Remembering Dr. Byoung Suh—BISCO founder, adhesion pioneer, and the rare manufacturer who wanted dentists to understand the science, not just buy the product
Sharing the Science
It's telling that Dr. Suh, as the owner of a dental company, authored Principles of Adhesion Dentistry, which Dr. Hornbrook calls the bible on adhesion.
"It's not BISCO-focused; it's an educational piece that he wanted to take time to share with the dental community," he said. "Dr. Suh had the foresight to offer his knowledge and expertise, and that is very admirable in my eyes."
For Gary Alex, DMD, AAACD, time spent with Dr. Suh was always synergistic.
"He naturally gravitated toward, supported, and often hosted many of the brightest minds in adhesive dentistry," Dr. Alex recalled. "Some of my career's fondest memories stem from brainstorming sessions with him and fellow adhesion pioneers. We frequently collaborated—sharing research, lecturing, debating fine points, and above all, enjoying each other's company and the creative process."
Challenging the Status Quo
Those creative juices often tested the rules of adhesion, as was the case with the launch of All-Bond over 3 decades ago."
Dr. Suh always thought outside the box. He was an innovator who was open to new and sometimes controversial ideas," Dr. Alex explained. "For instance, in 1990, BISCO developed and marketed one of the first adhesive systems specifically designed for use in a total-etch capacity. This was at a time when the use of phosphoric acid on dentin was very controversial. This groundbreaking product, All-Bond, would quickly dominate the adhesive marketplace and establish Dr. Suh and BISCO as leaders in adhesive dentistry."
With most manufacturers, there are several degrees of separation between marketing and R&D. But not at BISCO.
"He knew about the struggles we faced as dentists and what we were looking for to increase our chances of success—whether it be ergonomics, price, or ease of use," Dr. Hornbrook said, recalling the times Dr. Suh would walk down to the lab to brainstorm directly with BISCO chemists and scientists. "That's a game changer for him to say, 'You know what? Let's look at the science behind this today.'"
A Lasting Gift to Dentistry
"It is kind of surreal when you realize he built all this from a desire to provide the very best he could, and it happened to be this industry," Dr. Hornbrook said. "He could have walked into other industrial applications and done the same thing because of his intelligence and certainly his commitment for excellence, but he chose dentistry, and I think we've all benefited from that."
“If every dentist could have spent just 10 minutes sitting down with Dr. Suh,” Dr. Notarantonio said, “their mentality would change completely. They would understand that they could do dentistry at a much higher level."
"It is because of Dr. Suh and others like him that dentists now have the ability to predictably bond various materials to tooth tissues," Dr. Alex added. "In short, he helped revolutionize the way restorative dentistry is done.
"To quote Dr. Suh, 'To be a student of restorative dentistry, the clinician must first be a student of adhesion.' The dental profession will miss him."
