W&H Dentalwerk

W&H has a history of over 120 years in the manufacture of dental products. The initials W&H refer to the Group's two founders, Jean Weber and Hugo Hampel. In 1890, these two precision engineers founded a company in Berlin for the manufacture of straight and contra-angle handpieces. The fact that the initials of the two founders are the same as the German initials of their products (Handstück and Winkelstück) was perhaps an added incentive to use the letters W&H as the central element of the company's logo.

The company was restructured several times between 1920 and 1930. W&H became part of DEGUSSA and acquired international status through its global sales network. In 1944, W&H moved from Berlin (Germany) to Bürmoos (Austria). In March 1946, the Allies installed Peter Malata to administer the company. In 1958, W&H was acquired by the family of Peter and Hilde Malata, since when it has been a family-owned concern. During the Seventies, the company began the steady rise and expansion through which it has achieved its current status as a global player. For example, W&H Germany opened in 1964, followed by branches in France, Italy, Sweden and Great Britain. Peter Malata junior has been the Group's CEO since 1996.

In March 2018, W&H announced the acquisition of Osstell AB, a Swedish medical-technology company specializing in dental implant stability measurement and the patented Implant Stability Quotient (ISQ) technology. The two companies had been cooperating since September 2016, and Osstell's ISQ module had been integrated into W&H's Implantmed surgical device prior to the acquisition. Following the acquisition, Osstell continued to operate as a W&H subsidiary in Gothenburg, Sweden, retaining its existing chief executive, Jonas Ehinger.

Operations

W&H operates two production sites in Bürmoos, Austria, and one in Brusaporto, Italy, and maintains subsidiaries across Europe, Asia, and North America. As of 2018, the company employed approximately 1,100 people worldwide, with around 680 staff at the Bürmoos headquarters, and exported its products to more than 110 countries.

Products

In 1895, W&H manufactured a universal handpiece with adjustable head angle, to provide optimum access to the treatment site. The first file contra-angle headpiece manufactured by W&H started in 1926, the Cursor, with a simplified mechanical root canal preparation.

W&H developed its first foot-operated drilling machine in 1939, its first portable drilling machine in 1959, its first turbine (Turbo 60) in 1960, and its first Roto Quick coupling in 1978.

1979: The first press button chuck for turbines was introduced. For the first time, it was possible to change the bur by simply pressing a button on the back of the instrument head. Up to then, this procedure had required a bur changer.