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Masahiro Kuwata

Masahiro Kuwata Headshot

His Education

Mr. Kuwata, our founder, was born and educated in Japan, where he followed a strict protocol to receive his dental technician certification. This protocol dictates that potential technicians must first graduate high school, pass an entrance exam, complete two years of formal schooling in dental technology, and then pass a grueling exam in order to be licensed by the Japanese government as a dental technician.

Masahiro Kuwata must have seemed special to his teachers, for after completing his graduate education at Aishi College in 1962, he was sent to the USA on a scholarship. He was charged with the mission to acquire skills and knowledge that would benefit the Japanese dental society. He worked with Gerry and Sigmund Katz at Ceramicast in New Jersey. There he researched and developed ways to improve the bond, strength, and appearance of porcelain-fused-to-metal restorations. In the years that followed, he mentored with some of the greatest names in dentistry, including Ronald Goldstein, Clyde Shuyler, George Staussberg, R. Sheldon Stein, Peter K. Thomas, and Peter Dawson.

His Influence on the Dental Industry

When his scholarship ended, Mr. Kuwata returned to Japan. In 1972, he founded the acclaimed Kuwata College, a school for Post Graduate Dental Technology, where licensed dental technicians could further hone their skills and knowledge. In 1976, he returned to the USA and opened Kuwata Pan Dent in Livingston, NJ. Between 1977 and 1988, he authored the following influential books that have been translated into several languages and are still referenced by many dental schools today:

  • Theory and Practice for Ceramo Metal Restoration
  • Color Atlas of Ceramo-Metal Technology, volumes 1 & 2

A Prosthodontic Living Legend

Masahiro Kuwata is considered a prosthodontic living legend in the dental industry. He continues to publish articles and books, as well as lecture internationally. He has received numerous awards for his contributions to modern dentistry. In April 2009, the Academy of Prosthodontics named Masahiro Kuwata an Honorary Fellow. In their entire 91-year history, the Academy has bestowed this honor on only one other non-dentist, Professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark, the father of Osseointegration. In addition to this prestigious distinction, Mr. Kuwata’s other awards include the following:

  • Master Dental Technologist, Japan Academy of Esthetic Dentistry
  • Visiting Professor at Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine
  • Visiting Professor at Tianjin Medical University
  • Kenneth D. Rudd Award, American Prosthodontic Society
  • Outstanding Contribution to the Art & Science of Cosmetic Dentistry, AACD
  • Fellow, American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry
  • Fellow, American Society for Dental Esthetics
  • Honorary Member, International College of Dentists
  • Honorary Member, European Academy of Esthetic Dentistry