Press Release Details

MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC), the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health practitioners, today introduced the beta version of Dentrix® Ascend, its first cloud-based practice management system designed with advanced features for single and multi-site dental practices.

With final release expected later this year, the Dentrix Ascend beta provides dentists with an early view of how the new system streamlines daily operations, blends electronic services directly into practice workflow, and takes advantage of today's advanced cloud technology. With Dentrix Ascend, dentists can safely store practice data in the cloud, manage multi-site practices and access information about their practice anytime, anywhere.  Dentists who practice in multiple sites can access a single database from any location to create reports, track patient care and centralize business operations.

Dentrix® Ascend can be used on a PC or a Mac through the Google Chrome browser. It is also optimized for Safari on the Apple iPad. In addition, subscriptions for the Dentrix Ascend service will be offered on a month-to-month basis, offering dentists greater flexibility than long-term service contracts.  The new system also includes many features that are typically add-on modules for a single monthly price.

"This is a completely re-imagined practice management system," said Kevin Bunker, President, Henry Schein North America Dental Practice Solutions. "We combined the best ideas from our current, highly acclaimed Dentrix system, with more than two years of research with dentists, to develop an entirely new system that improves practice management."

Dentrix Ascend includes a unique approach to managing office workflow that delivers real-time information and suggested tasks specific to each user's role in the practice, prioritizes these tasks based on the dentist's efficiency and operational goals, and ultimately guides each user through a process for successfully accomplishing these tasks. 

"Dentrix Ascend is the answer I have been looking for," said Jeff Burg of Burg Pediatric Dentistry in Sandy, Utah, and a beta tester for the past three months.  "The new system makes operating multiple sites super easy, and I am confident that with Dentrix and Henry Schein my new web-based practice management system is in the most reliable hands."

For more than a decade, Henry Schein has delivered electronic services for Dentrix users in the cloud, using its server farms located throughout the United States.  "We will deliver the same Henry Schein guarantee of quality service for Dentrix Ascend as we do for customers of our current Dentrix system and its eServices," Mr. Bunker added.  

Henry Schein is committed to providing dentists with choices for a practice management solution that best fits their practice needs, whether that is Windows, Mac or the cloud.   In addition to Dentrix Ascend, Henry Schein is strongly supporting and expanding its original Windows-based Dentrix system. Last year, Henry Schein released Dentrix G5 and the Dentrix Developer Program, as well as Dentrix Marketplace, which offers developers the ability to create and sell integrated applications for the Dentrix system.

As part of the Dentrix Ascend beta launch, Henry Schein also announced the Early Adopter Program to recruit qualified practices to provide user input during development at a discounted subscription price. Early feedback from beta testers has been extremely positive.

For more information, visit the Dentrix Ascend Web site at www.DentrixAscend.com.

About Henry Schein, Inc.

Henry Schein, Inc. is the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health practitioners.  The Company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites.  A Fortune 500® Company and a member of the NASDAQ 100® Index, Henry Schein employs more than 15,000 Team Schein Members and serves more than 775,000 customers.

The Company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care.  Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 96,000 branded products and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 110,000 additional products available as special-order items. The Company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services.

Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 25 countries.  The Company's sales reached a record $8.9 billion in 2012, and have grown at a compound annual rate of 17 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995.  For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at www.henryschein.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

In accordance with the "Safe Harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, we provide the following cautionary remarks regarding important factors that, among others, could cause future results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, expectations and assumptions expressed or implied herein.  All forward-looking statements made by us are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance.  These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance and achievements or industry results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

These statements are identified by the use of such terms as "may," "could," "expect," "intend," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "anticipate" or other comparable terms.  A full discussion of our operations and financial condition, including factors that may affect our business and future prospects, is contained in documents we have filed with the SEC and will be contained in all subsequent periodic filings we make with the SEC. These documents identify in detail important risk factors that could cause our actual performance to differ materially from current expectations.

Risk factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current and historical results include, but are not limited to: effects of a highly competitive market; our dependence on third parties for the manufacture and supply of our products; our dependence upon sales personnel, customers, suppliers and manufacturers; our dependence on our senior management; fluctuations in quarterly earnings; risks from expansion of customer purchasing power and multi-tiered costing structures; possible increases in the cost of shipping our products or other service issues with our third-party shippers; general global macro-economic conditions; disruptions in financial markets; possible volatility of the market price of our common stock; changes in the health care industry; implementation of health care laws; failure to comply with regulatory requirements and data privacy laws; risks associated with our global operations; transitional challenges associated with acquisitions and joint ventures, including the failure to achieve anticipated synergies; financial risks associated with acquisitions and joint ventures; litigation risks; the dependence on our continued product development, technical support and successful marketing in the technology segment; risks from rapid technological change; risks from disruption to our information systems; certain provisions in our governing documents that may discourage third-party acquisitions of us; and changes in tax legislation. The order in which these factors appear should not be construed to indicate their relative importance or priority. 

We caution that these factors may not be exhaustive and that many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict.  Accordingly, any forward-looking statements contained herein should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results.  We undertake no duty and have no obligation to update forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Henry Schein, Inc.

Susan Vassallo, Vice President, Corporate Communications, +1-631-843-5562, susan.vassallo@henryschein.com