Solvay enters medical devices market with dental care line

Chemical company Solvay is entering the medical devices market with a new dental care business line.

‘Solvay Dental 360’ ranges from a new material to replace metal in removable partial denture frames to enabling a digital workflow that accelerates the work of dental laboratories and dentists.

The new line uses Solvay’s new material to allow for metal-free and biocompatible removable partial denture (RPD) frames which are over 60% lighter than a metal frame.

RPD frames replace missing teeth and are typically made of metal.

Solvay is using its new Ultaire AKP material to make its Dentivera milling disc. From this device, trained and qualified dental lab technicians use software tailored to this material to design and mill the RPD frame. The company claim this enhances speed and efficiency as fewer manufacturing steps are needed compared to the metal frame.

Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, CEO of Solvay said: “Solvay’s entrepreneurial initiative to launch into medical devices is driven by our innovation power as a world leader in metal-replacing materials and their proven track record in healthcare.”

Shawn Shorrock, global director Solvay Dental 360 said: ”Solvay proudly starts off in dental care devices with a unique full-circle offering that increases the comfort of patients and efficiency for dentists and lab technicians”.