DENTSPLY International (XRAY)

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

On January 5, 1999, the Department of Justice filed a Complaint against the Company in the United States District Court in Wilmington, Delaware alleging that the Company’s tooth distribution practices violated the antitrust laws and seeking an order for the Company to discontinue its practices. This case has been concluded and the District Court, upon the direction of the Court of Appeals, issued an injunction preventing DENTSPLY from taking action to restrict its tooth dealers from adding new competitive teeth lines. This decision relates only to the distribution of artificial teeth in the United States and, notwithstanding the outcome of this case, the Company is confident that it can continue to develop this business.

Subsequent to the filing of the Department of Justice Complaint in 1999, several private party class actions were filed based on allegations similar to those in the Department of Justice case, on behalf of dental laboratories, and denture patients in seventeen states who purchased Trubyte teeth or products containing Trubyte teeth. These cases were transferred to the United States District Court in Wilmington, Delaware. The Court granted the Company’s Motion on the lack of standing of the laboratory and patient class actions to pursue damage claims. The Plaintiffs in the laboratory case appealed this decision to the Third Circuit and the Court largely upheld the decision of the District Court in dismissing the Plaintiffs’ damages claims against DENTSPLY, with the exception of allowing the Plaintiffs to pursue a damage claim based on a theory of resale price maintenance between the Company and its tooth dealers. The Plaintiffs in the laboratory case filed an amended complaint in the District Court asserting that DENTSPLY and its tooth dealers, and the dealers among themselves, engaged in a conspiracy to violate the antitrust laws. DENTSPLY and the dealers filed Motions to dismiss Plaintiffs’ claims, except for the resale price maintenance claims. The District Court has granted the Motions filed by DENTSPLY and the dealers, leaving only the resale price maintenance claim. The Plaintiffs have appealed the dismissal of their claims to the Third Circuit. Additionally, manufacturers of two competitive tooth lines and a dealer, as a putative class action, have filed separate actions seeking unspecified damages alleged to have been incurred as a result of the Company’s tooth distribution practice found to be a violation of the antitrust law.

On March 27, 2002, a Complaint was filed in Alameda County, California (which was transferred to Los Angeles County) by Bruce Glover, DDS alleging, inter alia, breach of express and implied warranties, fraud, unfair trade practices and negligent misrepresentation in the Company’s manufacture and sale of Advance® cement. The Judge entered an Order granting class certification, as an opt-in class, which was later converted to an opt-out class. In general, the Class is defined as California dentists who purchased and used Advance® cement and were required, because of failures of the cement, to repair or reperform dental procedures for which they were not paid. The parties entered a settlement agreement, which was approved by the Court at a fairness hearing on June 15, 2007. The settlement establishes a procedure by which dentists, who believe they were required to perform dental work because of a problem caused by Advance® cement, can submit claims for review and reimbursement of unpaid fees. The Company’s primary level insurance carrier has confirmed coverage for claims in this matter up to one million dollars, their asserted policy limits. Litigation is pending with the Company’s excess insurance carrier regarding the level and coverage of its insurance for this case.

On June 18, 2004, Marvin Weinstat, DDS and Richard Nathan, DDS filed a class action suit in San Francisco County, California alleging that the Company misrepresented that its Cavitron® ultrasonic scalers are suitable for use in oral surgical procedures. The Complaint seeks a recall of the product and refund of its purchase price to dentists who have purchased it for use in oral surgery. The Court certified the case as a class action in June 2006 with respect to the breach of warranty and unfair business practices claims. The class is defined as California dental professionals who purchased and used one or more Cavitron® ultrasonic scalers for the performance of oral surgical procedures. The Company filed a motion for decertification of the class and this motion was granted. Plaintiffs have appealed the decertification of the class to the California Court of Appeals.

On December 12, 2006, a Complaint was filed by Carole Hildebrand, DDS and Robert Jaffin, DDS in the Eastern District of PA. The case was filed by the same law firm that filed the Weinstat case in California. The Complaint asserts putative class action claims on behalf of dentists located in New Jersey and Pennsylvania based on assertions that the Company’s Cavitron® ultrasonic scaler was sold in breach of contract and warranty arising from misrepresentations about the potential uses of the product because it cannot deliver potable or sterile water. The Complaint seeks a refund of the purchase price paid for Cavitron® ultrasonic scalers. Plaintiffs have filed their Motion for class certification to which the Company has filed its response.

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