DENTSPLY International Announces Agreement to Acquire Friadent GmbH.

Business Editors

YORK, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 28, 2000

DENTSPLY International Inc. (NASDAQ:XRAY) announced today that the Company has agreed to acquire all the outstanding shares of Friadent GmbH for DM 220 million (approximately US $100 million).

The sellers were advised by the private investment bank Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. KgaA of Cologne, Germany. The acquisition is contingent on regulatory approval and is expected to close early in the first quarter of 2001. This transaction is expected to add $41 million to DENTSPLY's annual sales.

Headquartered in Mannheim, Germany, Friadent is a major global dental implant manufacturer and marketer that has a number one market share position in Germany and a number two market share position throughout Europe. Friadent sells directly to dentists through subsidiaries in Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden, USA, Switzerland, Brazil and Belgium and through distributors in 30 additional countries. Although Friadent's U.S. operations were only established three years ago, they are rapidly gaining market share from other dental implant competitors.

In commenting on this transaction, John C. Miles II, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DENTSPLY said, "We have been diligently searching for a suitable partner with which to re-enter the large, high-growth dental implant market. We believe that Friadent, with its state-of-the-art product line and superior management, provides us with a great opportunity to accomplish this objective. Friadent has been a pioneer in many of the product innovations seen in this sector, especially those dealing with superior anterior aesthetics. Additionally, the Friadent organization provides a base outside of the United States for the Company to more fully exploit the exciting worldwide potential of our P-15 bone growth stimulant product."

A conference call has been scheduled for Tuesday, January 2, 2001, 8:30 AM Eastern Time.

You are invited to participate in the conference call. In order to participate dial (800/779-2546 for domestic calls and 212/676-5414 for international calls) at 8:30 AM and you will be able to discuss this Press Release with DENTSPLY's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. John Miles, President and Chief Operations Officer, Mr. Gary Kunkle, and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Bill Jellison. An on-line rebroadcast will be available to institutional investors at: www.streetfusion.com . This will be available for 45 days.

DENTSPLY designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of products for the dental market. The Company believes that it is the world's leading manufacturer and distributor of dental prosthetics, endodontic instruments and materials, prophylaxis paste, dental sealants, ultrasonic scalers, and crown and bridge materials; the leading United States manufacturer and distributor of dental x-ray equipment, dental handpieces, dental x-ray film holders, film mounts and bone substitute/grafting materials; and a leading United States manufacturer or distributor of impression materials, orthodontic appliances, dental cutting instruments, intraoral cameras and dental operatory software systems. The Company distributes its dental products in over 100 countries under some of the most well established brand names in the industry.

DENTSPLY is committed to the development of innovative, high quality, cost-effective new products for the dental market.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning sales and earnings expectations and other matters. Actual results could differ materially from these expectations as a result of certain risk factors, including those stated herein as well as those described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10K for the year ended December 31, 1999.