News and Events
IdentAlloy Council to Add Ceramic Certification
February 15, 2007
The subject of expanding the IdentAlloy Council activities to include documenting other materials has been a topic of discussion for several years. At the Council's January, 2006, Board Meeting, Executive Director Charles Yenkner was directed to formally explore the opportunities and costs of expanding the IdentAlloy program to cover ceramic materials used in dentistry. At the January, 2007, meeting, he reported interest on the part of several companies to participate, including several who are not currently IdentAlloy licensees. He also reported that the ADA had provided tentative support of the concept. Based on those findings, the board decided to pursue expansion into the area of ceramic materials.
The board has now announced the formation of the IdentCeram division of the IdentAlloy Council. The intention is to offer certificates covering zirconia and al-oxide-based substructure materials along with certificates for feldspathic ceramics.
According to Yenkner, "All companies manufacturing and supplying these type products to the U.S. and Canadian markets will be invited to participate by becoming licensees of the Council." He noted that current IdentAlloy licensees may participate simply by submitting material specs and purchasing certificates. Companies who are not currently licensees, in addition to submitting specs will need to pay the standard initiation fee.
Due to program start-up costs, IdentCeram certificates will cost $22.50/1000, slightly more than the cost of standard IdentAlloy certificates. Current licensees will have the first opportunity to participate before the Council solicits new companies who are not presently licensees.
The IdentCeram program will work the same as the IdentAlloy program. Manufacturers will purchase certificates and include them with shipments of the referenced material. Labs will keep one part of the certificate with their in lab paperwork and send the other part with the invoice to the dentist for retention with patient records.
Given the increasing number of manufacturers offering these products, and their growing popularity, the Council's proven ability to document and communicate the material content of restorations to dentists and patients will contribute to raising health care standards just as it has for alloy-based restorations since 1986. It is hoped that the expansion will help hold costs down for all Council licensees by generating increased certificate volumes and create synergies to continue the increasing awareness and application of the IdentAlloy program.
Yenkner said, "For manufacturers, the program offers a way to drive product recognition and security from Lab to dentist to patient." More information on the IdentAlloy and IdentCeram programs is available by contacting the Council at 888-577-2634 or at www.IdentAlloy.org.
About the IdentAlloy/IdentCeram Council
The IdentAlloy/IdentCeram Council is a nonprofit organization formed
to raise healthcare standards through the documentation of alloys and
ceramic materials used in dental restorations. For more information
regarding the Council's materials documentation program and other
activities, please call 888-577-2634 or visit www.IdentAlloy.org.
IdentAlloy and IdentCeram are trademarks of the IdentAlloy/IdentCeram Council.