W&H Dentalwerk
W&H Dentalwerk is an Austrian family-owned manufacturer of dental instruments, handpieces, turbines, surgical systems, and related equipment.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
W&H Dentalwerk is an Austrian dental-technology company headquartered in Bürmoos, near Salzburg. It manufactures professional equipment and instruments used in dental practices, clinics, hospitals, universities, laboratories, oral surgery, implantology, and microsurgery. The company is particularly associated with dental handpieces, contra-angle instruments, air turbines, surgical motors, instrument-maintenance systems, and related digital or workflow technologies. Its principal business is business-to-business, serving dental professionals and healthcare institutions rather than consumers. The company was established in Berlin in 1890 by precision engineers Jean Weber and Hugo Hampel. The initials W&H derive from the founders' surnames and also correspond conveniently to the German terms Handstück and Winkelstück, referring to straight and contra-angle handpieces. Early production focused on these instruments, and the company subsequently developed a long series of mechanical and powered devices for dental treatment. Among its early technical landmarks was a universal handpiece introduced in 1895 with an adjustable head angle, followed by the Cursor file contra-angle for root-canal preparation in 1926. W&H underwent several reorganizations during the 1920s and 1930s. Its association with DEGUSSA and the development of an international sales network helped give the business a broader international presence. In 1944, the company relocated from Berlin to Bürmoos in Austria. After the Second World War, Peter Malata was appointed administrator in March 1946. In 1958, Peter and Hilde Malata acquired the company, establishing the family ownership that has continued to define W&H's corporate structure. From the 1960s onward, W&H expanded its international infrastructure and product portfolio. It opened a German subsidiary in 1964 and later established branches in France, Italy, Sweden, Great Britain, and other markets. Product development moved from conventional handpieces into powered drilling systems, air turbines, maintenance equipment, implantology motors, endodontic instruments, and oral-surgery devices. The company introduced its first turbine, the Turbo 60, in 1960; the Roto Quick coupling in 1978; and a press-button turbine chuck in 1979, allowing burs to be changed without a separate bur changer. Later innovations included the Elcomed oral-surgery system, the Assistina instrument-maintenance system, low-emission turbine technology, implantology motors, and Synea instruments with sterilizable LED illumination. W&H has also integrated implant-stability measurement technology through its acquisition of Swedish company Osstell AB in 2018. Osstell's Implant Stability Quotient technology had already been incorporated into W&H's Implantmed system before the acquisition. W&H operates production facilities in Bürmoos and Brusaporto, Italy, and maintains subsidiaries and sales operations across multiple regions. Reference material describes a workforce of roughly 980 to 1,100 employees, with the Austrian headquarters accounting for the largest share, and exports representing the overwhelming majority of sales. Because the cited figures refer to different reporting periods, they should not be treated as a single current employment or export statistic. The company remains a privately held, family-owned specialist whose positioning combines precision engineering, clinical reliability, product development, and close relationships with dental professionals. Its corporate social responsibility activities have included support for SOS Children's Villages, including a family-strengthening program in Kakiri, Uganda.
History
W&H Dentalwerk traces its origins to 1890, when precision engineers Jean Weber and Hugo Hampel founded a dental-instrument company in Berlin. The original business made straight and contra-angle handpieces. Its W&H name referred both to the founders and, coincidentally, to German terminology associated with those instruments: Handstück and Winkelstück. This dual association helped make the initials suitable as a durable corporate and product identity. The company developed early technical capabilities in handpiece design. In 1895 it produced a universal handpiece with an adjustable head angle, intended to improve access to treatment areas. In 1926 it introduced the Cursor file contra-angle, designed to simplify mechanical preparation of root canals. The business was reorganized several times between 1920 and 1930 and became associated with DEGUSSA. Through DEGUSSA's wider commercial network, W&H gained a more international sales presence. In 1944, during the Second World War period, W&H moved from Berlin to Bürmoos in Austria, which became the company's long-term headquarters. Peter Malata was installed as administrator by the Allied authorities in March 1946. In 1958, Peter and Hilde Malata acquired the company. W&H has remained family-owned since that transaction, with the Malata family shaping its governance and long-term investment approach. International expansion accelerated during the 1960s and 1970s. W&H Germany opened in 1964, followed by subsidiaries or branches in France, Italy, Sweden, Great Britain, and other markets. Product development expanded beyond manually operated instruments. The company launched the foot-operated drilling machine in 1939, a portable drilling machine in 1959, and the Turbo 60, its first turbine, in 1960. In 1978 it introduced the Roto Quick coupling, and in 1979 it developed a press-button chuck that allowed clinicians to change a turbine bur by pressing a button rather than using a separate bur-changing tool. During the 1980s and 1990s, W&H broadened its clinical scope. Elcomed, introduced in 1983, was an oral-surgery system with a motor capable of reaching 45,000 rpm. In 1989 the company presented an endodontic contra-angle whose movement adapted during root-canal preparation, helping the file follow the canal's natural shape. The Assistina maintenance system entered the market in 1992. In 1995 W&H developed the 898 LE low-emission turbine, combining reduced idle speed with strong power transmission. The company continued into implantology and illuminated instrumentation. In 2001 it developed an implantology motor intended to support precise implant placement. The Synea generation presented in 2007 included turbines with sterilizable LEDs. W&H also introduced surgical handpieces and contra-angles using generator technology, allowing illumination to be produced independently of the drive motor. Peter Malata Jr. became group chief executive in 1996. Under the family-owned structure, W&H developed into an international B2B supplier serving dental practices, clinics, hospitals, universities, laboratories, and microsurgical settings. Its product categories include restoration and prosthetics, endodontics, oral surgery, implantology, prophylaxis, periodontology, dental hygiene, and laboratory work. In March 2018, W&H acquired Osstell AB of Gothenburg, Sweden. The companies had cooperated since 2016, and Osstell's Implant Stability Quotient module had already been integrated into W&H's Implantmed surgical device. After the transaction, Osstell continued operating as a W&H subsidiary and retained its chief executive, Jonas Ehinger. W&H's manufacturing base includes sites in Bürmoos and Brusaporto, Italy, supported by subsidiaries and sales organizations in Europe, Asia, and North America. Published reference material gives differing workforce figures of approximately 980 and 1,100 employees for different periods, with most Austrian employees based at Bürmoos. The company has also presented itself as socially engaged. Around its 120th anniversary, it supported SOS Children's Villages, including a family-strengthening program in Kakiri, Uganda, focused on healthcare, nutrition, and education for children and families affected by poverty and disease.
- 2018
Acquisition of Osstell AB
[1]W&H acquires Swedish implant-stability technology company Osstell AB and adds its ISQ expertise to the group.
- 2007
Synea LED generation
[1]The Synea generation introduces sterilizable LED illumination in turbines, alongside generator-powered lighting for surgical instruments.
- 2001
Implantology motor development
[1]W&H develops an implantology motor for precision in dental-implant procedures.
- 1996
Peter Malata Jr. becomes group CEO
[1]Peter Malata Jr. assumes the chief executive role of the W&H Group.
- 1992
Assistina maintenance system
[1]W&H launches Assistina, a system for maintaining dental instruments.
- 1983
Elcomed oral-surgery system
[1]W&H develops Elcomed, a high-speed device that expands its presence in oral surgery.
- 1979
Press-button turbine chuck
[1]W&H introduces a press-button chuck that simplifies turbine-bur changes.
- 1978
Roto Quick coupling
[1]The company introduces the Roto Quick coupling system.
- 1960
First W&H turbine
[1]W&H develops the Turbo 60, identified as its first turbine.
- 1958
Malata family acquisition
[1]Peter and Hilde Malata acquire W&H, beginning the company's continuing family-owned era.
Products and positioning
A privately held Austrian specialist in precision dental and surgical instrumentation, positioned around engineering quality, clinical workflow reliability, innovation, and long-term professional use.
Dental instruments · 1890
Dental handpieces and contra-angle instruments
W&H's historical and continuing core category includes straight handpieces, contra-angle handpieces, endodontic instruments, and other rotating dental tools. These instruments support restorative, prosthetic, endodontic, hygiene, and laboratory procedures. The company's early adjustable-angle handpiece and later Cursor file contra-angle illustrate its longstanding emphasis on access, mechanical control, and specialized clinical applications.
Dental instruments · 1960
Dental turbines
W&H produces high-speed air turbines for dental preparation and related procedures. The range has included the Turbo 60, the 898 LE low-emission turbine, and later Synea instruments. Features developed across the category include rapid rotation, improved power transmission, press-button bur retention, quick couplings, and sterilizable LED illumination.
Instrument maintenance · 1992
Assistina
Assistina is W&H's instrument-maintenance system. Introduced in 1992, it is designed to support the cleaning, lubrication, and preparation workflow for dental instruments. The product reflects W&H's broader approach of supplying not only handpieces and turbines but also systems that help dental practices maintain equipment and standardize routine processing.
Oral surgery · 1983
Elcomed
Elcomed is an oral-surgery device introduced in 1983. Its motor was described as reaching up to 45,000 rpm, enabling W&H to expand from conventional dental instruments into powered equipment for minor oral-surgical procedures and related specialist applications.
Implantology system · 2001
Implantmed
Implantmed is W&H's implantology motor and surgical system family. Developed for precision in dental-implant procedures, it later incorporated Osstell's implant-stability measurement technology through an ISQ module. The system represents W&H's expansion into integrated implant workflows combining motor control and clinical measurement.
Dental handpieces and turbines · 2007
Synea
Synea is a W&H instrument generation covering turbines and related handpieces. The 2007 generation was notable for sterilizable LED lighting in turbines. W&H also presented generator-powered illumination for surgical handpieces and contra-angles, allowing light generation without relying directly on the drive motor.
Dental measurement technology
Osstell implant-stability technology
Osstell develops systems for measuring dental implant stability using its patented Implant Stability Quotient technology. W&H acquired Osstell in 2018 after a period of cooperation, and the technology had already been integrated into the Implantmed surgical platform before the transaction.
Marketing campaigns
- 2010120th anniversary social commitment
Austria · Uganda
During the anniversary period running from April 2010 into March 2011, W&H emphasized its social-responsibility activities under the principle that people have priority. The company supported SOS Children's Villages and directed particular assistance to a family-strengthening program in Kakiri, Uganda.
Outcome. The support was intended to provide healthcare, basic nutrition, and educational access for approximately 480 children from 130 families participating in the Kakiri program.
Brand decisions
2018
Acquisition of Osstell ABM&ABackground
W&H had cooperated with Osstell since September 2016, and Osstell's Implant Stability Quotient module had been integrated into the W&H Implantmed system before the acquisition.
Action taken
W&H acquired the Swedish medical-technology company and incorporated Osstell as a subsidiary while allowing it to continue operating from Gothenburg with its existing chief executive.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded W&H's implantology offering into implant-stability measurement and strengthened the connection between surgical equipment and clinical assessment.
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