DISCUS DENTAL, LLC (A PHILIPS COMPANY) DIVESTS LASER, ZEN, AND INSIGHT PRODUCTS TO ZILA, INC.

As most of you know, Discus Dental was purchased by Philps in October of 2010. That bit of news was tough on me as I had known for quite a while from several off the record sources that it was coming, but as a courtesy to the negotiations I kept the information confidential until all the paperwork was wrapped up. It was one of the biggest scoops of my career as Technology Editor and one I'm still pretty proud of.

This latest bit of info isn't something as Earth shaking to the industry as the Discus acquisition, but it is important nonetheless. A few years ago, Discus Dental had acquired a small but high quality laser manufacturing company called Zap! Lasers. The folks at Zap! had the goal of building lasers that were affordable for dentists while providing a quality product. Because of the hard work and dedication by Zap!, the sales team at Discus sold lots of lasers. So this news affects anyone who owns a laser that was sold by Philips, Discus, or Zap!

What follows is information that I received on April 3rd regarding Philips divesture of products that were acquired by Zila, Inc.

April 3, 2012 We are pleased to announce that Zila, Inc. has acquired the Laser, Zen, and Insight product portfolios from Discus Dental, LLC (A Philips Company). This includes: NVTM, SLPTM, and SL3TM lasers, ZenTM cordless prophy and Insight� ultrasonic inserts. The addition of these products strengthen and support Zila's proprietary Soft Tissue Management� production portfolio, which includes Rotadent� professional rotary toothbrushes, ViziLite� Plus oral lesion identification & marking system, ATRIDOX� locally applied antibiotic and Pro-Select Platinum� piezo ultrasonic scaler. Philips Oral Healthcare will continue to support dental professionals through its category leading whitening and oral hygiene line-up including Zoom�, DayWhite�, NiteWhite�and BriteSmile� tooth whitening solutions, Sonicare� power toothbrushes, Fluoridex� fluoride toothpaste, PerioRx� chlorhexidine rinse, Relief� ACP gel and BreathRx�. In the following weeks Zila and Discus Dental will work together to transition all Laser, Zen, and Insight operations into Zila's manufacturing and distribution facilities in Batesville, Arkansas. Be assured that both companies are committed to make this transition as seamless as possible. Questions and answers are provided below. If there is a question we have not addressed, please feel free to contact either company using the contact information provided below. < S PAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Sincerely, Frank McGillin General Manager, Discus Dental, LLC Vice President, Philips Consumer Lifestyle David R. Speights CEO, Zila, Inc. Contact Information: Philips Oral Healthcare: (310) 845-8600 Zila, Inc: (800) 228-5595 ANSWERSto commonly asked questions What products are being sold to Zila? Zila has acquired the Discus Dental Laser, Zen, and Insight portfolio. This includes: NVTM, SLPTM, and SL3TM lasers, ZenTM cordless prophy and Insight�ultrasonic inserts. When will this transition begin and how long is it expected to last? During April, responsibility for the sale and distribution of these products will transition from Discus Dental to Zila. In the near-term, all sales and customer service functions will remain with Discus Dental. On or before April 16th, you wil be able to begin purchasing all of these products exclusively from Zila. When I need to place my next order, how will I know which company to contact? New orders can be placed the same way they are today, through the Discus Dental Call Center. On or before April 16th, any calls coming into Discus Dental for Lasers, Zen or Insight will be taken by a Discus Dental representative for a price quote and shipping. All of the orders will be forwarded to Zila Customer Care for invoicing. After April 16th, you will be able to dial Zila Customer Care directly at 1-800-228-5595, option #2 to place orders for the above mentioned products. Will the current Discus Dental part numbers (SKU's) remain the same or will they be changed to a Zila numbering system? If a change will be made, how will I be notified? Zila intends to maintain the current part numbers for the foreseeable future. What affect will this change have on the timing of delivery of products that I have currently on order with Discus Dental? What about those ordered in the near future? Orders taken after the divestment that were placed with Discus Dental before April 16th, will be shipped from Discus Dental. New orders placed with Zila on or about April 16th, will ship from the Zila distribution center in Batesville, Arkansas. If I have a warranty issue or return already in progress, how will this be handled? For issues and returns on products that I had previously purchased from Discus Dental, which company should I contact? Zila will honor all product warranties and returns for products sold prior to the transfer of the Laser, Zen & Insight business from Discus Dental. Zila Customer Care can be reached at 1-800-228-5595, press option #2. Will Discus Dental's return and warranty terms and conditions be honored by Zila or will the products that I previously purchased from Discus Dental be transferred to the terms and conditions of Zila policies? What are the terms and conditions of Zila's warranty and return policies? Zila will honor the warranties of all products sold by Discus Dental (A Philips Company). Will the price of any of the Laser, Zen or Insight products change in the near future? Zila will continue selling all products at the same prices subject to Zila's customary price review from time-to-time. Will any Laser, Zen or Insight products be discontinued or changed? If so, how much notice will be given before a product change or discontinuation takes place? Most, if not all, of the products will continue to be available. At this point, Zila does not have any plans to discontinue any of the products being acquired from Discus Dental (A Philips Company). Zila is committed to maintaining continuity of product quality and will be utilizing the same materials, quality standards, manufacturing practices, suppliers and even the same equipment, to produce these fine products. Will I need to set up a new account with Zila or will my Discus Dental account be transferred? Yes, you will need to set up a new account if you do not currently have an account with Zila. Your Zila sales representative will assist you with account set-up, which is a quick and simple procedure.

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Why I Love Lasers... And Why You Should Too

I really, really love lasers. I've been an owner and a user of some type of laser for well over 10 years now.

Over the years I have found my experience with the devices to be everything that I hoped for and actually more. So much so in fact, that lasers truly have become part of my daily routine in treating patients. In my office lasers are considered to be a routine piece of many of our procedures and we reach for them just as we would any other necessary instrument needed to complete the task at hand.

This week alone, as the� end of year rush� arrives in our office we have used lasers to perform multiple procedures while allowing the staff and I to be more efficient as an added bonus. The list of procedures from this week includes multiple composite restorations performed with no anesthesia, soft tissue crown lengthening, troughng the gingival sulcus for impressions, controlling gingival hemorrhage for class V restorations, and a lingual frenectomy. What I find really amazing about that list is that those are the procedures I just happen to remember performing this week; I'm sure that I've left out a few.

While laser usage in dentistry may seem exotic and � cutting-edge� too many, quite honestly for my staff and I they are� just another day at the office�. We have found lasers to be amazing tools that allow us to provide better treatment for patients while also allowing us to perform treatment in a more efficient manner. This means that not only are our patients receiving laser treatment that provides great results, but it also means that the treatment is faster and easier. And let's face it, everyone (including me when I'm a patient) wants to spend as little time in the dental chair as possible.

We are currently using diode lasers from Discus as well as a LightWalker laser which is available through Technology 4 Medicine. The LightWalker is a 2 wavelength device featuring the Nd:YAG soft tissue wavelength as well as the Er:YAG wavelength for hard tissues.

If you are looking for a way to provide superior treatment for your patients, I really feel a laser could be just what you're looking for. For me, they have become devices that I reach for as routinely as a mirror. They are devices that I use multiple times each day and have become so important to what I do that I simply could not practice without them.

Discus SL3 Laser Evaluation Complete

I've been tinkering with and evaluating the SL3 diode laser from Discus since early May.

The footprint of diode lasers has been shrinking ever since they came on the market... which is a good thing. As many of you know, Discus also sells the NV which is about the size of a SoniCare toothbrush. While not that small, I'm of the opinion that there is still a market for lasers such as the SL3 which is 5.5" x 7.0" x 5.5" and weighs 1.85 pounds.

We have an NV in the office and we use it multiple times a day so what I was looking for from the SL3 was to have a laser in my "favorite op" which could be used anytime I wanted to just by reaching for it. I love the European Design cabinetry I have in the clinic and so we put the SL3 in a drawer that has A/C power and it was available just by opening the drawer.

The unidose tips that are used with the device slide over the handpiece and are held in place magnetically. They are easy to place, easy to use, and easy to dispose of by just removing them and dropping them in a sharps container.

I've found the 3 Watt power of the SL3 to be more than adequate for anything I've done. We've put it through the paces with a multitude of clinical applications including frenectomies, troughing for impressions, biopsies, incision & drainage, and gingivectomies, just to name a few. The device has performed well with no problems on all procedures.

The screen is easy to read & the device is easy to setup & program... even for a novice. The wireless foot control is nice since it cuts down on clutter on the floor. The device can be run on A/C power or on battery so it is easily portable and charges quickly.

It has a voice confirmation of settings which, as an experienced user, i found little use for, but it was easy to simply turn the volume down. As an aside, I understand from manufacturers that the voice confirmation is popular with many new users.

My only problem with the device was a faulty "power brick" that kept the battery from charging. However, one email to Discus quickly solved the problem.

Overall I'm very happy with the performance, design, and aesthetic of the SL3. If you are looking for a diode laser that performs well in all clinical applications, you should definitely consider this unit.