DENTSPLY International Announces Sale of Injectable Anesthetic Facility and Equipment.

YORK, Pa. -- DENTSPLY International Inc. (NASDAQ:XRAY) today announced that it has sold its dental injectable anesthetic facility and equipment located near Chicago to PIERREL S.p.A., of Milan, Italy.

PIERREL is a pharmaceutical contract manufacturing and drug development company listed on the Expandi Market in Milan. PIERREL is currently a supplier of dental injectable anesthetics to DENTSPLY in certain regions of the world. DENTSPLY has also strengthened its relationship for supply of dental injectable anesthetics from PIERREL through a separate supply agreement.

The purchase price for the facility and equipment is $19.5 million, $3 million of which will be paid at the closing. The balance will be payable through rebates on the transfer price of products supplied by PIERREL to DENTSPLY under the supply agreement.

Mr. Gary Kunkle, DENTSPLY's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated, "We are very pleased to have sold this facility to PIERREL. We believe this sale and enhancement of our supply arrangement with PIERREL will be beneficial to both companies for many years to come."

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, precious metal dental alloys, dental ceramics, endodontic instruments and materials, prophylaxis paste, dental sealants, ultrasonic scalers, and crown and bridge materials; the leading United States manufacturer and distributor of dental handpieces, dental x-ray film holders, film mounts and bone substitute/grafting materials; and a leading worldwide manufacturer or distributor of dental injectable anesthetics, impression materials, orthodontic appliances, dental cutting instruments and dental implants. The Company distributes its dental products in over 120 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 information (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) regarding future events or the future financial performance of the Company. Actual events or results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking information set forth herein as a result of certain risk factors. These risk factors include without limitation; the continued strength of dental markets, the timing, success and market reception for our new and existing products, outcome of litigation, and changes in the general economic environment that could affect our business. Changes in such assumptions or factors could produce significantly different results.

For an additional description of risk factors, please refer to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its subsequent periodic reports on Forms 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.