Ivoclar Vivadent
Founded in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1923, Ivoclar Vivadent has been headquartered in the Principality of Liechtenstein since the 1930s. Its international expansion began in 1954 with the establishment of its first subsidiary in Germany.
The company gained industry recognition through its invention of predosed, mechanically mixable tooth filling and cementation materials in capsule form, along with the introduction of a new generation of artificial teeth featuring the innovative “Pearl Effect.” This success laid the foundation for further expansion across Europe, with subsidiaries established in France (1960), Italy (1962), and Austria (1966).
Growth continued with the opening of offices in Sweden and Spain in 1972, followed by Australia (1975), the United States and New Zealand (both in 1978), and Canada (1979). In Bludenz, Austria, the company built a manufacturing facility dedicated to dental laboratory equipment.
A significant milestone came in 1986 with the acquisition of Williams Gold Refining Co., one of the leading manufacturers of precious metal products for the dental industry. The North American market became increasingly important, with the U.S. subsidiary experiencing rapid growth.
In 1991, the company revolutionised restorative dentistry with the introduction of the IPS Empress system — the world’s first pressed ceramic. This innovation was followed in 1992 by the launch of Tetric technology, which marked a new chapter in the development of tooth-colored restorative materials.
Expansion into Asia began in the 1990s, with the opening of a production facility in the Philippines in 1993 and a subsidiary in China in 1998. In 2005, the company introduced IPS e.max, a lithium disilicate glass-ceramic that quickly set a new benchmark for dental ceramics worldwide.
In 2017, the company acquired Kapanu, a pioneer in digital dental technology. This acquisition led to the launch of IvoSmile, an augmented reality-based consultation app, in 2018.
Today, Ivoclar Vivadent is a global leader in digital dentistry. Its digital workflows include intraoral scanning, CAD/CAM systems, milling units, and 3D printing technologies. In addition, it is actively developing new solutions in the areas of Augmented Reality and the Internet of Things (IoT), with the aim of advancing the capabilities of dental professionals and technicians around the world.
For more information, please visit their website.
