Discus Dental acquired by Philips

Discus Dental has been acquired by Philips, the makers of Sonicare, broadening its Oral Healthcare portfolio. Previously privately held, Discus is the global leader in professional tooth whitening products with brands such as Zoom!, BriteSmile and NiteWhite. In recent years the Company expanded into other areas including oral care, restoratives, endodontics, and soft-tissue lasers. Pending regulatory approvals, the acquisition will be completed by the end of 2010.

"We created Discus almost 20 years ago with the goal of making it easy to improve patient smiles," said Dr William Dorfman, founder of Discus Dental. "Since then, millions of people around the world have had smile makeovers using our products and we've become a trusted source of clinical solutions for dentists in more than 100 countries and on virtually every continent. By joining the Philips organization, our products will benefit from unprecedented growth opportunities, making tooth whitening even more accessible to a broader audience."

Philips is headquartered in the Netherlands and employing more than 116,000 people in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 23 billion in 2009, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure, with strong leadership positions in flat TV, male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. In the oral care space, Philips Sonicare is the number one recommended sonic toothbrush brand by dental professionals worldwide.

"Oral healthcare is an important part of our strategy to enhance consumer health and well-being, and an important growth driver of our portfolio," said Philips Consumer Lifestyle CEO Pieter Nota. "Discus' professional tooth whitening business provides a strong foundation for growth in the cosmetic dentistry space and will strengthen Philips' position as a leading oral healthcare brand amongst dental professionals and consumers."