Late 1970's

In the late 1970's, founder Jerry Morris attended a tradeshow related to human dentistry, when he stumbled upon a veterinary dental lecture just down the hall in the same convention center. This was the first time Mr. Morris had heard of veterinary dentistry.

Early 1980's

Mr. Morris researched the veterinary dentistry topic and found dentistry was a rapidly growing specialty within veterinary medicine that lacked proper dental equipment. In the early 1980's practitioners were using power tools such as a Dremel^®, and in some cases Gigli wire, for extraction procedures.

Mr. Morris saw the need for quality dental equipment as no one was providing Veterinarians with equipment to efficiently perform clean surgical procedures. In early 1982 Mr. Morris began working on a prototype for what would become "the first air-driven dental delivery unit" available within the veterinary market.

 
1984

In 1984, Ultima Dental Systems began manufacturing and marketing the Ortho-Base dental delivery unit. The Ortho-Base "all-in-one workshop" was the first air-driven dental delivery system for use in the veterinary industry. Prior to the Ortho-Base, there were no air-driven dental delivery systems available to Veterinarians. The Ortho-Base changed the way veterinary dentistry was practiced. It transformed what was once a troublesome task into an easy and clean surgical procedure that advanced the practice of veterinary dentistry.

1985

One year after the Ortho-Base dental delivery unit was introduced to the veterinary community, Mr. Morris was approached by Jerry Selin, President of the Veterinary Division at Henry Schein Animal Health. They discussed the possibility of a partnership to bring vet dentistry to the forefront of veterinary medicine. The outcome resulted in Ultima Dental Systems becoming the exclusive manufacturer of dental units for Henry Schein. The Ortho-Base dental unit was renamed The Vet-Base Dental and Orthopedic Workshop and became known as the Schein Unit. 

1986

In 1986, C.E. Seminars was formed with the help of Henry Schein to host a series of step-by-step, hands-on wet labs to promote practitioner education.

1987

The leaders in the field, Dr. Peter Emily, Dr. Charles Williams, Dr. Gary Beard and Dr. Tom Mulligan, organized the wet labs which quickly became a tremendous success with the First Seminar held in Atlanta, Georgia. The demand for education was enormous, and the wet labs also helped market the Vet-Base dental unit. Veterinarians had never seen or used anything like the Vet-Base for oral surgery in the veterinary industry before. 

The First Veterinary Dental Forum

The first Veterinary Dental Forum was in 1987 and was formed with the purpose of advancing the knowledge, education, awareness and skills in veterinary dentistry. The Vet-Base dental unit aligned with the goals of the forum. It was a tremendous success and garnered an overwhelming amount of positive feedback. 

Early 1990's

In the early 1990's the innovations continued with the introduction of the Vet-Base 2. The compressor was upgraded to a custom designed silent surge quiet compressor. This reduced the noise that the delivery system produced during use in procedures. In addition to reducing compressor noise, an accessories side drawer was also added for additional storage. The Vet-Base 1 and Vet-Base 2 models did not include scaling handpieces, however, the units included a low speed, high speed and 3-way syringe handpiece.

1995

In early 1995 Henry Schein introduced the Vet-Base 5 dental delivery system. This unit was the first Vet-Base model to include a dedicated air line for a sonic scaler. This was the only Vet-Base unit not produced by Ultima Dental Systems for Henry Schein. Ultima Dental Systems was in the research and development phase of the new Ultima Series line of dental units at the time. The unit was discontinued by Henry Schein in 2000.

1997

The Ultima 2000 Series was introduced as the first model from new Ultima line of dental delivery units. The Ultima 2000 is the first all-in-one unit with a specialized space saving wet-table. The Ultima 2000 is ergonomically designed specifically for sit down dentistry, and is the first enclosed dental unit available in the veterinary market. The enclosed design helped to protect the dental components and extended the working life of the machine. Expanding on the idea of an enclosed dental unit in late 1997, the Ultima 1000 was released. The 1000 Series dental units was a version of the Ultima 2000 without the wet-table. The Ultima 1000  would eventually be discontinued and replaced by the Ultima 500 Series dental unit.

1998

In 1998, the Ultima Vet-Base 500 Series dental unit was introduced. The Ultima 500 is the result of customer feedback. Customers loved the idea of an enclosed unit, but the Ultima 1000 was not cutting it. Veterinarians were looking for something sleeker that would fit under a standard countertop. They were looking for a quiet, dependable dental unit that was also a workhorse. The Ultima 500 met the criteria back then, and still meets the criteria today. It has been a customer favorite and has been our bestselling dental unit ever since its introduction.

Over the years, the Ultima 500 has changed and upgraded its features to meet customer needs, staying on the forefront of advancements within veterinary dentistry to enhance the user’s experience.

Early 2000's

In 2004, the Ultima 250 Series line of portable dental units was introduced. The Ultima 250 Series is made of an all-aluminum body that is durable and easy to maintain. With two versatile applications to choose from, table-top or arm mounted, the 250 series is great for practices with minimal workspace, mobile clinics on the go, or great as a second unit to boost productivity.

2010

The Ultima line of products became available through every major distributor in the United States, not just Henry Schein. Ultima Dental products are available internationally through a network of independent distributors.

2016

In 2016, MAI Animal Health purchased Ultima Dental Systems.