Press Release

Michigan Entrepreneurs Brighten Smiles In Rough Economic Times

DETROIT - Whiten is the newest advancement in professional at-home teeth whitening, and it is made in Michigan.

A group of local entrepreneurs have combined forces to create a product that they say will not only revolutionize the teeth whitening industry, but will also boost the Michigan economy by being manufactured in Imlay City.

Until recently, truly professional LED teeth whitening results were only available at a cost of $300 to $700 for a single treatment in dental or other professional offices. The creators of Whiten have improved upon the existing technology and designed an affordable retail product that is pain-free, hands-free and produces real, professional results in 10-minute sessions any time of day in any location at home or on the go.

Whiten's creators say that for less than the cost of a single in-office teeth whitening, they have made it possible for customers to own their own professional teeth whitening system.

This homegrown product is the brainchild of Michiganders Kaya Bromley and Joseph Dwyer. They first got involved with the teeth whitening industry through Bromley's father, who owns a dental equipment and supply company in Sterling Heights. Very familiar with the other professional at-home teeth whitening products on the market, Bromley and Dwyer sought to be the first to recreate an actual professional whitening procedure in a retail product.

"We knew all about the products out there and we knew how to produce professional results," Bromley said. "With a lot of hard work and the expertise of a knowledgeable manufacturer, we created a hands-free, retail product that really does make teeth 4 to 6 shades whiter without the price tag of an in-office treatment."

Whiten's patented design and technology did not happen overnight. The system was perfected through years of rigorous development and testing with the expertise of business partner Joe Winget of Valtec in Imlay City. Winget decided to diversify from Valtec's key market, plastic injection molding for the automobile industry. In response to the economic challenges posed by the Michigan automotive industry the past few years, Winget and Valtec's other owners, Nick DeMiro, Pete Salpietra and Joe Tignanelli, saw an opportunity to create jobs in Michigan and to support the local economy. Their efforts have paid off as Whiten is launching nationally this month.

The patented, hands-free Whiten teeth-whitening system combines LED light with a proprietary mouthpiece and a specially formulated, non-sensitive gel. It is the same whitening technology used by dentists and professional in-office whitening, but at a fraction of the cost. The complete Whiten kit retails for $199 and includes a Luminator base, a USB charger, a mouthpiece, a case, 12 single-treatment gel tubes, and a travel bag. One household can share a single Luminator and buy multiple mouthpieces, which are interchangeable. An extra mouthpiece and gel set can be purchased for $59.95 and includes one mouthpiece with case and 12 single-treatment gel tubes.

Find out more at www.whitensmilemore.com

KAB Dental receives GSA Contract

Sterling Heights, MI - (November, 2010)

KAB Dental Equipment and Supply recently received approval by the US Government as an authorized GSA provider for both dental equipment and supplies. The Contract names KAB as an approved vendor for these items. The process involved a two year review of their contracts and product offering.

About KAB Dental

KAB Dental was founded in 1988, and is headquartered in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Independently and family-owned by Mr. Kirit Bhatt, KAB Dental received the U.S. Department of Commerce Award for Export Excellence in 2009 from the U.S. Commercial Service Export Committee. KAB Dental is an established full service distributor in the Michigan market with over 20 years serving the majority of the state. With over 5 local sales and service experts, they broadened their reach in 2008 with an online shopping resource for dentists to receive their supplies.

About National Distribution & Contracting, Inc. (NDC)

NDC, Inc. represents over 280 distributors, the largest organization of independent medical, surgical, veterinary, dental and laboratory supply distributors in the United States. NDC provides a unique collection of business services including master distribution and logistics on behalf of distributors and manufacturers serving healthcare providers throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and parts of Central America. www.ndc-inc.com

All the Dental Clinics in the USA must be chartless by January 1, 2015.

Will you be ready by JANUARY 1, 2015?

You will need to have Patient Files available in a digital format by January 1, 2015!

President Bush, after his 2004 STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS established the National Health Information Infrastructure (NHII), and appointed David Brailer MD, PhD to head it up. The objective is to have all Medical Records in a Digital Format by January 1, 2015. Although officially stated as "Medical Records", the implication is that Dentists are part of this.

One of the main consequences of this initiative for dentistry is that dental practices using film based radiography will not be able to comply with these requirements for electronic dental records. Dental professionals will need to have patient files available in digital format by January 1, 2015.

KAB Dental can help and suggest the digital systems to meet the NHII proposed requirements.

• Practice Management Software and Charting "DAISY" is FREE.
• Equus Computers CPU/Laptop. Click for details.
• Digital compatible Intraoral X-Ray Systems. Click for details.
• Digital Sensors Size #1 and #2. Click for details.
• Digital Panoramic and Cephalometric Systems. Click for details.
• Cone Beam 3D Technology Systems. Click for details.
• For our Web design and Search Engine Promotions click here for details.

*Contact us at 800-422-3520, 586-983-2502 or email sales@kabdental.com for help.

Aspe.hhs.gov/sp/NHII/

One distributor embraces new technology to continue to provide value to customers.

Kirit Bhatt dreamed about running his own business for as long as he can remember. Growing up in Mumbai, India, where his grandfather had started a family business in 1922, Bhatt learned many of the skills necessary for running a smooth operation. Years later, he immigrated to the United States, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering, and later a master's degree in economics, from Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich.

Following his graduation from graduate school, Bhatt focused his attention on a career in engineering management at Chrysler Corp. Ten years later, he transitioned to a marketing position with Martin Marietta. But, he never gave up his goal of owning his own business. Then, in 1988, the owner of a small medical supply company approached Bhatt about the growing shortage of latex gloves in healthcare. "He suggested that he could sell as many gloves as I could import from Malaysia," says Bhatt, who took him up on his offer. "I began importing gloves under the name KAB Gloves Unlimited. Eventually, a high demand for dental disposables led Bhatt to expand his business and together with his wife, Claudia, he started KAB Dental (Sterling Heights, Mich.).

A state of mind

From the start, Bhatt was intent on transitioning from "a job mindset" to that of business owner, he says. However, this was easier said than done. "Although I had worked for multinational corporations, such as Chrysler and Martin Marietta, I never had to deal with personnel and investment and cash flow issues," he points out, noting that his membership in NDC has been helpful in connecting him with resources necessary to address these and other challenges.

"In the beginning, I ran [the business] by myself," Bhatt recalls. "Later, Claudia joined me and we ran the business from our home. As we began selling and servicing dental equipment, I quickly realized we were a very small fish in a big ocean." But, that didn't stop him from moving forward. He brought an IT specialist on board and developed a dental website catalog. Later, during a trip to India, he and Claudia "investigated web design companies that could help get the KAB Dental name on the first page of major search engines," he says. "This has helped us gain access to U.S. government business, as well as international markets."

"Our goal has been to sell dental equipment to dental professionals and government agencies in both the domestic and international arena," Bhatt continues. "We have secured a GSA contract with the U.S. government and have worked hard to network with independent service technicians and our fellow UDD/ADC group dealers." Over time, he has refined his company's focus, and today KAB Dental's mission is "to sell economy and midline conventional style, quality operatory and digital systems," including work stations designed to reduce dentists' start-up costs," he says. "Our workstation system will allow dentists to add more operatories in the same square footage as conventional systems, increasing their efficiency."

Over the years, KAB Dental has relocated from the Bhatt's house to a small office and self-storage facility, to a 2,000-squarefoot office/warehouse, to a 5,000-square-foot facility that serves as both an office/warehouse and a showroom.

Reaching out

Selling today and reaching out to customers is not what it once was, says Bhatt. "Logically, [the strategies] that worked 10 to 15 years ago would require a major overhaul" by today's standards, he says. "Today, many dental professionals prefer to purchase their products online, and I expect this trend to continue for some time," he says. KAB Dental's web page and catalog have enabled the company to provide customers with more options and greater value, he points out. "Effective search engine promotion has allowed the KAB Dental domain to appear on major search engines,

such as Google," he points out. "Ten to 15 years ago, this would not have been possible."

Bhatt also comes across more and more dentists looking to create a functional office without adding much debt to their dental school loans. "This especially is true given the present financial market," he says, pointing to such trends as:

• Decreasing revenues from elective procedures.
• Decreasing insurance benefits.
• Increasing costs associated with supplies and overhead.
• Higher employee turnover and increasing employee
• training costs.

In the coming years, Bhatt plans to continue servicing the needs of dentists throughout the world. "We now have the capability of providing digital integration for dental clinics," he says. "Over the next month, we will install digital panoramic systems for customers in Orlando, Fla.; Columbus, Ohio; Chicago, Ill.; San Antonio, Texas; Cancun, Mexico; and the French Antilles. In fact, KAB Dental recently was awarded a United States export achievement certificate. "This was a nice recognition for our efforts," he says. "Our performance in the export market should bring us further recognition in the future."

In spite of the shaky economy, it's not a bad time to own a dental distributorship, says Bhatt. "There is plenty of room in the dental market for new entrants," he points out. "The markets in India, China and the United States are expected to grow substantially." The key for distributors to succeed will be their ability to keep up with new technology, he adds. "Communication technologies will continue to play a major role as young dentists work them to their advantage," he points out. As such, distributors will have to adapt to new ways of communicating with their customers, such as Skype and other Internet channels.

If one thing has not changed about the dental industry, however, it's that "owning a dental distributorship is a 24/7 job," says Bhatt. "The experience is rewarding and the satisfaction is very high.

- By Laura Thill