LIVE WEBINAR
Niznick's Penalty Shots
FEBRUARY 11, 2026
8 PM EST | 5 PM PST
Dr. Gerald Niznick sat through the entire Implant Faceoff. He heard the arguments from all 8 implant systems across 10 topics. He took notes. And now, he's got a few of his own.
The Godfather of implant dentistry has gone point by point through what he heard. Now, it's overtime, Dr. Niznick has the puck, and he's taking penalty shots.
Join us for this 1-hour webinar, moderated by our own Dr. Brandon Kofford, as Dr. Niznick breaks down each system's claims—with images of each implant so you'll know exactly what he's referencing. He'll separate marketing from science and reveal what actually makes for the best dental implant.
Dr. Gerald Niznick DMD MSD
Dr. Gerald A. Niznick was the founder and President of Core-Vent Dental Implant Company from 1982 to 2001. (1997-2001 dba. Paragon Implant Company) On January 7th, 2001, Dr. Niznick sold Core-Vent/Paragon to Sulzer Medica which was subsequently acquired by Zimmer Dental. He retained ownership of the 36,000 square foot Calabasas California factory designed and built-in 1994 specifically for the manufacture of dental implants. Dr. Niznick formed Implant Direct LLC in early 2004 to develop a new dental implant product line which he launched in November 2006. Barron's Magazine Article on Dental Implant Industry Feb. 15, 2005, referred to Dr. Niznick as "a prosthodontist and entrepreneur who is considered by many as the godfather of American implant dentistry.” Implant Direct’s concept combined design innovations and industry compatible products with All-in-1 packaging for added value. Dr. Niznick developed the industry’s first “lights-out” 24-7 manufacturing facility, reducing costs while maintaining the highest precision and quality. By selling “Application Specific” implants primarily through the internet for $150 with no volume discounts he creating what became known as the “Value Segment” of the implant industry. On December 31, 2010, Dr. Niznick sold 75% of Implant Direct LLC to Sybron, a division of Danaher, forming a new Joint Venture, Implant Direct Sybron. He remained as president through 2013. In January 2014, Dr. Niznick sold his remaining 25% interest to Sybron but continued as a consultant through March 2017. From 1982-2017, a 35-year span, Dr. Niznick was issued 33 U.S. Patents on dental implant related products (see patents below).
Dr. Niznick graduated from the University of Manitoba Dental School in 1966, spent a year in postgraduate prosthodontics at USC (1966-67) and then earned a Master's degree in Prosthodontics at Indiana University (1967-69). Throughout the 1980s and 90's he personally trained over 10,000 dentists worldwide on the placement and restoration of dental implants using lectures and live surgical demonstrations.
Dr. Niznick's significant contributions to the dental implant field have been recognized by academic institutions and dental implant organizations. He has received Honorary Doctorate degrees from the University of Manitoba and from Tel Aviv University, as well as the prestigious Isaah Lew Research award from the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs issued a Commendation to Dr. Niznick for conceiving and funding the largest dental implant study worldwide at 32 VA centers that included 900 patients receiving over 2800 of Dr. Niznick’s implants. Special Issues of the Journal of Periodontology and the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery were dedicated to publishing the results of this monumental prospective, multi-center clinical study, which added significantly to dental implant knowledge.
Dr. Brandon Kofford, DMD, MS, FACP
Dr. Brandon Kofford graduated from Case Western Reserve University’s School of Dental Medicine in 2008.
In 2011, he completed his Prosthodontics residency with the United States Air Force (USAF) at Lackland Air Force Base, Wilford Hall Medical Center, and MacKown Dental Clinic. During his residency, he also earned a master’s degree in biology from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Dr. Kofford served six years in the USAF, achieving the rank of Major, before transitioning to private practice in Cary, North Carolina, in 2014. He is a partner in seven dental practices and a full-service dental laboratory.
In 2018, Dr. Kofford and Charles Rudisill developed the Smart Denture Conversions Separable Fastener technology, which launched in 2019. They also co-developed the Omnibut (an omnidirectional multi-unit abutment), which debuted in January 2025.
