KOMET

Coming to America
Launched in late 2006, Komet USA is up and running

Komet, headquarters in Lemgo, Germany, is a worldwide leader of rotary dental instruments made from titanium, diamond, tungsten carbide and steel. Since Peter Brasseler Sr. Founded the company more than 80 years ago, says Warren White, COO of sales and marketing, the Komet brand he created has delivered innovation and quality to the dental industry. Komet now offers a complete line of dental rotary instruments, systems and services in the U.S. under a new company name – Komet USA. White was interviewed by Dental Tribune about the company’s past, present and future.

Since that late 1970s, Komet had an exclusive agreement with an outside vendor to make you company’s products available in the U.S. Now you’ve launched Komet USA to distribute in the U.S. Why the change?

From 1976 until the end of 2006, the products we manufactured were available int eh U.S. exclusively through Brasseler USA. Over that 30 year period, the instruments we manufactured were among the most popular dental burs and cutters in the U.S. The supply agreement requiring us to sell exclusively to Brasseler USA expired at the end of 2006. So we entered the U.S. dental market in January 2007 as Komet USA.

Komet USA does not sell through a dealer network – saving dentists and laboratories tie and money. Practitioners work directly with our sales and support staff. We have the ability to ship orders directly from Germany via FedEx within 480 ours after they are placed without having any back orders.

What did Komet USA accomplish in its first year in the U.S.? What are your targets going forward? How are you planning to expand your business?

I believe what we accomplished in just one year was unbelievable. We created an entire U.S. infrastructure to sell and deliver our products direct. We are one of the only dental manufacturers that can sell direct, ship across the Atlantic Ocean and have no back orders, proving that we truly are a global company.

And how did you go about doing that?

In addition to creating our infrastructure and hiring a highly dedicated sales force, we targeted aggressive growth patterns and sales, and worked with the U.S. Military and dental schools. We will continue to work with the dental schools because we feel future dentists and laboratory technicians should be using the best products available. That’s where brand recognition stars and that is what we are striving for. All students should be using the proper instruments and we want to assist in the education in this way.

How is dentistry changing? How are you driving that change?

We’ve seen a huge change in dentistry. More and more women are joining the ranks bringing new and fresh ideas to the industry. You are not seeing the same faces over and over again giving lectures. In addition to that, influences are coming not just from the U.S. bur from all over the world. They are coming from Europe, South America, and Asia. They are bringing new cases, new techniques and new solutions.

Cite a few examples for us

One example is Dr. Domenico Massironi of Milan, Italy, who through his innovation and idea, Komet designed a combination of rotary instruments and sonic tips that can product and exact marginal seal and site preparation. Dentistry has truly become a global business. More and more global dental manufacturers are entering the U.S. dental market because they can.

When I attended shows, I see more and more international manufacturers, making this a very competitive business, this also give the U.S dentists and labs more options. Plus, the demographics of our patients are changing with the baby boomers getting older.

There’s been a lot of talk about the impact of the baby boomers on dentistry. How have they influenced the way dentists are altering the way they do business, and how is Komet going to take advantage of this shift in the deal zeitgeist?

They [the baby boomers] are the ones driving the push for cosmetic dentistry. They are part of the “be beautiful generation” because they are concerned with their looks and they have the disposable income. Komet USA provides products that make these procedures quicker and easier. Not only does this help the dentists performing the procedures, but it helps the lab techs who are milling and creating veneers and crowns. If we are making their jobs easier, then we’re helping the patients because they are spending less time in the chair making for a more pleasant experience.

How can you help dentists improve their practice?

Komet continues to develop products that the dentists are asking for Dr. Massironi came to us with the idea for his Sonic Tips and we responded. There was a need for this product and Komet took the time and energy to develop a product that satisfied both Dr. Massironi and the consumers. Our innovations are not just generated in the lab, but from the information we receive from the front lines of dentistry. We always welcome ideas from our customers.

Any new products or offerings you wish to highlight?

For a company that entered the U.S. dental market one year ago, we have stepped up to the plate and introduced many new products. Just this year alone, we introduced six new instruments.

Besides Dr. Massironi’s Sonic Tips, we introduced the CeraLine of ceramic instruments (CeraDrill and CeraBur). These ceramic instruments are revolutionizing the industry by allowing dentists to work on bone with utmost sensitivity.

CeraDrills are universal pilot drills for implantology and CeraBurs are ceramic bone cutters that feature a special toothing for conservative and minimally invasive cutting both are made from high efficiency ceramics and feature and excellent cutting performance.

Tell us about the Revolution Carbide bur, which we understand has a pending patent.

Revolution Carbide bur offers practitioners a new but design. Specifically, the rake angels on the burs have been exaggerated and have been combined with a staggered toothing, resulting in a sharper bur and a more aggressive performance in the hands of the practitioner. This allows for fast cutting and minimal vibration; superior performance and efficiency for everyday preparations.

The S-Diamond instruments combine structured blank and coarse grit, enabling effective substance removal and improved cooling. With the development of the innovative Q-Finisher, we reduced this process to just two steps, using the Q-Finisher for the first step and ultra-fine finishing instrument of the second step. This results in less chair time, greater patient comfort and improved patent care.

The smoother non-cutting tip of the Q-Finisher assures gentle finishing without damage to the gingival. Prior to the Greater New York Dental Meeting, Komet USA introduced our Carbide Crown Prep Instruments, developed by Dr. Donald Alexander of Jacksonville Fla. The residual finish allows for both gross and finish work to be accomplished using the same instrument.

What has been the feedback from the industry on your consumer marketing?

When Komet USA started in January 2007, we had a very little brand recognition in the U.S. We’ve worked very hard this past year and our success is finally paying off. We’ve really seen it in these as few months, especially during the ADA shoe in San Francisco and at the New York show.

More and more people are waling up to our both and telling us they want to try us. Our sales force is working extremely hard in the field and they are having a tremendous impact with the dentists and labs who want to try new and innovative products. If also doesn’t hurt that some of our products have received acclaim from the dental industry.

For more information contact KOMET USA at:
800-208-1630 or www.komet-usa.com.