Test of Time: A dentist’s journey of A-dec chairs 

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Ivoclar NZ marks 30 years of A-dec distributorship with trip down memory lane with Dr Anthony Fox.

As Ivoclar celebrates its centenary year, it is also paying tribute to three illustrious decades of operating in New Zealand and selling A-dec chairs to Kiwi dentists.

Ivoclar’s much-publicised centenary festivities will include a host of unique activities, trade shows, and educational seminars, culminating in the opening of its new head office building at the company’s Liechtenstein headquarters.

Buoyed by the parent company’s high celebratory spirits, Ivoclar New Zealand is also marking the milestone year in its own way – smaller in scale but with as big a heart.

Meaningful connection

2023 also happens to be the year Ivoclar New Zealand crosses the 30-year mark as an A-dec distributor. To show their continued support as a reliable distribution partner and supplier to a local clientele, the Kiwi office took the momentous opportunity to search for the very first customer to purchase an A-dec dental chair from them in 1993.

Although the company didn’t manage to follow the breadcrumbs all the way back to customer Numero Uno, they found Dr Anthony Fox.

Dr Fox is a faithful A-dec customer who started treating patients on A-dec chairs as far back as 1990but his loyal association with A-dec and Ivoclar goes far back enough to make the connection a meaningful one.

A-dec all the way

In 1990, the then budding dental practitioner purchased his first practice in Latimer Square, Christchurch. The acquisition came with an existing A-dec unit attached to a Belmont chair, which Dr Fox believes was “a common combination at the time”. That unit proved to be reliable, with only periodic maintenance required to keep it functioning flawlessly.

Fast forward to 1997, and our dental entrepreneur had set up shop in the Shirley suburb, purchasing not one but two. One of these was a newer model, once again paired with a Belmont chair, while the other was a full A-dec chair and unit boasting an incredibly low build number. These purchases for the newly set up Windsor Dental Centre proved to be astute, with both units delivering reliable service to satisfied patients.

Subsequent practice moves saw the entrepreneur continuing his relationship with A-dec, setting up Fox Dental Care in Rangiora in 2010 with another A-dec chair and unit.

Then came the devastating February 2011 earthquakes in Christchurch. In the aftermath of that impactful event, the need to establish a second surgery had become urgent, and it was then that Dr Fox purchased an A-dec from Ivoclar.

“The main way I learned about Ivoclar and A-dec was through their rep Mike ‘have I got a deal for you’ Sell,” Dr Fox remembers.

There has been long-term contact with Mike Sell over the years, through the supply of consumables, handpieces, ultrasonic scalers, etc. The Ivoclar personnel further supplied Dr Fox x-ray units for both Latimer Square and Windsor, as well as a Durr central suction unit for Windsor.

“With the urgent need for a unit directly after the February 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, Ivoclar was generous in the deal that Mike arranged for the A-dec unit.”

“I bought another A-dec 300 in 2017, and I have certainly found Ivoclar’s customer service to be excellent.”

Dentistry then and now

A 1978 graduate of the prestigious Otago Dental School, Dr Fox has spent his entire career striving to deliver the highest quality care to his patients.

“I became a Christian as a dental student and have tried, with Jesus’ help, to live and work with caring and integrity,” he says.

Today, the 67-year-old retiree occupies his time looking after the family’s lifestyle block, “learning how to tend to a proper vegetable garden” and playing golf. Even in retirement, the devout Christian remains an active member of his local church, continuing to serve the community in meaningful ways.

Asked for what changes he has observed in today’s dental practices as compared with those during the 1990’s, he recalls how the AIDS epidemic had altered the way infection control was being followed in those days.

“I was still practicing without gloves and just wiping down handpieces between patients, which all changed with the AIDS scare,” he says, explaining that the cleaning regime was nonetheless thorough and in line with hygiene protocols of the day.

“But the biggest change I have noticed is the improvement in materials, the reduced use of amalgam and greater use of composite and GIC (Glass Ionomer Cements). Rotary endodontics and implants also became general practice procedures during my time.”

Commenting on the myriad features that today’s dentists have when selecting a new dental unit, Dr Fox believes that having more options doesn’t necessarily put dentists in a better position.

“My main considerations in choosing a dental unit were cost and reliability. I also looked at comfort for the operator and ease of cleaning down,” he says.

“There is certainly a lot of extra features now available which can be tempting, but I have tended to keep it simple; air and water supply with a decent light.”