New 3M Oral Care organisation combines 3M ESPE and 3M Unitek

Consistent with 3M's strategy to increase customer relevance, the company has announced the formation of 3M Oral Care, combining the former 3M ESPE Dental and 3M Unitek Orthodontics into a single new division, led by Vice President & General Manager James D. Ingebrand.

"Building on our strong brands and technologies, 3M Oral Care will leverage our fundamental strengths in science and innovation to deliver a complete suite of solutions across the continuum of oral care for dentists and orthodontists, to improve patient outcomes," said Joaquin Delgado, Executive Vice President, 3M Health Care Business Group.

"We are committed to further building on our more than half century of innovation in oral health," Mr Ingebrand said. "This will accelerate our momentum as we continue to deliver quality innovative solutions for doctors and their patients."

3M was recognised recently as the "Most Innovative Dental Company" for the 10th consecutive year, by The Anaheim Group (publisher of Dental Fax Weekly), for continuing to bring exciting new ideas to dentistry. 3M's wide range of dental products and supplies includes restorative, crown and bridge, mini-dental implants, preventive, infection control and cosmetic dentistry. In addition, 3M helps integrate advanced digital technology and materials science through CAD/CAM dentistry and digital impressions. 3M has brought a number of amazing firsts to the dental industry, including the first-ever tooth-coloured restorative material, the first self-adhesive universal resin cement, the first nano ionomer, the first malleable, pre-formed temporary crown and the first automated mixing of impression materials.

Delivering solutions across the continuum of oral health is not a new concept for 3M. One example of 3M innovation is the 3M True Definition Scanner for digital impressioning with unparalleled accuracy, ease of use, flexibility and control, for a broad range of dental restorations and orthodontic appliances. The product is gaining wide acceptance in both the dentist and orthodontic communities and is helping set new standards of care in the industry in terms of efficiency and accuracy.

3M also is known as a leader in orthodontic solutions. Recent innovations include: Clarity™ Advanced Ceramic Brackets which combine brilliant aesthetics with consistent strength and small bracket design for enhanced patient comfort; APC™ Flash-Free Adhesive which allow doctors to move directly from bracket placement to bracket cure without removing adhesive flash - meaning no clean up; and Victory Series™ Superior Fit Buccal Tubes to hold arch wires to molars, designed with a large compound contour base for superior fit, exclusive "contoured funnel" for easy wire insertion and low profile and flush-mount hook for patient comfort; and "invisible" 3M Incognito™ hidden braces, which are placed on the lingual side of the teeth for highly aesthetic treatment.