Let’s get this cleared up right now: Biolase is **not** going out of business. That said, the company has been through a lot in the past year. If you work in the dental tech space, or even if you’re a patient who’s seen “dental lasers” advertised at your local office, you might be curious about this company and why people are even asking about its future. Here’s a detailed, plain-English breakdown of what’s changed at Biolase—and what’s staying the same.
Biolase: Laser Tech with a Dental Focus
Biolase isn’t some small-time startup. If you’ve had a dental procedure that used a soft tissue laser, there’s a decent chance the device came from Biolase. The company’s been around for decades, building up a reputation for developing and selling advanced dental laser products. Dentists rely on these for everything from teeth whitening to more involved gum treatments, and Biolase has historically been at the center of this segment.
The entire dental laser field is sort of niche, but among dentists who want to go beyond drills and scalers, Biolase has always been on the radar. For years, Biolase kept busy pushing out new models and hosting training events for clinicians.
Lately, though, the focus has shifted. There’s new leadership at the top, new owners, and some real changes to the business—although the company and its products aren’t disappearing.
Chapter 11 Bankruptcy: What Prompted This Move?
Here’s where things got rough. In October 2024, Biolase announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. For anyone not fluent in bankruptcy law, Chapter 11 doesn’t mean shutting down. Instead, it’s a legal process companies can use when they’re struggling to pay their bills but want to keep things going while figuring out a fix.
The main issue was liquidity—basically, they were strapped for cash and having a tough time managing day-to-day financial commitments. We’re talking everything from payroll to keeping production going, all in the face of debts that needed attention.
Filing for Chapter 11 was a way to hit pause on some of the external financial pressures while they planned their next move. It wasn’t totally unexpected. In the year leading up to this, Biolase’s public filings showed sales weren’t where they wanted, and they were struggling to raise money fast enough to fill the gaps.
Selling Assets: First Stop, Sonendo
Right after filing for bankruptcy, Biolase had a plan: sell its core business and assets through a court-supervised auction. The first deal on the table was with a company called Sonendo, another dental tech business based in the United States. Sonendo agreed to buy most of Biolase’s assets, which includes their product lines and customer base.
The idea of a “court-supervised auction” might sound dramatic, but it’s actually pretty standard in bankruptcy scenarios. The court oversees the process to make sure everything’s fair, creditors get paid in the right order, and the company gets the best deal possible for its assets. This also gave a chance for other interested companies to submit higher bids if they saw more value in what Biolase was offering.
For a while, it looked like Sonendo was going to take over most of what made Biolase tick.
Enter MegaGen: The Winning Bidder
Then things shifted. While Sonendo had the first agreement, another player showed up: MegaGen, a South Korean dental implant manufacturer. During the court proceedings, MegaGen placed a higher bid and outbid Sonendo.
Because the goal of the auction is to get the most value possible, the court approved MegaGen’s bid. By late 2024, the deal was finalized, and MegaGen officially became the new owner of Biolase’s business and core assets.
If you’ve never heard of MegaGen, they’re actually a major name in the industry, especially known for dental implants and digital dentistry solutions. Taking over Biolase signals an interest in expanding their reach even more into dental lasers and capitalizing on Biolase’s customer relationships and R&D history.
For customers and industry watchers, this turn of events raised new questions. Would MegaGen just shut down the company and take the tech, or would they try to keep running Biolase as a full-service operation?
MegaGen’s Plans: Continuity with a New Angle
So far, the message Megagen’s putting out is: Biolase is staying open, and they want to keep growing the brand. In early statements, MegaGen’s leadership said they’re committed to keeping Biolase’s operations running. If you’re a dentist who just bought a Biolase laser, they want you to know the support and service aren’t going away.
To back this up, they’ve also made some major leadership changes. Dr. Kwang Bum Park, MegaGen’s longtime CEO, has stepped in as the new CEO of Biolase. That’s a big move, signaling that MegaGen is serious about integrating Biolase into its broader operations and not just stashing it away as a side asset.
What does that mean on the ground level? MegaGen says they’re investing in support and training programs for clinicians—a big part of Biolase’s past appeal. They’re also talking up plans to keep developing new products and innovation, still centered on the dental laser market.
At the same time, we’re not seeing a return to wild spending or risky product launches. MegaGen is known for focusing on practical innovations, so we might see some new collaborations or products, but they’re likely to be well thought out rather than rushed to market.
The Nuts and Bolts: What Changes for Customers and Staff?
If you’re a dentist or a dental office manager, what you really want to know is: can I still buy Biolase lasers? Will my warranty and service agreements still be honored?
The official word so far is yes. Biolase’s customer service remains open, and the manufacturing and shipping operations have kept running. If you’re in the middle of a multi-year support contract, MegaGen’s statements indicate those will continue.
On the staff side, some restructuring has already happened. Like most acquisitions, especially ones following bankruptcy, there have been some layoffs and reorganizations. But MegaGen has also brought in some of its own senior managers and technical experts to integrate with the existing Biolase team. For employees, it’s a time of change—but there’s also some stability, given the new owner’s resources.
One of the bigger takeaways? MegaGen’s investment isn’t just to cherry-pick intellectual property. They seem really invested in maintaining the Biolase brand and distributor network, especially in the U.S. and Europe.
Innovation, New Products, and the Road Ahead
Under MegaGen, the plan is to keep pushing technology forward—though with a bit more financial caution than Biolase had in its go-go days. Dental lasers are still a growth segment, especially as more procedures shift away from old-fashioned drills and manual techniques.
MegaGen has said it will keep up Biolase’s priorities: R&D, clinician-focused education, and customer support. They’re also likely to use Biolase’s U.S. distribution channels to promote some of their other products, especially dental implants and digital workflow solutions.
If you want a peek into the future, you might expect to see some hybrid products or packages that combine Biolase’s laser tech with MegaGen’s implant systems. MegaGen is known for collaborating closely with dentists, and they’ll probably double down on training and support for new product lines.
There’s a lot of speculation in the market about whether the Biolase brand will stick around long-term or eventually be absorbed under the MegaGen name. For now, the company insists Biolase will continue as its own entity.
What About Investors? Is Biolase Still Public?
If you’re tracking Biolase because you’re an investor, things have changed quite a bit. As part of the asset sale during bankruptcy, most of Biolase’s legacy shares don’t hold value anymore. The assets and operations are now under MegaGen’s control, which is a privately held company.
Shareholders from before the bankruptcy likely took a loss, unless something changes in future legal proceedings. But if you care about Biolase because you’re a customer or industry partner, you’re more focused on the continuation of service and availability of products—which seem secure for now.
For more updates about smaller business turnarounds, you can check in with sources like Sera Business, which track company restructurings and acquisitions.
Biolase’s Outlook: Still Around, Still Lasers
If you’re in the dental industry or just following the business side of medical tech, here’s where we land: Biolase hit a financial wall and had to make some tough choices. They filed for bankruptcy, were nearly bought by an American rival, and ended up being acquired by a major South Korean dental company.
Through all of that, the brand, the technology, and the laser systems themselves are sticking around. MegaGen’s approach is steady—keep Biolase open, support existing customers, and put some new resources into training and product development.
So, is Biolase going out of business? No. They’re not the same company they were a year ago, but they’re open, serving dentists, and planning for more innovation ahead, just under new management and with a bigger safety net behind them.
For customers, partners, and anyone watching the dental tech world, Biolase will still be a name to know. The financial drama is over, at least for now, and the business has a clear direction for what comes next.