In this small series you will find out what happens in the VDW countries worldwide, how the local markets tick and how different endodontists work in different regions of the world. Today Sabine Steiner explains to you why she likes working at VDW so much, what makes the Austrian market special and why VDW is market leader in Austria.

Who and what actually stands behind our VDW quality products? Take a look behind the scenes of shipping and warehouse. Listen to Iveta Tirne telling you about the impact of professional shipment of our VDW products on the functioning of the company, how important it is and what the daily work in her department looks like.

VDW abandoned printed information material at the ESE congress booth. Products were presented on tablets and the informations were then directly sent to clients by e-mail. VDW not only saved a lot of paper but also donated 1€ per electronically sent information to the Mercy Ships Organisation.

It was not until 1995 that VDW moved into its present headquarters on the southern outskirts of Munich. The atmosphere is friendly and open. The highlight of the building, as everyone agrees, is the spacious roof terrace with breathtaking views of the mountains. In good weather you can actually see up to 150 peaks from various angles.

"EDDY irrigates the canal clean and is aggressive on biofilm but gentle on the tooth with no danger of ledges or perforations." Dr. Winfried Zeppenfeld, Germany

"I really like that the VDW.ROTATE instruments are very flexible. I used them in highly curved canals and it was a pleasure to work them. Nevertheless they are very active and more resistant to breakage." Dr. Paulina Piasta-Kiełkiewicz, Poland

Fabio Weindl is in the second year of his apprenticeship as a warehouse logistics specialist. He is one of 25.000 apprentices in Germany in this area - one of the strongest growing apprenticeships. Fabio’s first thought when he got accepted at VDW was that it is really nice to work for a company producing something that helps people.

Our dreamteam in the complaints department. Selda Pehlivan, Christina Wrede and Sandra Gosetti. The three dental assistants alltogether add up to 25 years at VDW. All three changed from dental practices to VDW because of their passion for root canal treatments and their wish to get to know the manufacturer’s side of endodontics. Combined expertise in the right place.

Hard to believe but Melanie Hochholzer has been working at VDW for more than half of her life. She started in 1996 and was the puppy of the company. VDW was also a lot smaller then. Melanie guesses that there were only about 80 staff members then. Today Melanie works part time as sales administrator in customer service.

Who and what actually stands behind our VDW quality products? Have a look behind the scenes of our „quality management“ department. Kristina Luetje talks about how important quality management is for the functioning of VDW, which challenges her department has to face and what her daily business looks like.

Our irrigation tip EDDY is a very important part of root canal treatments. Many people have had an EDDY irrigation tip in their mouth. Not very many know what Endodontists use it for. This is what people on the street think EDDY is. See for yourself.

Who and what actually stands behind our VDW quality products? What is the contribution of the different departments and what is their function? Have a look behind the scenes of our „Regulatory Affairs“ department. Listen to Berna Kizil-Aydin telling you how she and her colleagues contribute to VDW’s success.

VDW and its endodontic system is an indispensable part of root canal treatments. Most experts are of course familiar with the Vereinigte Dental Werke. But what do normal people on the street think the abbreviation VDW stands for?

In this small series you will find out what happens in the VDW countries worldwide, how the local markets tick and how different endodontists work in different regions of the world. Today Patryk Markowski and Andrzej Wisniewski explain to you what makes the Polish market special and why VDW is so popular in Poland.

This is how Thailand, Vietnam, Iran, Syria/Yemen and the Philippines wish VDW a happy 150th birthday. It makes us even happier that people so far away are remembering our birthday.

Of course the Brazilian colleagues didn’t want to stay behind all the other countries and also wished VDW a happy 150th birthday. VDW is looking forward to the next 150 years.

Guests from all over Europe are visiting us at our headquarter in Munich. Some of them left us a little birthday wish in Czech, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Norwegian and Russian.

Those who rely on VDW products, don‘t just get single products for every treatment step but an entire system of products and services linked to one another. Here you will find some impressions of our courses and our training program that can help you getting to know and use the whole VDW system.

Those who rely on VDW products, don‘t just get single products for every treatment step but an entire system of products and services linked to one another. The VDW Endo-System stands for simplicity and long-term success in endodontics. Here we show you our range for mechanical preparation.

Colours are very helpful getting orientated. In traffic, at the airport, organizing things, even when you’re playing games. Why should that be any different in Endodontics. Everything has to be really fast and time should not be wasted looking for the right instrument. VDW introduced the Munich Colour Code in 1950. Today it is Endodontics standard.

Endo specialists from all over the world tell us, why they are inspired by RECIPROC blue, why it became an indispensable part of the work in their practices or why they are looking forward to working with it in the future. They are particularly convinced by the high flexibility of the material that makes the preparation of severely curved canals a lot easier.

Everybody who works in the health sector, should look after his personal health. Since 2016 VDW takes part in the annual Munich B2Run competition. That’s not only good for our health but also an excellent team building event.

"Since RECIPROC direct connects directly to the dental unit it is easy to start and use. It is easy to carry and does not take up much space. By adjusting the speed, this allows efficient root canal formation to be performed depending on the case." Dr. Hiroyuki Gomi, Japan

In the 1990s stainless steel was replaced gradually by nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy (NiTi): A revolution. The high flexibility of the material allowed even root canals with a difficult anatomy to be prepared safely and mechanically. VDW improved the original materials and uses NiTi for RECIPROC blue, RECIPROC, VDW.ROTATE, R-Pilot, Mtwo and FlexMaster.

In 1847 Edwin Thomas Truman began using gutta-percha to fill root canals. In 1850 the sap of the Palaquium gutta plant, mixed with lime, quartz and feldspar was sold by Asa Hill as Hill’s Stopping. But only from 1887 on S.S. White used it to develop the precursor of todays gutta-percha cones.

In 1954 André Schröder presented the first root filling paste on a zinc oxide eugenol basis as epoxy resin sealer. Eugenol had the side effect to smell and taste like exotic spices, especially cloves. For a long time toothaches were alleviated by using clove oil. The taste was familiar and kept soothing the patients.

How do you combine your job and the big stage? Hu Di can show us how. Born in Beijing, he has been working at VDW for 9 years now. Today he is head of International Sales APAC & ROW. He not only enriches VDW with his professional skills, he also loves to sing and perform on stage. A real highlight for every Christmas party! But that’s not all: He’s also a very gifted painter…

Wolfgang knows them all. He has studied geography and has worked in the tourism sector before joining VDW in 1993. Since then he has been responsible for half of the world working in different positions and has been traveling quite a bit. Today he calls the Turkish, the Greek, the British and the MEA markets his „sales home“ and faces a different challenge on each market every day.

2018 VDW replaced its old air conditioning system by a coolant-free and significantly more energy-saving one. An important step towards more energy efficiency and environmental protection. A very expensive solution but another milestone on VDW’s path towards a more resource-saving and sustainable working environment.

In this small series you will find out what happens in the VDW countries worldwide, how the local markets tick and how different endodontists work in different regions of the world. Today Chun-Hao Fu, Territory Manager South East Asia, explains to you what they do to support and strengthen VDW in the Asian markets.

In the year 2000 car manufacturers increased their efforts to design more economical propulsion systems. Many manufacturers developed new engines that consumed only 3 litres on 100 km. During that period VDW also worked on new engine technologies and introduced its first medical device: an Endo motor.

No matter whether you are a basketball player, a racing cyclist or a marathon runner: The winner is always awarded gold – a golden trophy or a gold medal. Our endo motor with integrated apex locator is tried and tested, reliable und particularly powerful. That’s why it definitely deserves its name: VDW.GOLD RECIPROC.

Those who rely on VDW products, don‘t just get single products for every treatment step but an entire system of products and services linked to one another. The VDW Endo-System stands for simplicity and long-term success in endodontics. Here we show you our range for irrigation.

… or as we like to say: Happy birthday. Our colleagues from China from different sectors and fields did not miss the opportunity to wish VDW a happy 150th birthday: From dentists to commercial agents and business partners.

Root canal irrigation is indispensable in todays endodontics. But how did it all start? In the First World War sodium hypochlorite was introduced as wound disinfectant. From the mid 1940s on it was also used in endodontics as the so called Dakin's solution. Its tissue solubilisation abilities had been discovered and the era of root canal irrigation began.

People grow with their challenges. Branislav Antunovic started as a team lead at VDW 9 years ago to lead a team of 10. From 2011 on he was responsible for 36 colleagues. Today he is Manager Manufacturing Center and leads 55 staff members of 12 different nationalities. Let’s find out if Branislav can reach the 100 team members mark within the next 10 years.

Typical 1968. Beutelrock advertised its products in a very graphical way. Narrow root canals, precise work within the smallest space, illustrated in the very modern Bauhaus-look of the late 1960s.

Edward Maynard, one of the pioneers in modern endodontics, crafted the predecessors of modern endodontic files out of watch springs in the early 19th century. Although he was the russian tsar‘s and the king of prussia‘s dentist, he is rather known to be an inventor of firearm technology. Of course watch springs are no longer part of endodontics. VDW uses nickel-titanium for the newest files.

Since April 2019 the roof of the VDW production building in Munich is home to 12 bee colonies. Thus VDW wants to send out a signal and show responsibility for our society and the environment. This is VDW's small contribution to the preservation of biodiversity and local nature. Of course there is one more advantage: the delicious honey!

The 1960s and 70s brought many tooth related innovations and new technologies. For example the electric toothbrush. It had a lasting effect on teeth brushing habits. VDW also invested in new technologies. In 1975 VDW developed a new grinding technique to enable the production of ultra fine instruments such as K-reamers, K-files and Hedstroem files in sizes ISO 06 to ISO 10.

Those who rely on VDW products, don‘t just get single products for every treatment step but an entire system of products and services linked to one another. The VDW Endo-System stands for simplicity and long-term success in endodontics. Here we show you our range for conventional preparation.

"What I like the most with the VDW.GOLD RECIPROC is the easy and reliable measurement of the length of the canal which is created by the integrated apex locator during canal preparation." Dr Monika Dzieciątkowska, Poland

In the beginning there’s just a steel wire reel. See for yourself how many steps it takes to produce an endodontic instrument in this slideshow: From mechanical cutting, lathe operations and manual grinding to sterile packaging - the entire path of a file through production at VDW.

In this small series you will find out what happens in the VDW countries worldwide, how the local markets tick and how different endodontists work in different regions of the world. Today Marcella Badaró, Clinical Education Manager in Brazil, explains to you what makes the Brazilian market so special and why it is so much fun to work for VDW Brazil.

Who and what actually stands behind our VDW quality products? What is the contribution of the different departments and what is their function? Have a look behind the scenes of our  R & D department. The colleagues talk about their department and their contribution to VDW’s success.

Our endodontic instruments have saved many teeth of many patients. But only very few of them know what they are holding in their hands when they are given one of our endodontic files. See for yourself what people on the streets think about Reciproc blue.

Justyna and Eris are the latest married couple at VDW. Together, they have been working at VDW for 11 years. Eris has been working in logistics since 2012. When Justyna started to work as quality engineer in 2015, he was blown away. Eris never gave up until they at last became a couple and finally got married in August 2018. As you can see: Work and love are not mutually exclusive.

In 1987 VDW published the “User Guide to Endodontic Instruments”. It became an endodontics branch standard. The book was translated into five languages and sold to dentists all over the world. From the 1990s on endodontics began to change a lot. But still the small blue book stays one of the most reliable sources of information for endodontic steel instruments.

In 2018 VDW produced little mascot as give-away and asked the employees to take him with them on their trips, excursions and hikes and show him a little bit around. Mr Bert has done quite some traveling since. From the Bavarian Alps to Shanghai. Discover some of Mr Bert‘s stops and the sights he has been visiting.

Endodontics require a very steady hand. To recover from a stressful day in the dental practice, colouring mandalas is the right choice. If you want to try it yourself just klick "download", print your mandala and switch off your head. If this doesn’t help, why don’t you check out our VDW-endo-system that also brings peace of mind included.

Why are our Reciproc blue files blue? They are produced with Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) that goes through an innovative heat treatment, modifying its molecular structure to give it increased resistance to cyclic fatigue and additional flexibility. And it gives them their characteristic blue color. That’s not only functional, but it looks quite beautiful.

The American President George Washington suffered from intense toothache throughout his whole life. This is one of his dentures that was constructed to replace his lost teeth. Poor George. If only he would have been born 100 years later, he might have been treated with one of our endodontic devices and could have kept his natural teeth a lot longer.

Beate Waizmann started her career at VDW as assistent to the management. Today she works as CRM Project Manager and Database Administrator managing over 86.000 data sets! Not even the birth of her triplets could stop her from working for VDW. VDW offers its employees flexible working conditions and free time management. That’s why combining career and kids works out really well at VDW.

According to the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Endodontologie und zahnärztliche Traumatologie e.V. (DGET) the average success rate of root canal treatments in an observation period of one to five years lies between 85% and 95%. We at VDW are proud that our products contribute to a successful and smooth root canal treatment for both dentist and patient.

In 1919 Alfons Ehrler, the manager of a steal producer in the Saar region in Germany, started the production of dental instruments in Munich. He named his company after a giant from the greek mythology: ANTÆOS. The Æ stands for Ehrler’s initials. In 1972 ANTÆOS merged with BEUTELROCK and ZIPPERER to create the Vereinigte Dentalwerke (United Dental Works), short VDW.

This device from the second half of the 19th century was used to »steam sterilize« root canals. Today disinfection and irrigation are a lot easier. For example EDDY, VDW's sonic powered irrigation tip, activates the irrigant and prepares a thorough cleaning of the root canal to perform a successful root canal treatment.

Rotation and spinnig have always been used for a lot of things. Rotation also plays an important role for endodontics – and for VDW. Based on our success with rotating file systems we combined our existing knowledge with new file design and the latest material technology to develop a brand new rotating root canal file and bring it onto the market: VDW.ROTATE.

A few impressions from the various trade fairs and events VDW attended in China in 2018. From Dental South China to Sino Dental. From our very own VDW workshop to the RECIPROC blue launch event.

Markus Borgschulte, Head of Research & Development at VDW about future trends in endodontics: »Of course VDW offers new digital solutions. Such as the VDW.CONNECT product platform. But digitalisation has to make sense! Our most important task still is to provide simple and efficient endodontic applications to keep the natural tooth fully functional for as long as possible.«

With the VDW.CONNECT endo series: Definitely. The cordless motor VDW.CONNECT Drive and the apex locator VDW.CONNECT Locate, networked via Bluetooth and controlled via iPad app puts you in an optimal position for a smooth and safe preparation. The VDW.CONNECT series is ergonomic, flexible, precise smart and intuitive. See for yourself!

In the 1950s two puppets, Karius and Baktus, helped parents all over Europe to encourage their children to brush their teeth regularly in a very playful and entertaining way. In the same period Zipperer (VDW founding company) developed the Munich colour code for endodontic files to help dentists to determine the right size of the file.

In the early 70s, Beutelrock, one of the three VDW founding companies, chose an artistic way of advertising: ads with ambitious water-colour illustrations. Here are some examples. Find out more about VDW’s current products by clicking »read more«.

Happy Birthday, Joyeux anniversaire, عيد مولد سعيد, χαρούμενα γενέθλια, с Днем рожденья, Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! 150 years isn’t a milestone you celebrate every day. That’s why we are really looking forward to receiving birthday wishes from around the world.

After joining VDW, it’s easy to stay for the long haul. Get to know some of our colleagues and delve into 150 years of VDW as an employer. First up is Christine Radlbeck, who looks back at 27 years here. First working in marketing, she then switched to course management where she helped to build up the courses program at VDW. Today she runs the program for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Every dentist works differently. Each has their preferred workflows and instruments. Here, endodontists worldwide explain what they especially enjoy about working with the RECIPROC.

Heard of the VDW Endo Wheel? The handy guide explains our products and categorizes them within the VDW universe. Go ahead – give it whirl!

Up to 6,000 Hz power EDDY, our sonic powered irrigation tip. The sound is rarely audible, so we’re visualizing 6,000 Hz for you instead.

This price list from the early 19th century shows what a great deal drilling down to the root was. By no means a bargain considering the pain and complications associated with such procedures back then. Today, things are different. Especially at VDW: with the VDW Endo-System peace of mind is included for both dentist and patient.

A team of researchers discovered evidence that endodontic procedures are older than previously thought. In nearly 13,000-year-old incisors, it found traces of extensive root canal treatments involving drilling, scraping, and fillings made of bitumen. The scientists assume both the treatment and its outcome were very painful. Thankfully, that’s not at all the case today.

In many corners of the globe, people lack access to dental care. VDW supports humanitarian aid projects by donating endodontic materials. Beneficiaries include Marlen Luckow and the Diospi Suyana Hospital in Peru, Claudia Brizuela of Universidad de Los Andes in Chile and Prof. Dr. David Sonntag’s work for the Misheel Kids Foundation in Mongolia. VDW helps relieve pain and preserve teeth.

In 1885, reputable dentist J. Beutelrock – son of an horologist in Simbach am Inn, a village a few hours east of Munich – founded his own "factory for inventions", focussing mainly on instruments for excavation of root canals. In 1972, BEUTELROCK, ZIPPERER and ANTAEOS fused together to create the Vereinigte Dentalwerke (United Dental Works), short VDW.

In the 90s, VDW was quite daring in its ads. Would we do it again today? Maybe, maybe not. But back then it worked – making us well known not only in Germany but also worldwide.

Remember this song from the 80s? Did you know that this one-hit-wonder never became a hit in Japan itself? Well, at least VDW products are and have always been quite a warhorse in Japan, like this early 1980s sales advertisement shows.

This little fellow in a past advertisement holding a file and a stein is our interpretation of the so-called "Münchner Kindl", the symbol on the coat of arms of the city of Munich. The original "Münchner Kindl" holds a book in its hand, but we think a file and a stein suit it as well.

Who can best decide the best dental products? The dentists using it. In 2012, German dentists chose VDW.SILVER RECIPROC to be the most innovative dental device recognising VDW with the "Innovation Award".

• 2,871,600 steps
• 973 cups of coffee
• 1,395 hours consulting at the booth
• 6 kg M&Ms eaten
• 72 km distance covered in the trade fair halls with our sought-after VDW scooters
• 192 training participants and we could not even meet the demand
• 108 hands involved
• 3,500 VDW promotion bags found a new owner

One instrument only to prepare a root canal – that is the idea behind RECIPROC blue. They are made from NiTi that has undergone an innovative heat treatment giving them increased resistance to cyclic fatigue and additional flexibility as well as the characteristic blue color.

VDW products prepare dentists worldwide for challenges in root canal therapy. And we are proud to say that VDW as a company is prepared for challenges, too. In 2018, the VDW plant in Munich was one out of only two plants in Europe to receive the "FM Global Award" acknowledging the company's commitment to and achievements in property loss and risk management during the last years.

"At VDW, we would like to set standards: Endo Easy Efficient is our promise, motto and commitment to dentists. With the VDW Endo-System, we are covering the whole endodontic process and offer a concept to perform root canal treatments easily and efficiently in order to save more and more teeth."

A red-hot iron needle – that's what dentists used back in the 1890s to desinfect and dry the root canal. You can imagine that root canal treatment was anything but fun. Luckily a lot has changed since then.

VDW is the pacesetter in endodontic therapy: Being satisfied is not our DNA. Why? Because there is always room for improvement – and that is what we do every single day. You will feel that when using VDW products and see it when having a look at some of our patents all over the world.

Turning 150 is something really special and not many companys can look back on such a long history. Many people all over the world are celebrating with us, one of them being Valerie Baschet, our Group Vice-President Global Endodontics.

Ever wonder how these tiny shiny files and other endo products are being produced? Here is your chance to find out.

Congrats! That’s the answer to our raffle question. VDW instruments may be small in size, but are packed with 150 years of endodontic know-how. And can you believe it: This know-how is put into over 60 million endo instruments manufactured by the Munich site every year!

Meet our unofficial mascot, Mr. Root. He has repeatedly appeared in VDW communication and advertisements in the past. Why does he look like a mushroom? Who knows... Please write your guess to our service team. Contact us.

Back in the 60s, 70s and 80s, it was popular in Germany to have a bar room in the basement equipped for all kinds of private festivities, the so-called "Partykeller". Quite a number of myths have been spun around the "Partykeller" – and they looked like the legendary ZIPPERER trade fair booth used from the early 60s until the 80s.

"Reciprocating movement" – sounds abstract and very complicated but it is actually quite simple: The instrument alternates between clockwise and counterclockwise rotation. Since the rotation in the cutting direction is larger than in the reverse rotation, the instrument advances towards the apex. The reciprocation ensures that the instrument stays centered in the canal. The reverse rotation releases the instrument and reliefs stress.

Have a look at our EndoStream. This spacious airstream trailer, equipped with modern conference technology and VDW devices, tours around BeNeLux and provides endo training at the doorstep for up to fifteen delegates.

This is what packaging looked like in the first half of the 20th century. Later, VDW was one of the pioneers to adopt blister packs for instrument packaging. Even though being slowly accepted by customers, they mark a giant leap forward in terms of hygiene.

"I am extremely satisfied with the performance of CONNECT Drive. Replacing the files is only a matter of seconds due to the specifically designed button at the end of the ergonomic handpiece. The motor is flexible in terms of movement thanks to the absence of wires."
Dr Alexander Schryvers from Belgium

More than two years in everyday practice and study results have proven that the EDDY sonic-activated irrigation tip cleans even severely curved root canals safely and effectively. Being a single-use tip of universal size, EDDY can be integrated easily and efficiently into everyday practice.

The 2011 scientific review "Effectiveness of music interventions on dental anxiety in pediatric and adult patients: a systematic review." published by Moola S., Pearson A., Hagger C. indicates that music reduces dental anxiety during treatment. Well then: How about some music for your patients?

Back in 1869, Carl Wilhelm Zipperer from the Bohemian Forest founded ZIPPERER, a company for watchmaking and dental instruments in Munich – and one of the founding companies of VDW. This made him the first producer of root canal instruments in Europe and the one who we call the founding father of VDW.

For 150 years, VDW products have combined cutting-edge technology and usability. Being recognised for that, is what we call a best case scenario – like 2016 when we received the renowned iF Design Award for VDW.CONNECT Drive for outstanding product design. The innovative concept of a cordless endo motor controlled via app was a big leap forward in terms of usability and ergonomics.

"If you compare the activation of irrigants with EDDY to other activation techniques, it is evident that EDDY triggers a cyclone."

Dr Mauro Amato, Basel, Switzerland

In 1972, the three Munich-based companies ZIPPERER, BEUTELROCK and ANTAEOS joined forces and merged into Vereinigte Dentalwerke – known today as VDW.

Welcome to our headquarters and production site. After decades of producing in different sites randomly spread all over Munich, in 1995 VDW moved into today's headquarters in the south of Munich.

With VDW, you get a system which is more than the sum of single products – namely a system of devices and services linked one to another.

Oral health is the higher purpose we are seeking. And we are glad to be making our contribution to that for 150 years – literally at the roots.

The colour code on all files has its roots at VDW. It was introduced by our company in 1950, was called "Munich Colour Code" and later became the ISO standard worldwide.