Dental-laser maker Biolase Inc. has named Jeffrey M. Nugent president and CEO.

Company chairman Paul N. Clark said Nugent has already had a positive impact on Biolase since becoming acting CEO in June, establishing a global commercialization team and choosing new leaders of the sales and marketing divisions.

In 2010 Nugent founded Precision Dermatology Inc. of Rhode Island, and served as president and CEO until the company’s recent acquisition by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc.

Previously, Nugent was CEO of Ascension Orthopedics, Revlon Inc. and Neutrogena Corp. He also spent more than 20 years in leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson in research and development, marketing and general management, and was responsible for that company’s dental business.

Nugent has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from St. Joseph’s College and a master’s degree in marketing and finance from Loyola University in Chicago.

Meanwhile, Clark Barousse has been named senior vice president for worldwide sales and account management, and Orlando P. Rodrigues has been named vice president and chief marketing officer.

Barousse will be responsible for Biolase’s customer acquisition and retention. He was most recently president of Hybridge, a network of dental practices that works with clinicians to improve their practices. Previously he held executive positions at Biohorizons, Smith & Nephew Orthopedics and Ethicon Inc.

Rodrigues previously was vice president of marketing for I-Flow Corp. and Laser Diagnostic Technologies Inc.

Biolase develops, manufactures and markets lasers for dentistry and medicine, as well as 2-D and 3-D digital imaging equipment, CAD/CAM intraoral scanners and in-office milling machines and 3-D printers. Its dental lasers are used in cosmetic and complex surgical applications.

For more information, visit www.biolase.com.