Planmeca, Helsinki, Finland, a dental imaging company and equipment manufacturer, announced recently that it has made a non-controlling, strategic investment in E4D Technologies LLC, Richardson, Tex, developer of the E4D CAD/CAM Restorative System. According to a statement from the company, this strategic investment reinforces Planmeca’s ongoing commitment to help dental providers improve patient care by offering a comprehensive portfolio of integrated digital dental solutions for dentists and dental laboratories.

Planmeca will co-develop CAD/CAM products with E4D Technologies and offer these products in North America under the brand names Planmeca PlanScan-E4D Technologies and PlanMill-E4D Technologies. Henry Schein Inc, Melville, NY, will continue to be the exclusive distributor in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In addition, Planmeca will expand distribution of the E4D system to more than 120 additional international markets under the Planmeca PlanScan and PlanMill brands. In certain other markets, the E4D brand will remain in use.

“Planmeca’s investment in E4D Technologies offers us an opportunity to grow our company globally,” said Gary Severance, DDS, chief marketing officer for E4D Technologies. “In addition, Planmeca has been a market leader in extra-oral digital imaging for many years, and we look forward to furthering the seamless integration of our CAD/CAM platform with the additional digital solutions offered by Planmeca. Our customers will benefit from the combination of these unique and innovative products and services.”

Under the new agreement, Planmeca joins the partnership of Henry Schein and Ivoclar Vivadent, who have been strategic equity partners in E4D Technologies since 2007, along with certain members of E4D Technologies’ senior management team.