Dental News - 40 years of dentistry

Kuraray Noritake Dental

Mon. 22. October 2018

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In 1978, Kuraray shook up the dental market with the introduction of CLEARFIL BOND SYSTEM F, the world’s first total-etch adhesive system. Having inaugurated the era of adhesive dentistry, we steadily introduced new dental products over the following years. In 1983, Kuraray introduced the PANAVIA EX resin cement. By utilising our patented MDP monomer technology developed in-house, PANAVIA EX enabled Kuraray to set the industry standard for adhesion—a position we have held in the decades since. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Kuraray’s entry into the commercial dental products market, providing a perfect opportunity to reflect on how far we have come since.

Kuraray—Established by a true trailblazer
Founded in June 1926 by Magosaburo Ohara in Kurashiki in Japan, Kuraray has transcended our humble origins as a producer of rayon to become a leading global manufacturer of medical products, materials, textiles, chemicals, resins and much more. Our commitment to research and development in the fields of chemistry and engineering has led to many market firsts and a reputation as a pioneer of new products and technologies.

A history of innovation
From the very beginning, Kuraray has been focused on the manufacture of high value-added products. At the time of the business’s birth, rayon was a new type of synthetic material, and over the ensuing years, Kuraray was able to master its production. In 1950, we became the first company in the world to develop the technology to mass-produce POVAL (polyvinyl alcohol), paving the way for the production of the new synthetic fibre Vinylon in the same year. CLARINO, a water-resistant synthetic leather substitute for shoes, bags and other items, was released in 1964 after extensive research and testing, and quickly collected international awards for its technology.

Kuraray’s continued emphasis on independently developed proprietary technologies and techniques, rather than relying on imported alternatives, has enabled our company to provide original, high-quality products for a variety of different industries. High on this list is dentistry.

The Kuraray Noritake Dental era
In April 2012, Kuraray Medical and Noritake Dental Supply merged to form Kuraray Noritake Dental. By bringing together the materials and technologies developed by each of these market-leading companies, Kuraray Noritake Dental has continued to deliver dental bonding agents, ceramics and other reliable products to over 90 countries worldwide. The KATANA Zirconia range, for example, employs our unique multi-layered zirconia technology to provide a ceramic restorative material with superior translucency and perfect blending properties, while rapid bond technology ensures that CLEARFIL Universal Bond Quick delivers a lasting bond faster and easier than ever.

Through a focus on research and production, Kuraray Noritake Dental is ideally positioned to continue providing leading-edge solutions to dental issues both now and in the future.