BecDen Dental Laboratory bought by California firm

MicroDental Laboratories, a California-based cosmetic dental laboratory, has purchased BecDen Dental Laboratory in Salt Lake City and is already talking about "significant" expansions in Utah.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. But MicroDental Chief Executive Officer Fred Walke said Monday that BecDen will continue to operate under its own name and as a standalone enterprise.

"BecDen is a very well-run dental laboratory, with a strong, impressive management team," Walke said. "It has highly skilled technicians as well as good processing systems. We operate very much to the same model. We speak the same language, so to speak."

All of that, plus MicroDental's added resources, will mean good things for BecDen, said Dennis Vasquez, principal founder of BecDen, in a prepared statement Monday.

"MicroDental's quality, research and development, commitment to education and marketing resources set the pace for the industry, and joining the MicroDental team provides the employees of BecDen many new and valuable resources," Vasquez said.

Over the next few years, Walke said he expects BecDen to grow significantly.

"We expect to create significantly more jobs in Utah," he said. "BecDen currently has about 100 employees, and we have plans to grow that significantly over the next two to three years."

Walke did not expand on what "significant" growth will mean for the company. MicroDental, headquartered in Dublin, Calif., employed about 500 people prior to the BecDen acquisition.

Monday's announcement reflects growth in the cosmetic dental industry and dentistry in general, Walke said.

"Better products, better processes and public awareness is coming together," he said. "There is better access to dental care, and the public's knowledge of dental procedures has improved. Dentistry today is not what it was 10 years ago. It is relatively pain-free, relatively noninvasive, resulting in the potential for whiter, stronger, healthier teeth."

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