Benco Dental : We deliver success smile after smile.

Benco Dental officially opens Reno, NV distribution center

2011-08-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

Preparing to cut the ribbon at the grand opening of Benco's new distribution center in Reno, NV. Pictured (L to R) are 3 generations of the Cohen family - Larry Cohen, Chairman and Chief Customer Advocate, Rick and Chuck Cohen, Managing Directors, Leah Cohen (daughter of Chuck and Rebecca Cohen) and Chuck Alvey, President - Reno Nevada Economic Development Authority.

Benco 4 Bama

2011-06-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

This has been a devastating tornado season for many parts of the country. So much has been lost by so many. With several of our own associates and customers living and working in some of the hardest hit areas; it was incumbent upon us to do all we could to help.

The day after tornadoes swept through Alabama, Benco Dental associates Nathan Cox, Kasey Powrzanas, Scott Gore and Ashley Harris drove throughout the state and surveyed the damage left behind.

After this trip the team devised a plan of action for the Benco 4 Bama Relief Efforts project. The project included collecting donations and volunteering their time to help those affected sort through wreckage, make repairs and offer emotional support.

Benco Dental transformed its Pelham showroom into a drop-off station for supplies. The response was overwhelming. Donations from large manufactures such as Septodont, Proctor & Gamble and Midmark as well as from Benco Dental employees began pouring in almost immediately.

On May 27, the team loaded its trucks and delivered all of the items that had been donated to the American Legion in Fultondale, Alabama. Volunteers then distributed all of the supplies to those in need.

Matthew Thomas, territory representative for Benco Dental noted, “You can’t imagine the destruction. It is important to remember that people are in pain here. And we are all in it together. These people are more than customers. They are our neighbors, our family.”

Our team is determined to work with its neighbors as they rebuild their community and welcome any additional support.

For information about the Benco 4 Bama Relief Efforts visit: www.facebook.com/BENCODNTL

Benco Dental Acquires Al's Dental Repair Service, Inc. in Fresno, California

2011-05-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

Benco Dental, the nation’s fastest-growing distributor of dental products and equipment, today announced plans to acquire Al’s Dental Repair Service, Inc. in June 2011.

Pittston, PA - May 12, 2011

Benco Dental, the nation’s fastest-growing distributor of dental products and equipment, today announced plans to acquire Al’s Dental Repair Service, Inc. in June 2011. This marks Benco Dental’s ninth acquisition since 2008.

Headquartered in Fresno, California, Al’s Dental is an A-dec dealer specializing in equipment sales and repair. Once acquired, it will become Benco Dental’s Fresno branch and play host to a new region fully servicing the Central Valley market.

“The acquisition of Al’s Dental Repair Service fits perfectly with our business and development strategy of seeking out like-minded companies who are intensely customer-focused,” said Chuck Cohen, managing director of Benco Dental. “As with each company acquired, our goal is to combine Al’s Dental Repair Service’s strengths with our own wide breadth of services and inherent efficiencies.”

Al’s Dental Repair Service and its President, Al Johnson, have been serving the Fresno area for more than thirty years. Johnson and his entire team will remain in their current positions with Benco Dental.

"Our goal at Al’s Dental Repair has always been to be an important asset to the practices we serve," noted Johnson. "Benco Dental will provide us with the necessary tools to accomplish that goal and we are so pleased to become a part of the Benco family."

About Benco Dental
Benco Dental, headquartered in Pittston, Pennsylvania, is the largest privately owned, full-service distributor of dental supplies, dental equipment, dental consulting & equipment services in the United States. Founded in 1930 by Benjamin Cohen, the company has remained family owned and focused on the unique mission of “delivering success smile after smile”. During Benco Dental’s 81 year history, the company has grown from a single storefront location in Wilkes-Barre, PA into the nation’s fastest-growing dental distributor with over 50 regional showroom locations and five distribution centers servicing over 30,000 dental professionals in 40 states.

In 2009, Benco Dental reached a new milestone in the company’s long history by unveiling a 272,000-square-foot corporate headquarters, distribution center and equipment showroom in Pittston, Pennsylvania. Benco Dental CenterPoint houses the largest dental equipment showroom in North America, featuring 25 fully functional operatories, 14 operational digital X-rays including 2D and 3D units, three sterilization centers, design & lab concept suites and a summit training center for continuing education courses. The company has additional distribution centers in Fort Wayne, IN, Jacksonville, FL, and Dallas, TX and will open its fifth distribution center in Reno, Nevada in June of 2011.

Benco Dental provides more supply and equipment options than any other full-service dental distributor, an offering enhanced by a comprehensive suite of services, including office design, equipment repair, practice coaching, financing and real estate planning, wealth management, and dental-specific technology solutions. These services are supported by over 420 professionally trained sales representatives and 290 factory-trained service technicians. Put it all together and Benco Dental offers all the tools to enable dental professionals to achieve their desired goals for success. For more information, visit benco.com or call 1.800.GO.BENCO.

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Contact:

Kate McDermott
Benco Dental
(570) 602-6884

Benco Dental to open a distribution center in northern Nevada

2011-01-21T08:53:00.000-08:00

January 21, 2011
By: ThisIsReno
SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE

Benco Dental, the largest privately owned, full-service dental distributor in the United States, is opening a distribution facility at the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center in Storey County.

The company will employ 15 at its 100,000 square foot facility at 625 Waltham Way when it opens at the end of May 2011, including a distribution manager, material handlers, a sales representative and a service technician. Interested candidates should visit the company’s website, www.benco.com/About/Careers.aspx, and fill out an online application.

According to the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN), Benco Dental considered Salt Lake City and other markets before selecting Reno. The company’s relocation represents a one-year economic impact to the region of $1,683,596. It’s estimated that as a result of the new center opening, a total of $331,395 in state and county taxes will be generated in its first year in business.

Benco Dental’s facility at the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center is the company’s fifth distribution center in the United States and will serve the company’s west coast customers. Benco Dental’s other distribution centers are located in Dallas, Texas; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Jacksonville, Fla., and at the company’s headquarters in Pittston, Pa.

“We considered other states, including California and Utah, but found the business climate in Nevada friendlier and more accommodating,” said Lou Mangino, vice president of operations for Benco Dental. “Reno’s proximity to the 11 western states and our ability to reach 65 percent of our customers within one day was a selling point, as was the region’s workforce, which we’ve found to be excellent.”

“The opening of our fifth distribution center in Reno positions us as a full-service dental distributor with a nationwide footprint that will allow us to deliver even more value to our dentist and manufacturer partners.” said Rick Cohen, managing director of Benco Dental.

EDAWN represented the company for state incentives at the Nevada Commission on EconomicDevelopment, January 18. Other community partners that provided assistance include: Brandon Page and Travis Durfee, Prologis; Tom Fitzgerald, Nevadaworks; Dean Haymore, Storey County; the Nevada Commission on Economic Development and NV Energy.

About Benco Dental: Benco Dental, headquartered in Pittston, Pennsylvania, is the largest privately owned, full-service distributor of dental supplies, dental equipment, dental consulting & equipment services in the United States. Founded in 1930 by Benjamin Cohen, the company has remained family owned and focused on the unique mission of “delivering success smile after smile”. During Benco Dental’s 81 year history, the company has grown from a single storefront location in Wilkes-Barre, PA into the nation’s fastest-growing dental distributor with over 50 regional showroom locations and five distribution centers servicing over 30,000 dental professionals in 40 states.

In 2009, Benco Dental reached a new milestone in the company’s long history by unveiling a 272,000-square-foot corporate headquarters, distribution center and equipment showroom in Pittston, Pennsylvania. Benco Dental CenterPoint houses the largest dental equipment showroom in North America, featuring 25 fully functional operatories, 14 operational digital X-rays including 2D and 3D units, three sterilization centers, design & lab concept suites and a summit training center for continuing education courses. The company has additional distribution centers in Fort Wayne, IN, Jacksonville, FL, and Dallas, TX and will open its fifth distribution center in Reno, Nevada in May of 2011.

Benco Dental provides more supply and equipment options than any other full-service dental distributor, an offering enhanced by a comprehensive suite of services, including office design, equipment repair, practice coaching, financing and real estate planning, wealth management, and dental-specific technology solutions. These services are supported by over 340 professionally trained sales representatives and 265 factory-trained service technicians. Put it all together, and Benco Dental offers all the tools to enable dental professionals to achieve their desired goals for success. For more information, visit benco.com or call 1.800.GO.BENCO.

About EDAWN: EDAWN is a private, non-profit corporation founded by community leaders in 1982. EDAWN works to recruit and expand quality companies that have a positive impact on the quality of life in Greater Reno-Tahoe. Reno was named the No. 1 Place for Doing Business in America 2005 by Inc. magazine. For more information, visit http://www.edawn.org/.

Experience CenterPoint: First Annual Educational Event and Open House March 24-25, 2011

2011-01-21T08:36:00.000-08:00

Join us on March 24-25, 2011 at CenterPoint, Pittston, PA for the First Annual Educational Event and Open House at CenterPoint.

Spend time in our state-of -the-art showroom and visit our X-ray suite. Plus, earn up to 30 CE Credits! Enjoy hor d'oeuvres and live music at the Open House on March 24th from 5:00 - 8:00 pm..

For seminar registration, please call 800.462.3626, ext. 1.
For early registration discount, please RSVP by February 1, 2011..

Join our Facebook event..

Benco Dental - On the Move: A Dentaltown Magazine Corporate Profile Feature

2011-01-13T08:38:00.001-08:00

Benco Dental is profiled in the January 2011 issue of Dentaltown magazine. The corporate profile is entitled Benco Dental - On the Move.

The full-service, family-owned dental distributor moves into its new home and expands its services nationwide.

Stroll into the lobby of CenterPoint, Benco Dental's new home and hub of operations in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and you're hit with three impressions all at once: first, this company knows what it is; second, it knows where it's going; and third, it will never forget where it came from. If you stand at the entrance and look straight ahead, you'll vie w the headquarters' pristine and polished façade that might as well say, "Welcome to the future." Look to your right and soak in the dental distributor's immense and breathtakingly complete dental operatory showroom – the largest of its kind in the nation. For any dentist, it could trigger a salivary response. Look to your left and you find a larger-than-life, floor-to-ceiling image from the 1930s of Benjamin Cohen, the company's founder, aiding a dentist named Dr. Kniffen with a purchase at Benco's original Wilkes- Barre, Pennsylvania, location. The immensity of this 80-year-old image leaves no room for subtlety. Benco is proud of its heritage. Read more...

– by Benjamin Lund, Editor, Dentaltown Magazine

Click here to view the HTML version.

Click here to view the Interactive magazine version.

Click here to download the PDF.

Go Digital - Benco Dental 4th Quarter Equipment Savings and Special Financing

2010-10-01T10:49:00.001-07:00

From now until December 31, 2010 Benco Dental is offering special year-end savings opportunities on select equipment options. On high-tech purchases such as 2D or 3D digital panoramic X-rays Benco Dental is offering exclusive 4.99% financing for 36 months and on select small equipment purchases, you can enjoy 0% financing for 10 months. With the unsure status of tax code Section 179, there's no better time than the present to invest in new equipment for your practice.

10 Months Interest-Free Financing and 4.99% Financing on Hi-Tech
Exclusively through Benco Dental and our financing partner Clarion Financial, you can take advantage special offers on the industry's most reliable names like KaVo, Gendex, Kodak, A-dec, Vatech, Ivoclar Vivadentl, Star Dental and Aceton.

From digital X-rays to practice management and digital imaging software packages, Benco Dental offers choices from industry leaders like Vatech, Soredex, Instrumentarium, Progeny, Air Techniques, 3M, Cadent and Aribex. The special financing on these items is a limited-time offer only available through Benco Dental.

To learn more about Benco Dental's Go Digital promotional event, click here or visit benco.com.

Benco Dental Recognized for Healthy Workplace

2010-09-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

WILKES-BARRE – (September 16, 2010). Benco Dental, the nation’s fastest-growing distributor of dental supplies, equipment and consulting services, was honored by the Greater Wilkes-Barre (PA) Chamber of Commerce for promoting and sustaining a healthy workplace environment.

The Chamber’s annual Healthy Workplace Awards are in recognition of local companies which organize and execute programs and initiatives to help employees lead a healthy lifestyle both in and out of work. Benco Dental holds countless health-focused programs annually including smoking cessation classes, Zumba fitness sessions, healthy food options in the company cafeteria, walking programs, lifeline screenings, hearing tests, massages and blood drives, among many others.

Benco Dental received its award on Thursday September 16 as part of an event sponsored by the Wyoming Valley Healthcare system at the Best Western Genetti Hotel and Convention Center in Wilkes-Barre. The awards, presented to Benco Dental and just one other large local company, were sponsored by BlueCross of NEPA and Chamber Choice.

In the photo above, pictured left to right: Tom Leighton (Wilkes Barre Mayor), Dr. Nina Taggart (Blue Cross of NEPA), Jennifer Kalie (Benco Dental Culture & People Department), Deb Hammaker (Benco Dental Culture & People Department), Michelle Kovaleski (Benco Dental Culture & People Department), Ellen Tosh (Benco Dental Culture & People Manager), Rebecca Clouse (Benco Dental Culture & People Department), David Payne Jr. (Chairman of the Wilkes Barre Chamber of Commerce).

Benco Dental Named One of Pennsylvania's Best Places to Work

2010-09-03T10:43:00.001-07:00

For the Seventh Time in Eight Years, Benco Dental is Named One of the Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania

Based on associate surveys, Benco Dental remains one of state’s top large employers.

PITTSTON, PA – Benco Dental has been named one of the Best Places to Work in PA for 2010; this marks the seventh time in eight years that Benco Dental has received this recognition. The Best Places to Work in PA program solicits surveys from participating companies’ associates and compiles the results prior to assembling the final rankings. Benco Dental will be recognized at the Best Places to Work in PA evening awards ceremony on Tuesday, November 30, 2010, at the Lancaster County Convention Center in Lancaster, PA. Rankings will be revealed at the ceremony, and tickets may be purchased online at www.centralpennbusiness.com/events.

The awards program, created in 2000, is one of the first statewide programs of its kind in the country. The program is a public/private partnership between Team Pennsylvania Foundation, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and the Central Penn Business Journal. This survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places to be employed in Pennsylvania, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses.

In the past, employers were categorized based upon the number of employees they had in Pennsylvania. This year, employers were categorized based upon the total number of employees they have in the United States. This change was made to ensure the proper alignment of organizations and to avoid naming large national employers to the small/medium list simply because they have fewer employees based in Pennsylvania. This change did not have any impact on which organizations made the list, just how they were categorized.

To be considered for participation, companies had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements:

Have at least 25 employees in Pennsylvania;
Be a for-profit or not-for-profit business;
Be a publicly or privately held business;
Have a facility in Pennsylvania; and
Be in good standing with Commonwealth agencies under the Governor’s jurisdiction.

Companies from across the state entered the two-part process to determine the 100 Best Places to Work in PA. The first part of this process was evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophies, systems and demographics, accounting for approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience, making up approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process.

In addition to the public/private partnership, the program is supported by the following organizations: Lead Sponsor—Team Pennsylvania Foundation; Presenting Sponsor—ParenteBeard, LLC; Major Sponsors—Capital BlueCross; E.K. McConkey & Co., Inc.; Penn State, Smeal College of Business; Saul Ewing; and Supporting Sponsor—Arcus.

For more information on Best Places to Work in PA, visit www.bestplacestoworkinpa.com.

Benco Dental Service Tech Tip of the Month

2010-08-24T05:56:00.000-07:00

Even the best-prepared endo procedure can be compromised by an improperly maintained air compressor.
-Scott Smith, National Service Manager

When improperly maintained, oil-free and lubricated compressors alike can compromise even the most cared-after endodontic procedure.

Contaminants such as oil and water can result in a premature failure of even the best procedure, not to mention the premature failure of handpiece turbines and other air-driven tools throughout your office.

Water in the main office airline can promote and provide an optimal environment for bacterial growth and essentially lead to microbial cross-contamination via the drive air or syringe.

Oil in the system can negatively affect both health of your patient and your equipment, and ultimately will result in an increased failure in restorations.

Offices should continually monitor the quality of air coming from the compressor. Over time, a compressor passing more oil, moisture or debris may indicate the compressor is failing and needs to be evaluated or, at a minimum, repaired. A simple, yet effective test of monitoring air quality is using a dental mirror. Blowing air from your handpiece tubing onto the shiny surface of the mirror will clearly show whether water, oil or other contaminants are present in your system.

Items such as the air dryer, candescent filters, air filters and, if your system is a lubricated compressor, the oil itself should be replaced as per the manufacturer’s recommendations. Tanks should be drained of water on a routine basis to prevent water and oil from being vaporized and contaminating the entire office, and recovery times and airleaks should be repaired at the first opportunity.

Routine preventive maintenance by a local Benco Dental Service Technician will ensure the heart of your practice continually provides the same quality of service you provide your patients.

To learn more about Benco Dental's Equipment Service and Repair capabilities, click here.

A New Angle on Polishing: Benco Dental Incisal Edge Exclusive

2010-07-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

Why didn’t anyone think of this sooner? Now Premier brings you the best of both worlds: a traditional prophy cup with an interproximal cleaning tip. Genius!

In my experience, while working as a dental hygienist in both pediatric and general dental practices for the last ten years, I find myself using a multitude of products that have been ordered by someone else. Disposable prophy angles are no exception. In preparing my tray for a 30-45-minute hygiene appointment, I typically open the drawer, grab my setups and place whatever prophy angle has been ordered on the slow speed. If I have an orthodontic patient, I will place two prophy angles, a regular firm cup and a prophy angle with a brush, on my tray. Working on an orthodontic patient would take me twice as long to polish because I would use the regular prophy angle first, then stop what I was working on to take that angle off the slow speed, unwrap the plastic wrapper of the prophy brush, put it on the slow speed, then clean around the brackets and arch wires. This is a cumbersome, time-consuming process.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have the best of both worlds and have the two together in one disposable prophy angle? Luckily, 2pro™ from Premier Dental has combined a traditional prophy cup with an interproximal cleaning tip. I was instantly intrigued by this concept for disposable prophy angles and had to give it a try.

I have a difficult time keeping up with the volume of new products introduced to the hygiene market, all promising to be the latest and greatest. Most of the time, features that peak my curiosity regarding a product fail to perform to standards upon use. Every once in a while, a product like 2pro will catch my eye, and then exceed my expectations. Finding these gems is what allows us to bring something unique, with a point of differentiation, to the doctor about what the hygienist needs and prefers to be ordered.

Unlike the myriad of other prophy angles on the market, 2pro boasts features my patients immediately notice. The first feature I liked about 2pro is the neon, fun colors. Kids, young and old, enjoy the vibrant colors while some focus on the translucent design as they try to figure out how it works.

In terms of ergonomics, I felt the difference as soon as I put 2pro in my hand. The ergonomic, 100˚ design allows efficient and comfortable access to all areas of the mouth. Meanwhile, the gearless design allows 2pro to run quietly and smoothly with less heat buildup and near-zero freeze-ups. Let’s face it; freeze-ups are frustrating. The prophy angle stops turning, so you have to stop working. 2pro has a sturdy, latex-free design that easily and securely attaches to the handpiece.

Perhaps 2pro’s most unique feature is its ability to instantly transform itself from a prophy cup into a polishing tip by simply removing the prophy cup. I no longer have to set up my operatory with a prophy cup, interproximal tip, prophy brush and take the time to switch between them. I save time, money and the aggravation of interrupting my prophy to switch handpiece angles. What a concept—hygienists working smarter, not harder!

I use the prophy cup first on all surfaces I desire, then remove the cup and complete my fine polishing, using the convenient tip for gingival/proximal areas around implants, veneers and crowns. 2pro is ideal for my orthodontic patients who need the extra attention around brackets, ligatures and arch wires. I complete my cleanings in less time with less hand fatigue, better access and improved results.

2pro comes in three colors and four cup styles: soft/short, firm/short, soft/long, and firm/long to accommodate all of our personal preferences. When used in conjunction with ACP-enriched Enamel Pro® Prophy paste, I am confident that I am providing my patients with a high-quality dental cleaning.

Susan DiMarino, RDH, BS is a graduate of the Dental Hygiene Program at Harcum College and received her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and management from Shippensburg University. She works in private practice as a dental hygienist and as a business consultant. She can be reached at susan@dmdsolutions.com.

When the Clock Strikes 179

2010-07-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

This article is being written in the aftermath of the tax-season frenzy when accountants and clients scramble to meet the tax deadline, while keeping as much of their hard-earned revenues as possible. However, planning ahead for tax savings should be a year-round endeavor. Those who have invested in new equipment are aware of its advantages—increased case acceptance, productivity and enhancement of loyalty and customer service. This year, Section 179 of the tax code helps to make an equipment purchase even more sensible.IRS Code Section 179 allows dentists to recover a hefty amount of their investment. Ken Rubin, a San Diego-based Dental CPA for the past 26 years (and a dentist’s son), specializes in helping dentists maximize their financial potential. He notes, “As a Dental CPA, I eat, sleep and breathe tax and financial matters for dentists.”

This year, Section 179 offers a high financial incentive. Rubin notes, “You can deduct the first $250,000 worth of equipment (that is put into service by the last day of this year) and even more in conjunction with other depreciation methods, if your purchases exceed $250,000.” This cap makes it easier to invest in new technology, such as the GXCB-500 HD Cone Beam system, and even group multiple technologies, like the 500 HD and intraoral sensors. Rubin notes that the depreciation structure can be tiered, depending upon the investment. “First, up to $250,000 can be written off using Section 179; second, any balance still remaining can be depreciated over a five-year period.”

The impressive Section 179 inducement is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2010. “There has been talk about reducing the accelerated depreciation capabilities for next year,” says Rubin. He cautions dentists to “not let the tax tail wag the dog,” meaning purchases should not be made just for the sake of tax reduction, “but if this equipment can make your practice more profitable, more efficient and add new and innovative procedures, then it makes sense to let Uncle Sam help pay for part of that.”

Rubin also suggests that it makes sense to plan early in the year rather than scrambling in December. He says “CPA year-end tax planning meetings with their clients usuallyresult in a mad rush and a huge December spike in equipment purchases for dentists. Many dentists are faced with a large tax burden in April, and quickly must decide how to mitigate that. Implementing the new equipment sooner in the year can jumpstart an increase in profitability, and the new equipment can also start to be included in practice marketing by spotlighting the practice as one of the few in the area with Cone Beam imaging, for example.”

Pittsburgh-based periodontist, Dr. Mark Silberg utilized Section 179 to invest in a GXCB-500. He says, “Any practitioner who wants to be on the cutting edge of implant dentistry must be capable, knowledgeable and a good diagnostician. With all of the information that these 3D scans provide, I cannot imagine undertaking many procedures without it.” He continues, “Besides the benefits to the practitioner, I don’t have to inconvenience my patients or subject them to more radiation exposure by sending them out for a scan. In this economy, we do not know what the future will hold. With tax deductions changing so rapidly, we must take the money and run!”

Even financially savvy dentists should discuss tax incentives with their CPA or financial advisor to get the maximum value and maximum savings from their purchases. This year’s Section 179 offers the perfect opportunity to bring economic recovery and even profitability to your dental office.

Sally McKenzie is a founder and CEO of McKenzie Management. For over 25 years, Sally has immersed herself in techniques, systems and methods to improve the performance of dental practices. She continues to be a national and international featured speaker on dental practice management. Her articles can be found in every major dental publication. Ms. McKenzie is also an editor and publisher in her own right. Visit her at www.mckenziemgmt.com.

Ceramill: Exclusive from Benco Dental

2010-06-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

Perfectly evolved Cad-Cam technology. Ceramill takes you out of the Cad-Cam jungle and up the dental food chain with a package of products designed to make in-office milling simple and efficient. To learn more about the complete Ceramill package and how it can benefit your practice, click here.

Hints From Howard :: Problem Solved

2010-06-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

While in the service, one of my friends, a senior officer/dentist, once told me that if you practice long enough, you’ll learn techniques that you wished you learned in dental school. Being a long-time dental educator, I have taken my friend’s advice to heart by making sure I provide my students with what I refer to as “problem solvers”. You know, those pearls that you pick up in CE courses or when you are chewing the fat with another dentist about a problem you had, and lo and behold, they had a solution. In fact, I call these problems solvers that I send to the students “Hints from Howard” (Clever, don’t you think?). About once a week I send out a Powerpoint presentation to my students with a problem solver in response to a topic students don’t know or understand. If this information was presented as part of their core lectures, it would probably be forgotten because it is not connected to a real-life experience. The technique or concept would seem to be a throwaway, and not be a question on their final exam. Well, these are not throwaways, so here goes…

Is the tooth numb?
Certainly, this is a question for the ages. You have administered local anesthesia (usually I need to do this for mandibular blocks) and you want to be certain the pulp is anesthetized. The literature states that 15-20% of the time, profound pulpal anesthesia for mandibular blocks is difficult to achieve. Usually, when a patient has existing restorations in the mandibular posterior quadrant, I ask before administering local anesthetic, if they have ever had a hard time getting numb. If they say yes, I will use the Gow-Gates technique. For a Gow-Gates, you inject coming across the premolars similar to a mandibular block; but instead of orienting the needle at the middle of the fingernail of the gloved finger you are using to palpate the notch of the ramus, you inject higher at the top of the finger, parallel to the maxillary posterior plane. This problem solver is not about using a different injection, but rather for all local anesthetic administration. When I want to verify profound anesthesia, I test for pulpal vitality. While soft tissues are anesthetized adjacent to the tooth, you can poke an explorer tip into the attached gingival without a response. Profound pulpal anesthesia that would allow you to prepare a tooth with a bur or diamond in a high-speed handpiece needs a higher level of anesthesia. I test the tooth to be prepared with a cold test. If you get no response, then you usually have profound pulpal anesthesia.

Un-numbing a tooth
You have finished preparing the tooth or teeth and the patient is thinking about whether they can go back to work or maybe go out that evening because they are still numb. No one wants to drool while speaking or slur their words when talking to someone else. By now, most dentists have heard about or tried OraVerse (Novalar Pharmaceuticals). It is an anesthetic reversal agent. OraVerse (phentoalamine mesylate) is a vasodilator and reverses the action of the vasoconstrictor in your local anesthesia. You would use OraVerse one-to-one with a local anesthetic agent that contains a vasoconstrictor (up to two carpules). The way I use OraVerse, is when I have completed the preparation, before I place the restoration, I inject with OraVerse at the same site as where I administered my local anesthetic with vasoconstrictor. By the completed the restoration, the patient is getting their normal sensation back. Verifying occlusion is easier and my patients and other dentist friends have told me that their patients report regained feeling by the time they have driven to their next destination.
Although there is a cost-per-carpule from those dentists I know that have incorporated OraVerse in their practices, patients knowing they will have normal sensation back sooner have no problem with the additional fee. One very good friend, Dr. Michael Mann, doesn’t charge when he uses OraVerse because he has found that using this anesthetic reversal agent in his practice is a better practice builder than advertising in the Yellow Pages. The published research reports show that patients shorten the post-treatment local anesthetic effects by more than 50%. Where a patient may be waiting to recover feeling in their lower lip in two hours after leaving the office following a mandibular block, they completely recover in half the time. When I have restorations done, especially the mandibular posterior, I want OraVerse for me.

Loose bridge, how do you check?
Fixed partial dentures can come loose on one or more of the abutment teeth. Hopefully it is not a restoration that you did. Patients may come in with a chief complaint that the crown feels like it is moving, the tooth is more sensitive, there is an odor coming from my mouth or my bite has shifted. How can you check if the bridge is loose? If you can’t identify the movement of the bridge abutment easily, but the patient has a history of pain when chewing on the bridge and you are suspicious that one or more of the abutments are loose, dry the abutment crown that you think is uncemented (Figure 1). Push on the crown with a gloved finger or just occlude on the restoration. If the crown is loose, you will usually see bubbles around some of the margins of the crown as the saliva that has seeped into and under the crown is pushed out by the force of seating the crown under pressure (Figure 2). You may need to repeat this test to be certain, but it works most of the time.

Marking highly polished metal or glazed porcelain when checking occlusion.
I don’t know about you, but I have always had problems marking the occlusion of an all-metal (usually gold) crown, onlay or a glazed surface of a porcelain-metal, or all-ceramic crown with a precision articulating ribbon. I usually use Accufilm II (Parkell) because it is the thinnest articulating ribbon around. I still use shim stock, an extremely thin metal foil for checking the final occlusion. To use shim stock, you take a piece before trying in the indirect restoration to find opposing teeth in occlusal contact. I hold the shim stock with a hemostat, have the patient bite down and if the shim stock tape cannot be pulled out, it is being held by the occlusion of the teeth. Now place the restoration onto the preparation and recheck the occlusion with the shim stock with the teeth you just checked. If you can pull the shim stock out from between the teeth, the restoration is “high” in occlusion and needs adjustment. For highly polished metal and glazed porcelain, fine articulating marking ribbons don’t mark this very smooth and polished surface well. To get the Accufilm II to mark the occlusal surface, I take a Bend-A-Brush (any disposable brush will do, but not a microbrush) and I paint a thin film of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on the articulating ribbon (Figure 3). Now, when the patient bites down on the Vaseline-coated ribbon, it will mark the occlusal surface in maximum intercuspation and in excursive movements (Figure 4). This technique works really well.

Howard E. Strassler, DMD, FADM, FAGD is a professor and Director of Operative Dentistry in the Department of Restorative Dentistry at the University of Maryland Dental School. His practice is located in Pikesville, Maryland.

DDR Goes Interactive for 2010!

2010-06-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

Benco Dental's comprehensive catalog, The Dentist's Desk Reference, with over 1,000 pages of products, equipment and services is now available online in a creative, interactive format!

The DDR joins Benco's monthly flyer, Big, Big Deals, on the interactive platform designed for easier, paper-free navigation. Users can virtually browse the catalog and flip directly to pages of interest.

Click here to browse the pages of the 2010-2011 DDR!

The Operatory of the Future Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

2010-06-18T13:32:00.001-07:00

Benco Dental and the National Museum of Dentistry cut the ribbon to the new Operatory of the Future exhibit in Blatimore, MD on June 4, 2010. Thanks to the kind people at the University of Maryland and the National Museum of Dentistry, the grand event was caught on film. Enjoy!

Venturing into the Future of Dentistry: The Operatory of the Future

2010-06-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

Through the support of Benco Dental, the National Museum of Dentistry opens new, high-tech exhibit to the general public.

BALTIMORE, MD (June 3, 2010) – Benco Dental, the nation’s fastest growing distributor of dental products and equipment, in conjunction with the National Museum of Dentistry, is proud to announce the grand opening a new museum exhibit entitled The Operatory of the Future on Friday, June 4, 2010.

The Operatory of the Future, made possible through the support of Benco Dental, showcases many of the dental industry’s most technologically advanced treatment systems, tools and applications in a clean, thorough, educational display. The National Museum of Dentistry is a federally recognized affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, providing an ideal venue for the The Operatory of the Future. Each of the exhibit’s high-tech elements, ranging from a digital impression device to a 3D cone beam imaging unit, are designed to improve the quality of procedures while simultaneously reducing chair time and improving overall oral health.

“It was an honor being selected to assemble The Operatory of the Future for the National Museum of Dentistry,” said Benco Dental President Charles Cohen. “It’s an exciting venture, bringing dental technology to the general public.”

The Operatory of the Future is a fitting complement to the museum’s adjacent exhibits as visitors will have the unique opportunity to stroll through dentistry’s past and take a unique look into its future. The galleries of the National Museum of Dentistry range from hand-forged iron tools of horseback American dentists to the 19th-century office of G.V. Black, the Father of Modern Dentistry. Now, through the support of Benco Dental, the museum also includes a look at the cutting-edge dental equipment available to present-day dentists, displaying how dental care has evolved over the course of centuries.

“The Operatory of the Future gives us an opportunity to feature some of the latest advances in dental care, showing how far the techniques of modern dentistry have come and their positive impact on the public,” said National Museum of Dentistry Executive Director Jonathan Landers.

For a complete listing of products in The Operatory of the Future, click here.

Chuck Cohen, President, and Rick Cohen, EVP, at Benco Dental interviewed on Executive Leaders Radio

2010-06-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

Benco Dental's President Chuck Cohen and EVP Rick Cohen were selected to appear on Executive Leaders Radio on May 7, 2010. The two were invited to discuss the company's recent growth despite economic obstacles as well as the benefits of remaining a private company in a competitive market.

Executive Leaders Radio is dedicated to honoring individuals who have risen to leadership roles through hard work and dedication. This highly popular radio program in the Southeastern Pennsylvania area shares the stories and wisdom of leaders like Chuck and Rick Cohen.

Click here for a podcast of the Cohens' radio appearance.

Benco Dental launches redesigned website

2010-04-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

Benco Dental is pleased to announce the release of our new website. The new site has been redesigned with a fresh new look along with updated with information about our company, services, partners and featured articles from our industry leading Incisal Edge magazine. Additional enhancements including video, pod casts, and interactive marketing collateral's are slated in future releases.

Visit us at http://www.benco.com

The Benco Dental CenterPoint Experience

2010-04-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

Experience our new Benco Dental CenterPoint Experience Video : It’s a seismic shift... An unquestionable advantage... A new standard... It’s equipment shopping redefined... It’s the future of dentistry... Welcome to CenterPoint!

Benco Dental Partners with ProDrive

2010-04-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

Benco Dental is proud to announce a new partnership with ProDrive Systems, manufacturer of revolutionary triangular bur and upgrade system. The agreement allows Benco Dental to introduce ProDrive‘s innovative handpiece and bur products to dentists across the United States.

ProDrive turbines retrofit into leading brand handpieces and lock with the ProDrive triangular shank bur to prevent slipping and enable faster, smoother cutting, superior control and improved precision. ProDrive offers a full selection of diamond and carbide burs featuring a unique bur-lengthening quality that allows the bur to be safely extended by 3mm, providing smooth and precise cuts even in difficult-to-reach areas. ProDrive also offers its own high-speed handpieces in mini and standard, with an ergonomic design and titanium sleeve to ensure optimal performance and reduced noise levels.

“ProDrive’s innovative products offer a high-performance solution to dentists who have become frustrated with the outdated friction grip design of regular handpieces”, said Paul Jackson, Benco Dental’s Vice President of Marketing. “We are excited about offering ProDrive to our customers, and expect it to be a leading product for Benco in 2010.”

“We are proud to welcome Benco Dental as one of our authorized distributors in America”, said Richard St-Pierre, CEO of ProDrive Systems. “ProDrive is experiencing rapid customer growth, and our distribution through Benco Dental will support the growing demand for ProDrive. Benco Dental is very powerful strategic partner, providing ProDrive extended market reach into the loyal Benco cutomer base.”

To learn more about how this exciting new handpiece technology can benefit your practice, please contact your Friendly Benco Rep or call 1-800-GO-BENCO or visit Benco Dental online at benco.com.

Benco Dental Announces Partnership with The Pankey Institute

2010-04-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Benco Dental and The Pankey Institute are pleased to announce a newly formed alliance to help dentists achieve their goals through continuing education. The Pankey Institute’s Essentials courses are designed to help dentists articulate their goals and dreams, develop the requisite skills and be encouraged to pursue their ambitions. The programs also provide a solid foundation for practicing comprehensive dentistry with confidence and predictability, while fueling a passion for lifelong learning.

Together, Benco Dental and The Pankey Institute will offer Benco customers the opportunity to attend Essentials 1,at a reduced tuition. In this course, dentists explore occlusal disease and determine when its management is vital to the success of the dentistry and doctor-patient relationship. They are exposed to a vision of practice that embraces comprehensive care, values the patient relationship and involves the patient in an effective co-discovery examination.

“Our objective is to encourage our customers to enlist in The Pankey Institute Essentials continuum,” says Charles Cohen, President of Benco Dental. “We have entered into this alliance because the nature of Pankey courses is to address all aspects of dental practice (behavioral, clinical and managerial) as dentists develop the highest level of comprehensive care for their patients. The Institute’s philosophy of patient-centered care is congruent with our philosophy of customer-centered service, leading to success smile after smile.”

According to Mr. Tony Trujillo, President and CEO of The Pankey Institute, “We are committed to providing our students with the best educational experience, and I also believe strongly that exposure to the Pankey philosophy of patient-centered care will be of great benefit to them personally and professionally. After attending Essentials 1, they may continue with three more Essentials courses, delving into advanced occlusal studies, creating harmonious function in even difficult occlusions with predictable esthetic results and developing mastery with complex cases involving precise sequencing and interdisciplinary coordination. Each Essentials level is worth 47 credit hours and helps participants focus on what it means to be relationship based and patient centered for practice growth and self-fulfillment.”

CenterPoint In The News

2010-04-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

Benco Dental opening the CenterPoint showroom is making headlines in Northeast Pennsylvania. Tabbed "A Dental Dynamo" by one local paper, the importance and impact of Benco Dental's new headquarters extends beyond the dental industry into the local community. Here's a look at some of the local press coverage...

The Times Leader
The Citizens' Voice
The Scranton Times-Tribune

A Day To Celebrate: The Grand Opening of Benco Dental CenterPoint

2010-04-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

After years of planning, construction and installation, Benco Dental has at last opened North America's largest dental equipment showroom, CenterPoint. It was a grand event with over 300 guests, including vendors, customers, associates and media members. All in attendance listened to eloquent words from the Cohen family and witnessed Chairman Larry Cohen cut the ribbon on Benco Dental's new headquarters, Northeast distribution center and showroom. The event began with a reception in the CenterPoint lobby followed by the ribbon-cutting ceremony, lunch with a live jazz band and tours of the spectacular facility.

Vendors, customers and executives alike all mingled in a new, luxurious lobby at Benco Dental.

Benco Dental guests at CenterPoint enjoyed a catered lunch to the music of a live jazz band.

Mario Giovanelli leads a tour through CenterPoint, explaining all the innovations, features and advantages that coincide with CenterPoint.

Chairman Larry Cohen, with his wife Sally by his side, addresses the crowd of more than 300 partners and countless associates.

President Charles Cohen and Executive Vice President Richard Cohen were all smiles after officially embarking on a new frontier for Benco Dental.

The CenterPoint Showroom: Nearing the Finish Line

2010-03-26T05:25:00.000-07:00

Less than two weeks away from the first Benco Dental Open House at CenterPoint on April 7th, technicians are working feverishly to complete the CenterPoint showroom. The photos this week are a great example of how far we've come in such a short period of time. It's a testament to the hard work of countless Benco Dental associates who worked on every aspect of the CenterPoint Experience from planning straight through installation.

A Summit Dental Systems operatory is highlighted by a wave-textured wall illuminated by green strobe lights. It's just one more example of how CenterPoint is about so much more than just equipment.

Look back to our March 11th post and you may not recognize this room. Previously cluttered with network cables, the Technology Suite is nearing completion, showing how clean and organized BencoNET networks can be.

Sirona has supplied this operatory with some of its latest equipment in an eye-popping, attractive color selection with polished tile floors and convenient cabinetry.

Here's our weekly update in our Digital Imaging Suite. All the units have been installed, and once they are wired to computers, they will be available to fire up and test.

A Midmark operatory provides a clean layout with vinyl wood flooring, the latest equipment and technology and rear cabinet delivery.

Take a look at the CenterPoint lounge, where visitors will have an opportunity to relax, discuss everything they took in as part of the CenterPoint Experience and enjoy an expansive, hilltop view of beautiful Northeastern Pennsylvania.

One Step Closer to Unveiling The CenterPoint Experience

2010-03-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

In just two weeks, Benco Dental will be welcoming visitors to CenterPoint for the first time! Installation has remained on schedule as the dedicated team at CenterPoint is working on refining some of the final details before opening the doors to our honored guests. The CenterPoint Experience will be a one-of-a-kind insight into all the options available on the market--a prospect never before possible for dental professionals. Here's a look at some of the most recent progress. You'll see rooms that were just opened boxes and empty floors have transformed into detailed displays of the latest in dental equipment and technology.

"Sterilization Alley" lines the walls at CenterPoint. Here is a newly installed SteriStudio courtesy of SciCan sandwiched between twp full-sized stericenters.

This Belmont operatory, along with chair and cabinetry options, contains a wall of sample materials, providing visitors additional options from what is initially pictured.

Before you take a look at the progress in the digital imaging suite, take a look at how it all began. Here's a listing of all the units and manufacturers available for testing in this high-tech area.

Here's the latest in the digital imaging suite. This is just half of the room containing some of the most innovative technology ever to hit the dental industry.

Also seen in the layout plan above is the handpiece cutting station, which will feature several handpiece options available for testing. Stay tuned for updates with progress in this area!

Another example of design and fuctionality on display on CenterPoint is this nearly completed DentalEZ operatory. It's one of the final operatories to be completed prior to CenterPoint's grand opening.

Another DentalEZ operatory displays even more options in terms of functionality, design and equipment.

This Pelton & Crane operatory features a finely textured vinyl wood flooring, offering the look of a hardwood floor without the lofty price tag. It's just one more way CenterPoint caters to any style and any budget.

The CenterPoint Showroom Goes Digital

2010-03-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

A lot can happen in a week! Since our last post, the CenterPoint X-ray suite has transformed from nothing more than walls, paint and carpet into a functional, efficient display, fully equipped with 2D, 3D and cone beam digital imaging units. While there’s still some finishing touches yet to be completed in the 13-unit exhibit, this week’s progress was a major step in the right direction. In the days to come, look for updates from our handpiece cutting station, digital operatory and a sophisticated technology suite. Thanks to the hard work of many, Benco Dental is well on its way to unveiling CenterPoint – the new standard in equipment shopping.

Progress thus far on the digital imaging suite, which will soon contain 13 digital 2D and 3D imaging units.

It's scattered wires right now, but soon this will be CenterPoint's comprehensive display of dental-specific network and technology solutions.

A view from inside a nearly completed Midmark operatory. The hallway you’re peering down will include several sterilization displays, specialty suites and more operatories.

It’s far from complete, but here’s a look into another showroom operatory. The most noticeable difference is obviously the pool-liner flooring. Every operatory is more than just equipment options. Each one is a display of the latest design trends and most innovative technologies.

Here’s a look into one of our several specialty suites. This one in particular is the oral surgery suite, which will contain, in addition to the OS-specific equipment, all the supplies an oral surgeon will call on during a procedure.

Setting the Stage for the CenterPoint Experience

2010-03-05T04:55:00.000-08:00

Spring 2010 is drawing near, which means Benco Dental will soon be cutting the ribbon and opening the doors of North America's largest dental equipment showroom. CenterPoint is receiving equipment as Benco Dental Service Technicians from all over the country have traveled to Pittston, Pennsylvania, installing dental equipment in most of the 25 fully functional operatories at CenterPoint. While some operatories are already complete, there's still plenty of work to be done, including completing CenterPoint's one-of-a-kind digital imaging suite.

Progress thus far on the digital imaging suite, which will soon contain 13 digital 2D and 3D imaging units.

In-progress DentalEZ operatories

Hu-Friedy's interactive display amid several soon-to-be-completed operatories.

A Pelton & Crane Stericenter.

A Pelton & Crane Operatory with Helios operatory light and rear cabinetry layout

Coming Soon...North America's Largest Dental Equipment Showroom

2010-02-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

After a year of anticipation, Benco Dental is now on the precipice of opening North America's largest dental equipment showroom. This week, Benco installers began working at CenterPoint, preparing several of the 25 operatories that will soon be open for dentists all over the country to come and "test drive" equipment prior to making the practice-changing investment. Here's a look at some of the progress.

Aside from equipment, doctors can view design and layout options

Manufacturers have provided the latest trends and designs

Installers will consistently be visiting CenterPoint to complete installation

Improvement Never Stops

2010-01-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

Our move to CenterPoint is almost 100% complete. With just a few departments left to move, we have an update of what everyone's new digs look like. Take a look through and see how drastically things have changed!!

Here's just part of the over 2 miles of conveyor in the CenterPoint warehouse. The large object on the right is a piece of the trash compacting system.

The warehouse mezzanine is fully stocked.

The Call Center hasn't missed a beat during the move.

The Purchasing Department hard at work

The social hub of CenterPoint, the fully catered cafeteria

Deb Hammaker in one corner of Culture and People...

...and Becky Clouse in the other.

The new, spacious Creative Department

Thanks again to Sharon Fiorini who got her exercise marching around CenterPoint and getting everyone's photo.

As the last few departments move, we'll have their photos up too. Thanks for checking in!

Benco In The News

2009-12-29T05:24:00.000-08:00

There's a nice article in today's issues of the Citizens' Voice and Scranton Times Tribune about our move to CenterPoint. You can catch it on page 3 of the Citizens' Voice, in the Business Section of the Times Tribune or online by clicking here. Enjoy!

On The Move (Finally)

2009-12-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

The day is finally here and the whirlwind has begun. Department by department, Benco headquarters is transitioning into CenterPoint. Already in place are the Finance and TIS departments, filling their corner of the second level office area. Here's some shots of the nearly completed building.

As always, thanks to Sharon Fiorini for the photos and click on them to enlarge. Enjoy.....

Since November 15th, we've been receiving stock at the CenterPoint warehouse.

Beginning in December, CenterPoint went operational and was shipping orders out.

New technology in the warehouse, like an updated supply management system has streamlined a once cumbersome task.

Still under construction is our new, stylish lobby, which will feature a light-up Benco sign and a comfortable waiting area for visitors.

One of these fine-looking chairs might just be yours! The chairs not yet delivered are being stored in the Marketing area.

More first level offices. This area belongs to Marketing and Purchasing.

This is a look at what the first level cubicles look like. This particular area is for visitors needing private work areas.

The humble beginnings of the refrigerator area in the new cafeteria

Fully installed, the sinks and microwaves make up a roomy, comfortable kitchen area for associates.

One of the more unique aspects of CenterPoint, here is the Internet Commons where any associate can access the Internet on break times.

Here's the finance department unpacking and settling into its new dwellings

Here's a look at the TIS department all unpacked and getting right down to business

Here's another look at the finance department with the new working space completely set up.

11 Days Left....

2009-12-04T07:32:00.001-08:00

We're less than two weeks away from the move to CenterPoint and the finishing touches are being completed. We have a ton of great photos for you below. You'll get a fresh look at the completed cafeteria as well as progress shots of both office levels, the building exterior and the warehouse. As always, thanks to Sharon for the photos and click to enlarge. Enjoy.....

Exterior

Cafeteria

Upstairs Offices

The Elevator's Installed!

First Floor Offices

Warehouse

Now It's Official

2009-12-01T12:36:00.000-08:00

Today CenterPoint became Benco's. The new building was christened with the installation of the giant tooth that has resided outside Big Ben since 1989. The monument entitled "Little Soldier" was originally created in New York City as a symbol of the strength and courage needed for healthy teeth. Below are some pictures (courtesy of Sharon) of how "Little Soldier" was transported.

To get another look at the tooth's move, tune into Channel 16's evening newscast. They sent a crew up to capture the tooth on the move.

The Final Weeks

2009-11-23T07:41:00.000-08:00

We're less than a month away from being fully operational in our new CenterPoint facility. In fact, we already have some associates working at the new building! The receiving department is already working in the warehouse, taking in stock and organizing it so everything runs smoothly when everyone else arrives.

This is a look at the second floor office area, which is just about complete. Once the furniture is delivered, this area will be 100% ready. This corner will be occupied by the Insite Design Team where the designers will have plenty of natural light illuminating their work area.

The lower level office area is coming along with carpeting and ceiling tile installation wrapping up. Once all that is complete, the area will be ready for cubicle installation and furniture.

Here we have a sneak peek at our lunchroom/cafeteria where we will likely have a food service with plenty of options available for purchase.

Here's a great shot of the shipping portion of the warehouse. You can see how the conveyor runs right to the docking bay where packages will be run directly into the delivery trucks.

Thanks again to Sharon for some more great photos!

Countdown to Moving Day: 1 Month, 4 Days

2009-11-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

We're just about a month away from our December 15th move and CenterPoint is really starting to transform. All the generators are in Pittston now (we have two of them), so Big Ben will remain on temporary power until we move. The building exterior, which you can see below, is essentially complete as the finishing touches are hastily being implemented and crunch time begins.

Don't worry about looking at bland, white walls anymore. Here you can see that CenterPoint has some flavor with loud, orange walls lining some hallways. Thanks to Becky Clouse in C&P for sending us this photo.

On the left is an area we haven't seen too much of yet. The restrooms, lined with decorative tile, add a nice touch to the building as a whole. On the right is a shot of the progress in the lower level offices. They're coming along and should be seeing some rapid transformation in the days and weeks to come.

Here's a look at the completed exterior.
On the left is a shot of all the work going on in the warehouse. The conveyor installation has been a tall task but is drawing to a close. On the right is the progress in the upper level offices. Carpet has been laid, paint is on the walls and some doors have even been installed.

Thanks again to Sharon for the photos!

Starting to Feel Like Benco

2009-10-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

A stroll through CenterPoint is at last more than walls and steel. Exterior work is essentially complete and the interior has the feel of a polished workplace.

Here is a shot of the second-level office area where TIS will be. The carpet is down, ceiling and lighting installed and the walls are painted. With the exception of cubicle layout and furniture, this section is complete. In the upcoming days, all the same will be complete for the rest of the second floor.

Further along the TIS path, here's a shot of our new server room.And in our usual warehouse update, we've made a lot of progress with the conveyor installation. Here's a look at the latest.

Thanks again to Sharon for her weekly photo trips to Pittston.

One Week Closer

2009-10-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

It's one week closer to our December 15th move and things are on cruise control at CenterPoint. Much of the building is taking shape, including some very noticeable improvements in both the office area and the warehouse. Below you can see how quickly things are moving along.

In the warehouse, the pick lines are being installed. With angled, gravity storage behind them, workflow will be greatly improved.

Before we know it, customers and VIP guests will be walking down this hall, taking in the nation's largest dental equipment showroom!

It may not look like much now, but here is the soon-to-be sunbathed lobby as the shot peers down the corridor to our industry-standard, 24-showroom operatory. The two windows at the top of the picture look into Larry Cohen's future office.

Our Grand Entrance is just a little masonry and steel away from being complete.

Continued Progress......Finer Details

2009-10-13T05:54:00.000-07:00

The Benco Headquarters project continues to move forward at a very rapid pace - multiple contracting crews continue to work on finishing up the construction "on schedule" and are getting into the "finer details" of the project. Above, you can see the tile beginning in the bathrooms which is BEAUTIFUL!
Below, conveyor installation continues to move along .

Below is a catwalk that connects the warehouse mezz to the large pick module.

And over this past weekend, Bob Hunt, Keith Budurka and TIS team were in to oversee bringing in the temporary generator for the Bear Creek facility and making sure it worked - TIS handled bringing our computer systems down Saturday morning and back up successfully for Monday morning with no issues. Below is a picture of the temporary generator - this week, the existing generator will be moved up to CenterPoint and hooked up which, with the other new 500kv generator, will be able to keep us fully in business during any electrical outages.

Stay tuned for more updates!!!

Rolling Along.........

2009-10-06T06:05:00.000-07:00

Above, the final section of racking is being installed for the very narrow aisle storage area - approximately 50% complete. This should be completed by the end of this week. Below, the second floor offices are moving right along - ceiling grids are in and painting is in progress. HVAC ducts are being installed - note that the ends are covered with blue plastic so dust does not get into the units - part of the things we needed to do for our LEED certification. On the first floor, most of the sheet rock is now hung and work is beginning in the x-ray showroom.

Below, the staging area for the conveyor.

Several crews of workers are installing the conveyor. Much of the lighting is now in on the pick mods and beginning on the warehouse mezz for the "shelved" area and repairs. Below is one of the belt inclines being installed.

Below, one of the transition curves that move orders in process from one floor to the next.

This weekend, we'll be moving our generator from Bear Creek Blvd. up to the new building and installing a temporary generator in its place for the remainder of the year. Stay tuned!!!

Small Steps for Big Changes

2009-09-28T08:06:00.001-07:00

In the last week, CenterPoint has gotten ready for some major changes to take place. On the building exterior you'll see that our main entrance is complete. The final windows have been installed as have the front doors.

Taking a look inside, the second floor office area (top picture) is just a few coats of paint and some wiring away from cubicle layouts. In the warehouse, the mezzanine is taking shape (middle picture) and conveyor equipment (bottom picture) has finally been delivered, with installation scheduled to be getting underway very soon.

As always, thanks to Sharon for the photos and thanks for checking in! Come back soon!

Miles and Miles of Wires!!

2009-09-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

We started on the data wiring for the 2nd floor office area - all 600 runs!! Scott Smith is also running cable for satellite and cable. In these pictures, you'll see the main cable trunks running to the TIS wiring closet and in the ceiling. Some of these lines are currently being pulled into the offices - the rest will hang until the cubicles are installed.

Here are some progress photos of the warehouse mezz which is around 80% complete and the pick mods which are almost fully complete - awaiting the remaining warehouse racking to be delivered next week. We did receive a good amount of conveyor in house last week so we'll start to see that go in this week.

Again - stay tuned for more updates!!!

Second Week of September

2009-09-14T12:39:00.001-07:00

The photos this week really give some great perspective of just how large everything in the warehouse truly is. The first picture is the nearly completed pick mod (and yes, that's an equipment trailer being dwarfed by the new setup). The second picture is the warehouse mezzanine, which is coming along quite nicely. As big as it looks, photos still don't do it justice. Our last photo is a view of the bottom level of the pick mod. It looks like a never-ending hallway!

Thanks once again to Sharon who battled the rain on Friday. And check in later this week for an update on the one and a quarter miles of conveyor currently being installed. Enjoy!

What were you doing on 09.09.09?

2009-09-10T03:04:00.000-07:00

Well - we know there were a lot of workers up at our new facility. In this picture, a crew was working on the fencing that will enclose the outside patio area next to the cafeteria.

And in this next picture, you'll see that the walls in the showroom have started to go up. Our board room and some sales offices have also been framed out on the first floor.

Below, the pick mod is completed and the warehouse mezz is around 65% completed - flooring is going down on the 3rd floor.

Got drywall? We do - this stack is for the first floor office area. The second floor area is just about complete.

Planned for next week - beginning the drop ceiling on the second floor and completion of the offices and drywall on the first floor so keep tuned and check back often for updates.

Power Up

2009-09-02T06:57:00.000-07:00

The big development this week -- we now have a generator. The 14,000-pound generator was delivered and placed on Tuesday, and Sharon was there to capture the action. With the help of a crane (and Bob Hunt) the generator was placed without incident.

Sharon also made her way around inside and got some shots of a couple rooms we haven't gotten to see much of. On the left is the in-progress boiler room and on the right is the second floor office area.

*Click the images to see them full size*

One Day Later....

2009-08-28T07:15:00.001-07:00

Things are moving along so quickly that you can already pick out differences between the photos Lou posted yesterday and the ones Sharon took this morning. She battled the rain today but still got some great shots. Within the next couple weeks, things will really start to take shape. We'll be heading up to CenterPoint early next week to get some photos of the generators being delivered and installed. Thanks for checking in!

One Picture is Worth 1,000 Words

2009-08-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

I saw that Matt and Sharon will be updating with additional pictures tomorrow so let me sneak in some pictures taken Wednesday 08.27.09 and you'll be able to see the changes made in a brief two days.
Our building signage was installed on Monday of this week - drywall has been started in the office area - all second floor offices are framed. Warehouse mezz also being erected in the bottom picture.
Let's see the "nicer" pictures tomorrow from Sharon. (she's got a much better camera - mine are from my Blackberry). Remember - you can click on any picture to see it full sized!

UPDATED: Keep an Eye Out....

2009-08-25T10:37:00.001-07:00

The Times Leader published the story about our new headquarters today. Click here to take a look at the article.

On a different note, we should have a whole new batch of photos for you on Friday. Thanks for checking in!

Pick Modules Progress - Picking up Steam!

2009-08-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the picture below, the case pick module is just about complete. To stay ahead of schedule, our sub-contractor is working the weekends and really charging ahead. Next, Mericle will work on getting the lighting and sprinkler system installed - this should start as early as next week. Below is a picture of the 3-story flow rack module - great progress here considering that construction on this only began last week. The goal is to complete the unit this week so construction can start on the warehouse mezz next week.

So far (knock on wood), we have had no major issues with the construction - great coordination between all the sub-contractors of Mericle and Benco. In addition, beginning this week, Granite Communications will be starting the wiring for data lines in the office area and Hillman will begin wiring for the security system. Steel for the warehouse mezz will be delivered the beginning of next week. Still looking at 9-14-09 for the start of the conveyor system which will be installed by Dematic.

Again, check back often for updates - things are moving fast!

Photo Update

2009-08-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

Lou really hit on all the recent and upcoming developments. Here's a few photos, courtesy of Sharon Fiorini, to give a little more insight (including one of the RIGHT sign).

Warehouse construction begins!

2009-08-09T09:55:00.001-07:00

Along with the office construction activity as you can view in the previous entry, just a quick update on the warehouse end. The footers for the warehouse mezz have been poured and we received delivery this week of 12 flatbed trailers of steel for the pick mods. Even though they were just delivered this week, you can see from the above picture that the 4-story "slapper line" for case picks is beginning to be installed. They will then move to the 3-story pick mod which will hold our flow racks.

We've also had a lot of activity on the cubicle layouts for the office areas with most departments already signed-off on the design. We also brought up our newest RM's to tour the facility this week and they were impressed! Again, check back often because there's something new happening daily!

Changing Before Our Eyes

2009-08-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

The previous post said it best. We are literally seeing changes by the hour. If you were to go up to CenterPoint today, it undoubtedly would look different from the pictures you see here. But here's the results from our most recent trip up to Jenkins Township....

Here's one shot of the face of the building. The exterior is nearly complete and we should start to see some signs going up in the near future. On the right is a progress shot of the wall going up between the office area and the warehouse. In the last post, this was just metal bars and should be complete by the next time you hear from us.

On the left here is a great shot of the warehouse from the vantage point of the second floor of the office section. On the right, you'll see the walls going up on the second floor where the TIS department will be.

Thanks for checking in! And thanks again to Sharon Fiorini for the photos on this post.

We Have a Second Floor.......and Some Walls

2009-07-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the picture above, we now have a second floor in the front office area!! Pouring of the floor was completed this week and Mericle has also begun further duct work on the second floor. The floor must cure for about a week and then you'll start to see some walls going up - they've already started to frame out the first floor. Below, you'll see the demising wall between the office area and warehouse starting to go up in preparation for work to start on the 3-story warehouse mezz.

This next picture will show the metal stud walls going up in the Purchasing/Marketing area along with the cafeteria walls. There are a lot of construction teams on the project currently and more to come on board this week - carpenters, electricians and the HVAC teams are pressing forward to meet our schedule. Both Benco and Mericle have been paying close attention to coordinating the contractors to eliminate any issues. You can see visible progress by the hour right now - amazing!!

And now, the "scare of the week" - we were all happy to see that our road sign was installed this week - however, if you notice, the address says "195" when it should have been "295". After rushing back to the office, we tore through the files to see what we ordered - thankfully, it wasn't our fault and the sign will be fixed this coming week - whew!

Keep checking back - there is a lot going on right now. And thanks again to Sharon Fiorini for some of the pictures (the better ones) above.

Cover Your Ears!

2009-07-17T12:27:00.001-07:00

The work going on right now at CenterPoint has made for some of the loudest days we've experienced yet. As you can see below, some steel has been delivered for the warehouse and cement cutting has begun to prepare for the steel installation.

The other major development this week is the pouring of cement on to second floor of the office section. You can see in the picture below the process, which involves two conventional cement trucks loading cement into a truck with a mechanical arm that can reach the second floor.

Not too much progress with the building exterior. You can see below where some more painting was done and preparations have been made for windows.

Keep checking back for more updates and contests. Thanks for keeping up with The Benco On the Move Blog!

Thanks to Sharon Fiorini again for the great shots.

We Have a Winner!!!

2009-07-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

After dozens of successful answers (and some wrong ones), we have a winner to our contest to guess what was going on the concrete slab on the hill in front of the building - and yes, it is the "Tooth"! And the winner is - Tina Kozloski!!! Congratulations Tina!!

Taking Shape

2009-07-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

Up at CenterPoint, things are really starting to look like an office building. The steel work is just about finished for the office and its mezzanine level. All that's left to do in that area is putting in the walls, filling some cement and lowering the duct work. Once all that is complete, it will be ready for electrical wiring and eventually furniture. Here you see the two levels completely laid out.

Saw cutting of the cement where steel will be placed for the warehouse is set to begin next week. The orange lines are where the holes will be cut. The steel for the warehouse is scheduled to be delivered in August. For now, the majority of the work being done is staging and planning the electrical layout of the building. This photo is looking right through the future lunchroom.

On the exterior, you'll also start to see some changes. If you look closely at the nearly completed grand entrance, you can see the grey brick face is being painted. Glass is also in the process of being ordered and in the coming months, the exterior will really begin to have an identity.

As always, thanks to Sharon Fiorini for the pictures.

OK - Game Time

2009-07-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

OK - Game Time!

We are interested in seeing how many Benco associates are keeping up with the blog updates so we're running a contest (for Benco employees only) and giving away 2 free movie passes to the associate who can correctly guess "What goes on the side of the hill in front of our building at CenterPoint?" Please e-mail your answer to Becky Clouse - if there is a tie, we will draw from all correct answers. Deadline for entry is Wednesday 7.15.09.

GOOD LUCK!

Construction meetings #13 and #14

2009-07-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

We continue to have some dramatic changes at the new CenterPoint building. As of yesterday, the steel for the offices is about 95% completed including welding the trusses and putting down the metal corrugate flooring to hold the concrete which should be poured within the next two weeks. This first picture shows the final area that the steel is being erected which is the west side of the showroom. The following pictures will give you a better view of the trusses, "K" bracing and a side view of the office area facing North from the warehouse (where the new warehouse mezz will be constructed starting mid-August).

The main duct work is already completed on floor two and they are beginning to install ducting on the first floor under the decking. Next, Mericle will be dropping in the sprinkler system and main electrical pulls. From the warehouse end, we should begin to see delivery and contruction of the pick mods in about four weeks. The schedule is tight and needs close coordination for both Benco contractors and Mericle contractors. We are also awaiting the delivery of a new generator along with the transfer switches coming in shortly. Back at the Bear Creek facility, Keith is already testing the new Shoretel phone system.

Our biggest focus right now is tying up some loose ends with the finishes and making some changes to include an expanded area for x-ray displays so we can really showcase our expertise in both this area and digital technology. Along with the regular showroom areas, this will truly be a "one-stop-shop" for our customers to view our full line of equipment (the BIGGEST line in the industry!). Chuck, Rick and Larry are really starting to get excited about this - seeing their dream go from a drawing to reality - and we are all just as excited as they are!!! Keep tuned for continuing updates - this is neat stuff!

Weekly Update...

2009-06-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

Lou Mangino and his Operations Team were nice enough to let the Creative Department accompany them for their weekly meeting at the new CenterPoint Facility. Sparks are literally flying as welders are working tirelessly to finish laying the steel indoors. As of right now, the steel is about 60% done and when its completed, we will start to see some VERY noticeable changes with the building's interior. What's going on with the steel right now is the laying of the initial frame with trusses being placed for installation of the ceiling and second level floor. So far, the trusses have been laid above the cafeteria and marketing departments. Once this is all set, the ducts and fire protection systems you see at the top of the building will be lowered into place.

This week's photos really give a look at all the steel work that's being done. It's a bit time consuming, but once it's out of the way, the fun stuff will begin. Take a look for yourself (click on the images for full size versions)....

This shot is from what will be the back of the 24-operatory showroom, which wraps around the front corner of the building. This is also right about where the entrance to the warehouse will be. You're looking at a wide shot of all the office space in the front of the building.

Here you see Bob Hunt of our Operations team working with Mericle's Joe DiMaggio (no relation to the one you're thinking of), who is in charge of all the electrical engineering in our new building.

If nothing else this is a great picture of a welder at work. But what's really going on here is the beam is being prepared to be laid horizontally across the top of the beams already in place vertically. Once that's up, it will be ready for trusses. This is taking place over the future showroom.

Here's a picture of Mike Mangan of Benco's Operations Team talking with Robert Jackson (middle) and Scott Frask (left), the project leads from Mericle. These three are the hands-on leaders up at CenterPoint and they are standing in what will be a quite large cafeteria/lunchroom.

Once again, thanks to Sharon Fiorini for the awesome photos!

Construction Coordination Meeting #12

2009-06-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

As mentioned, a lot of activity at the job site this week with the office mezz steel delivery as you can see by the included pictures. Here's one where Mike Mangan and Bob Hunt are standing by a rather large beam that will be used to clear span the Summit training room - it gives you a good perspective of how large some of these beams are. (Mike was smiling because he just told Bob to try and move the beam)

Steel began to arrive Monday of this week and by Wednesday 6.17.09, we saw it all staged. About 10% of the steel was already erected and crews were busy bolting them together. The area below is in the Purchasing/Marketing area. (No Paul, you can't move in yet!) There are steel beams everywhere you look. Keith Budurka commented that "it is amazing they know which ones go where" because when you look closely, beams have several unique designs depending on where they are going. But each beam has a number and bar code on it and it is as simple as matching them up to the print and dropping them where they are shown. You can see one of these labels at the end of the front beam.

The coordination team also discussed some open items we have in the showroom and with the warehouse mezz system (a whole separate 3-story system) and cafeteria kitchen. Mark Hasaka is working on some changes to the showroom including the area where we will show off our line of digital x-rays and the audio/visual for the training area and boardroom. Keith and Mike continue to review the final electrical drawings and office lighting zones right down to the location of the switches. Sue Evans has been working with a company called ILS to get the cut sheets for our reception area desk and kitchenette located near the training room and along with Deb Hammaker, checking out some regs for the x-ray area. Scott Smith has been reviewing the data requirements for the showroom area and just finished up on his prints. We are really getting into the finer details now.

Mike also met with the Warehouse and TIS team this week as we continue to test and refine the logic behind our "pick-to-tote" system and coordinating how totes will be routed through about 2 miles of conveyor. Again, there is a lot going on simultaneously including Don Stephens wrapping up the capital approval.

Here are some additional progress pictures:

11 Weeks into the Project.....

2009-06-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, we're already 11 weeks into the construction process and now you will really start to see some major changes starting this week with the delivery of the steel for the office mezz. Steel is scheduled to come in beginning Monday, 06.15.09 and continue through the week. Footers for the intermediary columns are poured and existing columns have been drilled to accept the new beams.

So why did it take so long for this phase to start? With an existing building, you need to go through sort of a "destruction" phase before you actually go into the construction phase. Flooring had to be cut out for plumbing, electrical and data piping and conduit and the outside "skin" of the building had to come off for the additional office area windows. Now the construction phase is in full swing withe HVAC units now on the roof and much of the second floor duct work is hung.

In one area of the showroom alone, there are over 240 floor penetrations for utilities and data as you can see in the picture. You can also see the masonry work going on with the windows.

The Benco and Mericle construction coordination teams meet every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. at the site to discuss action plans and open items. In addition, change orders are also reviewed.

We should receive capital approval this week so we can formally award the rest of the capital contracts.

So stay tuned to this blog to get the most recent updates on the construction and feel free to add comments. We will try and focus in on highlighting every area as it progresses. It is really getting exciting now!!!

Truckin' Along

2009-06-11T06:21:00.000-07:00

Everyone is hard at work at the new CenterPoint Location as the shell continues to be stripped for windows surrounding the office area. If you look closely at this week's pictures, you'll also notice that the elevator shaft has been put into place. Also, COMING SOON, we'll be seeing periodic updates from Lou Mangino, VP of Operations, for an inside look at the progress of CenterPoint. Enjoy.....

This is the northwest corner of the building. Much of the sheet metal needed to be removed to make way for the masonry and several new windows. This area will house the showroom on the first floor and Design, Customer Service and Service Dispatch on the second floor.

The future front lobby entrance. This area will receive a canopy and improvements to match the existing front corner. If you look closely you can see the elevator shaft and some of the duct work inside.

Here's the northeast corner and again masonry and windows are being added. The first floor front office area will house the Marketing and Purchasing groups. The remainder of the floor level will feature a 60' x 74' lunchroom, directly outside a 72' x 24' outside eating area, and directly across the parking lot the smoking area. Additional parking will be added the entire length of the building. The second level will be home for the TIS groups.

The west side where eight dock doors are being removed, masonry and windows are being added for the conversion into office space.

*Thanks to Sharon Fiorini for the pictures and Mike Mangan for letting us know what we're looking at!

Firing On All Cylinders!

2009-06-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

Things are moving along and everything is on schedule! As of last week, the building exterior of our future home has been stripped where windows will be installed. Indoors, the office space and warehouse areas are starting to take shape. Take a look for yourself. Click the photos to see a full size image.

Sparks Are Flying & Things Are Moving!

2009-04-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

Things are really starting to MOVE!

Sparks are flying and saws are buzzing as the interior work gets underway. Demolition on the exterior of the building is scheduled to start on Monday. This will happen slowly as the new construction progresses.

New 272,000 Sq. Ft. Corporate Headquarters

2009-04-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

Benco announces plans for 272,000 square foot corporate headquarters located in CenterPoint Commerce and Trade Park, Pittston, Pennsylvania. It will showcase the largest dental equipment showroom in North America, with 24 operatories of dental equipment from all major vendors in all standard configurations.

The new state-of-the-art facility will accommodate 400 associates, improve warehouse operations efficiency, call center functionality and promote energy efficiency while working toward 'green' certification.

"Our new facility will enable Benco to remain a leader in the dental industry for decades to come," Benco's Executive Vice President Rick Cohen said. "We are thrilled our associates and customers will be part of this monumental move with our family as we begin a new chapter in Benco's history."

2009-04-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

We're very excited to launch our Benco Dental On The MOVE blog! A place for information, photos and messages regarding the progress of our new corporate facility.

Check back often for updates and leave some comments of your own. It's an exciting time in Bencoland and we all want to stay connected as we get ready to move to our new facility.