Yiinc.com - Young Innovations Dental Supply Manufacturers History

Our partnership with Dentistry spans almost 100 years.

We have developed an in-depth knowledge of the dental profession as a result of our long-term involvement in the industry. We use this knowledge to develop new products that improve clinical efficacy, increase practice productivity and enhance patient comfort. Nearly a century ago, Young was one of many small suppliers to the dental profession. Young's strength was manufacturing highly reliable dental products. As dentistry evolved, Young worked with practicing dentists and academics to identify clinical problems. The Company then used its engineering and manufacturing expertise to create solutions to those problems. Decades of providing innovative products to meet the evolving needs of the dental profession have earned Young a strong reputation for quality, reliability and value. Throughout our history, Young has both adapted to change and driven change in the practice of dentistry.

In the 1960s, the dental profession began to embrace the practice of preventive dentistry.

Public education emphasized the importance of routine dental exams and professional teeth cleaning to promote improved oral health. In response to this trend, George Richmond, who purchased Young in 1961, focused the Company's efforts on preventive dental products, specifically on the basic tool used for teeth cleaning, the prophy polishing angle. In 1968, Young introduced the Triple Seal™ prophy angle. Unlike other metal polishing angles available at the time, Young's new angle could withstand the abrasive effects of the polishing paste used in the teeth cleaning procedure. Although it was significantly more expensive than competitive products, the Triple Seal eventually achieved a leading market share position in the United States as a result of its high quality and durability. The Company also earned a leading market share position in prophy cups used with its prophy angles. Young's prophy angles and prophy cups maintain a number one market share position in the United States today.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, public concerns about the risk of contracting infectious diseases became an acute issue in the dental profession.

Young actively participated in trade and professional groups that helped establish standards for infection control procedures in the dental practice. Many dental professionals quickly changed their daily practices to incorporate the new standards, which included the sterilization of prophy angles before each use. Prophy angles offered by many of Young's competitors could not consistently withstand the sterilization process. Since its introduction in 1968, however, Young's Triple Seal angle was designed to endure years of repeated sterilization. In response to market demand, Young also developed a disposable version of the Triple Seal angle in 1990. This product quickly became the leading disposable prophy angle in the market and remains so today. Sales of the disposable prophy angles currently represent our largest source of revenue.

Over the past 100 years, Young has become a true partner in preventive dentistry. For dentists and hygienists, the Young name is synonymous with quality, reliability and innovation.