Quality Matters: Richmond Dental and Medical Celebrates 125 Years of Excellence

2020 marks the 125th year Richmond Dental and Medical has been in continuous operation, manufacturing quality products, first and foremost.  At Richmond, our commitment to quality starts with high grades of raw material, primarily cotton. Our procurement team works with farmers and gins across the southeastern United States.  Our domestically-grown cotton sets global standards for performance in many of the products you use at home every day. 

Richmond Dental and Medical’s parent company, Barnhardt Manufacturing Co., has been purifying cotton for 120 years, making Barnhardt one of the world’s oldest and largest cotton purification platforms. Many household products like diapers, baby wipes, make-up removing pads, cotton tipped applicators, and the cotton in your pill bottles begin their product life cycle in one of our two US purification facilities in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Colrain, Massachusetts.

 

A Family Legacy

We like to think that our commitment to quality is a family affair.  In 1947, Richmond was acquired by and became vertically integrated with Barnhardt, its cotton supplier.  Even today,  the fourth generation of Barnhardts are at the helm of the company, with their children taking active roles within the family business.  Longtime CEO, Tom Barnhardt III, is still a daily presence at Richmond’s headquarters in Charlotte, NC. 

According to current CEO, Tom L. Barnhardt, his great aunt’s leadership at Richmond Dental and Medical set the stage for generations to come. “My great aunt, Nell Barnhart, positioned this company as one aligned with the values of the dental profession itself, as she linked our work with philanthropy and partnerships,” he explained. “Early on, she reached out to the local community and forged important partnerships with UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Dentistry, which are still critical to our success today.”

“She saw the importance of introducing quality products to dental students before they started their own practice,” Barnhardt continued.  “That outreach continues today, as Richmond continues to support the student-run SHAC Clinic and overseas mission trips with in-kind gifts of our award-winning dental supplies.”  

 

Quality in Comfort and Performance

125 years in, Richmond is still the name that discerning dental professionals trust to give their staff and patients the optimal clinical experience. Richmond’s products are proudly made in the USA, in an FDA-registered facility that holds patient safety as our highest measure of quality.

A product that’s exemplary of Richmond’s commitment to excellence are our award-winning Braided Cotton Rolls®, recognized with a Best Product Award from Dental Product Shopper. DPS noted the product’s “combination of excellent absorbency, superior retraction, easy removal, and enhanced patient comfort.” Dental assistants can now keep moving through a procedure without stopping the dentist to change out soggy cotton rolls that stick to the patient’s tissue. 

Dental Advisor bestowed its Preferred Product status on our Reflective Shields Plus. With their blockbuster feature combination of absorption, superior illumination, and comfort, these cheek retractors deliver the results that dentists and patients are looking for in common procedures. They not only keep a dry field and retract the cheek, the mirror-like side reflects the hard-to-see areas in the back quadrant.  Hygienists and assistants love Reflective Shields Plus when placing sealants and crown preps.

Endodontists regard Richmond’s all-natural, biodegradable cotton pellets as a standard go-to supply for any root canal or implant procedure.  Richmond offers a variety of pellet sizes that can also be used to apply medicaments.

Medical doctors and dentists alike regard Richmond’s lint-free, absorbent, 100% cotton nonwoven sponges, a Best Product honoree by Dental Product Shopper, as the best multipurpose sponge in the industry. Our SteriPockets nonwoven Sponges (Dental Advisor Best Product winner) are pre-sterilized for use after oral surgery or any heavy bleeding.  Dentists cite this product’s innovative packaging that enables gauze to remain sterile until the moment it’s needed, and patients can rest assured of its sterility and safety. 

 

A Leader in Infection Control

Our commitment to quality extends beyond comfort and performance to superior infection control.  Beyond made in the USA cotton disposables, Richmond realizes the importance of Infection Control and Prevention by offering autoclavable dental roll and pellet dispensers. 

Whether it’s flu season or the current coronavirus pandemic, Richmond’s Level III Path-O-Guard Face Masks provide added protection for both practitioner and patient alike.  Winner of Dental Advisor’s Clinical Problem Solver Award,  Richmond’s Path-O-Guard Face Masks have been highly regarded by dental and medical professionals for their breathability, anti-fog feature, and added comfort. 

From the leadership of the Barnhardt family to every employee’s individual commitment to delivering quality and safe products, Richmond Dental and Medical has spent 125 years as a leader in manufacturing premium dental and medical supplies. We remain committed to developing superior solutions to common clinical problems that affect dentists, doctors, assistants, hygienists, and nurses as they advance the health profession and quality of care for every patient. 

 

Join Richmond’s Sample Program to try one of our many quality, award-winning products today.