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                                                                    Exhibit   

DENTSPLY                                          DENTSPLY International
                                                  570 West College Avenue
                                                  P.O. Box 872
                                                  York,  PA 17405-0872
                                                  (717) 845-7511
                                                  Fax (717) 848-3739

News
For further                        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
information
contact

Edward D. Yates
Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer

(717) 849-4243

              DENTSPLY INTERNATIONAL INC. AND NEW IMAGE INDUSTRIES
                             SIGN MERGER AGREEMENT

York, Pa, -- (Business Wire) -- January 28, 1997. DENTSPLY International Inc.
(Nasdaq- XRAY) and New Image Industries, Inc. today announced that they have
entered into a definitive merger agreement under which DENTSPLY will commence a
cash tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of New Image at a price of
$2.00 per share. New Image, based in Carlsbad, California, designs, develops,
manufactures and distributes intra-oral cameras and computer imaging systems
and related software exclusively to the dental market. New Image's products
include the AcuCam, MultiCam, AcuCam Concept III, Plug N' Play, and Multilink
Video Operatory Network intra-oral camera systems as well as the dental
operatory software programs, Capture-It and Chart-It.

The terms and conditions of DENTSPLY's cash tender offer will be set forth in
the offering documents expected to be filed by February 3, 1997 with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Conditions to DENTSPLY's purchase of shares
in the offer include the tender of at least 55% of all shares of New Image that
are outstanding as of the commencement of the offer, and expiration of the
waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act.

Under the merger agreement, which has been approved by the boards of directors
of each company, a newly created subsidiary of DENTSPLY will be merged into New
Image following completion of the tender offer and New Image will become a
wholly owned subsidiary of DENTSPLY. DENTSPLY has also entered into agreements
with certain stockholders of New Image, including its directors and senior
executive officers, and the William W. Stevens and Virda J. Stevens Trust, who
own in the aggregate 10% of New Image's shares outstanding, whereby each has
agreed to tender his or her shares in the offer. The net cash cost to DENTSPLY
of purchasing the outstanding equity of New Image (excluding transaction costs)
is expected to be approximately $11.4 million.


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Commenting on the transaction, John Miles, DENTSPLY's Vice Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer, said, "We are pleased to have signed a merger agreement with
New Image. We believe that New Image's intra-oral cameras and computer imaging
systems for the dental market will fit very well with our product lines." Dewey
Edmunds, Chief Executive Officer of New Image, commented, "We are excited about
becoming a part of DENTSPLY. We believe that this transaction is in the best
interest of all parties associated with New Image and DENTSPLY can provide the
resources and international distribution capabilities that will enable New
Image to grow."

DENTSPLY designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of products
for the dental market. The company believes that it is the world's leading
manufacturer and distributor of artificial teeth, endodontic instruments and
materials, impression materials, prophylaxis paste, dental sealants, ultrasonic
scrapers, and crown and bridge materials; the leading United States
manufacturer and distributor of dental x-ray equipment, dental handpieces,
dental x-ray film holders and film mounts; and a leading United States
distributor of dental cutting instruments and dental implants.

The company distributes its dental products in over 100 countries under some of
the most well-established brand names in the industry. DENTSPLY is committed to
the development of innovative, high quality, cost-effective new products for
the dental market.