How much work goes into building, maintaining, and growing a company? The birth of High-Q-Bond-SE tells that story.
Mrs. Kira Lizenboim is the COO and QA/RA Manager of BJM for over 20 years. She knows the company, its employees, and the materials they produce front to back. She started at BJM as student writing a thesis at the on-patent applications in the dental field as part of her bachelor's and master's degree in polymers and plastic engineering at Shenkar College. "At that time, the company was in its humble beginnings. We were five employees. As for today, we employ a staff of 70 people." In those 20 years, the company's growth was exponential.
Kira's son Boris also has joined BJM after following in his mother's footsteps and specializes in research and project management and 3D print development at the company. "I was not surprised at all that my son followed in my footsteps. I was always very excited about my field, and I would bring that excitement home with me every day. We really are a big happy family. Many employees here work here for 10-15 years or more, from R&D to packaging; we have whole families who found themselves working here. It's always fascinating and a lot of fun!"
This is the type of family spirit Founder Dr. Barry Zalsman D.M.D. instills in BJM. That spirit would spawn the kind of connection, community, and communications that companies need to innovate products like High-Q-Bond-SE.
High-Q-Bond-SE is the extension of an earlier BJM product that is still in production today called High-Q-Bond Adhesive Resin Cement. Launched in early 2000, High-Q-Bond Cement was a well-renowned cement that received great esteem in the dental community, mainly due to its affinity and adhesion to metals. The coupling agent inside the composition that made the difference was a modification of a material called 4-META.
The adjustment of the coupling agent in the cement’s composition was led by Dr. Alex Valdman. Today the Chief Chemist of the BJM, Dr. Valdman, was the first employee of the company after Barry and his father Shaul Zalsman hatched the idea to establish a company that would produce high-quality polymer-based dental materials. Dr. Valdman was approached by Professor Hanna Dodiuk-Kenig, who recognized the potential of the connection between the two parties, and the benefit they could contribute to the dental world. This connection would birth the adhesive success that would push BJM to lead dental engineering development worldwide.
In 2008 a new trend in dental practice called self-etching had emerged. To keep up with the latest market demand, BJM developed an update to its successful adhesive cement to exhibit a self-etching property called High-Q-Bond-SE. This self-etching ability would essentially save a step in the cementation process. It is the BJM way of knocking out two challenges with one product.
High-Q-Bond-SE was designed to make surface preparation easier for dentists. It does not need any etching gels or bonding agents. " High-Q-Bond-SE can prepare the dentin surface by itself and then adhere to it, thus helping dentists save on chair time and conduct the best procedures they can.
High-Q-Bond-SE also proved itself as the perfect adhesive to the tooth surface. The modified 4-META in High-Q-Bond-SE is a perfect coupling agent, it has acidic and thus demineralizing properties, and also enhances wetting. In another words it knows how to attach itself to the calcium in the teeth to create a final result of an adhesion to a self-etched surface. "This is an excellent property of this cement, and I am proud to be able to say High-Q-Bond-SE is the first choice for many dentists around the world." High-Q-Bond-SE is just one example of BJM's ability to bring technological developments from various fields around the world and adjust them to the needs of dentistry.