SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, October 16, 2012 --Heraeus Kulzer, LLC, the worldwide leader in dental esthetics, announced today that its Venus White line of teeth whitening systems is donating a portion of the proceeds from its sales to support breast cancer research for the fourth consecutive year. The company’s “Venus Whitening for Hope” campaign is poised to bring its four-year total contribution to over $200,000 by the end of the year.
In addition, Heraeus announced an initiative whereby the company will make a donation to breast cancer research for each visitor who “likes” the Heraeus Dental 360 Facebook page (www.facebook.com\heraeusdental360)during the month of October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Due in large part to the increase in mammography rates resulting from the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month(NBCAM) organization, the death rate from breast cancer has declined since the organization’s founding in 1985. Further progress is needed, however; the National Cancer Institute(NCI) estimates that in 2012 over 225,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which Venus White is supporting as part of its efforts to help victims of domestic violence. Earlier this year, Venus White was named the Official Whitening Fundraising Partner of the Give Back a Smile (GBAS) program, which was founded by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Charitable Foundation (AACDCF) to restore the damaged smiles of adult survivors of intimate partner violence. Through this partnership, Heraeus donates Venus White teeth whitening systems to participating dental practices that pledge to donate proceeds directly to GBAS when they perform whitening treatments for their patients.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, an estimated 1.5 million people experience intimate partner violence each year. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Charitable Foundation's GBAS program heals some of the most devastating effects of this violence, by restoring the smiles of adult women and men who have suffered damage to, or lost, their smiles at the hands of a former intimate partner or spouse.
Last year GBAS volunteers in 131 dental practices donated $1,466,187 in dental services to help restore the smiles of 139 survivors of intimate partner violence in the United States and Canada.
“Heraeus is very proud to be able to support the vital causes of breast cancer research and domestic violence awareness,” said Amy Holmes, Heraeus Product Manager for Whitening Systems. “Importantly, however, none of this would be possible without the support of our loyal dental practice customers and their patients.”
Individuals and organizations wishing to make a donation to GBAS can do so online, or mail a check to Give Back a Smile, 402 West Wilson Street, Madison, WI 53703. Those wishing to make a donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation may do so by visiting https://myvenussmile.com/venus-white/.
The Venus Whiteline includes three levels of patient-friendly teeth whitening systems sold through dental practices:
·Venus WhiteMax: an in-office whitening systemfor brilliant results in about an hour.
·Venus White Pro: a high-performance take-home whitening system for use with custom trays.
·Venus White Ultra: an entry-level take-home whitening system composed of disposable pre-filled whitening trays.
Heraeus recently announced that these innovative whitening products will soon be joined by five new maintenance and oral care products that can help maintain the results of Venus White’s professional whitening and enhance oral health. A portion of the proceeds from these products will also be donated to support breast cancer research.
For more information on Heraeus or its products, call (800) 431-1785 or visit www.heraeusdentalusa.com.
About Heraeus
Heraeus, the precious metals and technology group headquartered in Hanau, Germany, is a global, private company with more than 160 years of tradition. Our fields of competence include precious metals, materials, and technologies, sensors, biomaterials, and medical products, as well as dental products, quartz glass, and specialty light sources. With product revenues of €4.8 billion and precious metal trading revenues of €21.3 billion, as well as more than 13,300 employees in over 120 subsidiaries worldwide, Heraeus holds a leading position in its global markets.
