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Cavity-Combating Company Creating Jobs

An Indiana-based developer of technology aimed at providing dentists and patients with an early warning of dental decay announced today it plans to launch its cavity-combating technology this fall, creating up to 50 new jobs.

Therametric Technologies, an entrepreneurial developer of dental technology located in the Indiana University Emerging Technologies Center, is using a 2006 grant from the state's 21st Century Research and Technology Fund and follow-on funding from the National Institutes of Health and the universities of Iowa and Texas to conduct the final trials of its device.
"The 21st Century Fund is a powerful tool aimed at assisting new and innovative companies like Therametric Technologies bring cutting-edge technologies to the marketplace," said Governor Mitch Daniels.

Led by former Indiana University researcher Dr. George Stookey, Therametric's Professional Caries Detection System uses light fluorescence from a wireless handheld probe to detect dental caries by analyzing changes in the mineral content of tooth enamel. The system's probe relays data and images via a universal serial bus interface to a computer with software that pinpoints sites of impending decay up to two years before trouble spots could be located using traditional visual and x-ray examination methods.

"We are very excited about our Professional Caries Detection System and the role it will play in helping dental professionals provide optimal dental care for their patients," Stookey said. "Early detection of mineral loss from dental enamel can be reversed by professional fluoride treatments and prevent the later need for dental restorations."

Stookey, a member of the Indiana University faculty from 1964 to 2001, holds more than 40 U.S. and foreign patents including Therametric Technologies' Tartar Shield line of dental health treats for companion animals.

Caries are the most prevalent chronic disease for both children and adults, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. The most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that 92 percent of adults ages 20 to 64 and 42 percent of children ages two to 11 have had dental caries in their permanent teeth.

Therametric Technologies, which received a $646,000 grant in 2006 from the state's 21st Century Research and Technology Fund, is one of 54 businesses awarded a 21st Century Fund grant since January 2006. During that time, the fund has invested more than $68 million in high-tech Indiana entrepreneurial companies with the potential to create more than 6,000 new jobs.

About Therametric Technologies Inc.
Therametric Technologies Inc. is focused on the development of new innovative technologies for the detection and prevention of dental caries and other preventable dental maladies and the commercialization of these technologies for use in both humans and companion animals. There are presently four active divisions of TTI all located in the Indiana University Emerging Technologies Center on the Indiana University -Purdue University at Indianapolis campus.

About IEDC
Established under Governor Mitch Daniels in 2005 to replace the former Department of Commerce, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member board chaired by Governor Daniels. Indiana Secretary of Commerce Nathan Feltman serves as the chief executive officer of the IEDC. Since the creation of the IEDC, the state has posted three consecutive years of record-breaking commitments for new jobs. For more information about IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.

Source: Indiana Economic Development Corp.