.
Tulsa Dental Products merged with Quality Dental Products, Inc., in 1995 and was acquired by DENTSPLY International, Inc., in 1996. It merged with a sister division to become DENTSPLY Tulsa Dental Specialties in 2007. The company continues to be headquartered in its namesake city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, with manufacturing and distribution in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Today, DENTSPLY Tulsa Dental Specialties employs more than 600 who serve clinicians throughout North America and beyond. Vice President and General Manager, John Voskuil says the company continuously looks for new ways to shape the future of endodontics.
“We’re grateful for the collaborative, innovative mindset woven into our company’s fabric from the very start,” said Mr. Voskuil. “Now, after a quarter century of growth, we’re better positioned than ever to bring new advancements and solutions to today’s clinicians.”
DENTSPLY Tulsa Dental Specialties is widely-recognized as the leading marketer, developer and manufacturer of endodontic products in North America. The company’s world-class live and online Continuing Education courses bring enhanced clinical success and confidence to tens of thousands of clinicians annually. DENTSPLY Tulsa Dental Specialties is a division of York, Pennsylvania-based DENTSPLY International, Inc., a global dental and consumable medical device company with operations and sales in more than 120 countries. For more information, please visit www.TulsaDentalSpecialties.com or call 1-800-662-1202.
