10 Questions: GC America

01. Who is GC America?

GC was founded in Japan by three young chemists soon after the First World War in 1921. They had three criteria at the time:

• Develop a product really needed in peoples’ lives

• Develop a product that requires advanced technologies

• Develop a high value added product

02. Tell us a little about the company’s various offerings.

The philosophy and culture of GC worldwide is rooted in the Japanese word Semui, a term that comes from ancient Buddhist teachings. It is a philosophy of respect for others and doing good for society. Our 11,000+ products cover the broad spectrum of the dental profession-from the operatory, laboratory and the dental hygienist. This puts us in a unique position to support all aspects of dental care.

03. In looking over the history of product development over the last 90 years, would you say that the key to ongoing success has been openness to change or the ability to stay the course on certain key points?

To be successful, you have to practice both. As with anything, with change comes opportunity and if you are not providing your customers solutions,     you will not be successful. GC pays close attention to changes in the industry and acts accordingly. For all of GC, innovation has been the key to our growth and this cannot be accomplished without “KI” Kaizen Innovation, a Japanese business practice. For us, this means we break with the status quo and look for constant improvement. 

04. When it comes to material science and innovation, what is a recent launch that GC America is most proud of?

Our recent introduction of GC Initial IQ Lustre Pastes is a great example of listening to our customers’ need for products and processes in our Initial line of ceramics that would help them speed production time. Most pressable ceramic ingots used to require a cut-back technique to achieve esthetics. This was due to the ingots being monolithic and monochromatic. 

05. What sets GC Initial IQ apart from other products? 

Our GC Initial IQ ingots were optimized to be used with our newly developed Initial IQ Lustre Pastes. Now technicians can press full-contour restorations and with one overlay Lustre Paste application and achieve full three-dimensional esthetics. This product is helping our customers not only increase production, but also stay competitive in the marketplace while providing clients and patients with a highly esthetic end product.

06. Laboratories also are concerned about ongoing support from the companies they work with. How does GC deliver on this point?

We are very serious about supporting our customers. We have dedicated and knowledgeable technical representatives and customer service reps who are available to help customers with any customer inquiries. We offer CE on a regular basis and even go into dental laboratories as needed to train them on our products. Capturing the Voices of our Customers is at the heart of our ongoing support.

07. How do you accomplish this?  

This is accomplished by all our GC Associates. We actively look for positive and negative feedback on everything we do. We appreciate positive comments and continuously strive to improve upon them. What matters is what we do with negative comments. Our target is to respond quickly to issues that negatively impact our customers by providing a solution to their needs. Our mission statement is: Customer Needs Define Quality.

08. What is GC’s global vision?

The global vision for all GC Associates is to be the No. 1 dental company in the world by 2021. Currently, we are the No. 1 dental manufacturer in Japan and one of the leading dental companies worldwide. Within that vision is our commitment to develop cutting-edge products that will keep our customers one step ahead of the curve in their ability to react to changes in the market and have products that better serve their clients and the patient.

09. How does education play a role in this vision? 

In addition, we will be expanding our role to educate and help our customers grow their businesses. In turn, this helps us grow as a corporation and become an even more vital contributor to worldwide dental health.

10. What does GC have planned for the next year?

GC is continuously in development of products to benefit our customers. We will shortly launch a whole new Fujirock line of gypsums as well as an addition to our Initial IQ line, which will be the Initial IQ One Body Layering over Zircon. The Initial IQ line of ceramics are either press over ingots or a one powder layered ceramic that were designed to make labs more productive. We also have some very exciting new products that are in development that we will announce as they get closer to launch.