Biolase strikes deal with Aachen Dental Laser Center

01 Aug 2012

Partnership will promote laser dentistry and facilitate training in the field.

A long-term agreement struck between Biolase and Professor Norbert Gutknecht of the Aachen Center for Laser Dentistry (AALZ) will see Professor Gutknecht oversee a program of educational courses and research for the company, intended to promote laser dentistry worldwide. He will also join the Biolase dental advisory board.

The training and research that will be undertaken under the partnership is said by Biolase to be critical for the broader acceptance of its laser dentistry technology.

"We are pleased to have formalized our agreement for clinical laser research and publication for the foreseeable future, in addition to accessing the AALZ's well established strength in clinical laser education," commented Biolase CEO Federico Pignatelli, who noted that Gutknecht's work on multi-wavelength clinical applications had been significant in the development of the company's Waterlase iPlus and iLase systems.

The deal comes shortly after Biolase announced the opening of a technology and training center at its California headquarters, intended to provide instruction and certification training in the company's dental laser products for both clinical users and its own sales team. That focus on training looks set to continue with the new Aachen agreement.

The AALZ was founded in 1991, created to be the first dental laser education institute in Germany and a leading worldwide specialist in the field. Professor Gutknecht holds the post of Scientific Director. The Center currently runs what is said to be the only fully accredited laser education program in dentistry in the world, run in cooperation with RWTH Aachen University.

In addition to the input of Professor Gutknecht, the agreement will also swell the ranks of the World Clinical Laser Institute. This Biolase-run education organization provides training in dental laser systems, as well as in digital imaging and CAD/CAM, a reflection of the company's ongoing interests in medical imaging and ophthalmology as well as dentistry. Biolase indicated that the deal with AALZ should add a further 3,000 participants to the 10,000 existing members of the Institute.

• Biolase will report its second quarter results on August 8th 2012. Figures from the first quarter showed a strong year-on-year increase in revenue, with sales of $12.3 million, but also a net loss of $1.6 million. The company has issued guidance for unadjusted revenue in Q2 of approximately $13 million to $14 million, and will be hoping that the results shore up a weakness in the company's share price that Pignatelli has previously described as "unwarranted."