SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair statement of the results for interim periods have been included. Results for interim periods should not be considered indicative of results for a full year. These financial statements and related notes contain the accounts of DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. and subsidiaries (“Dentsply Sirona” or the “Company”) on a consolidated basis and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in the Company’s most recent Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

The accounting policies of the Company, as applied in the interim consolidated financial statements presented herein, are substantially the same as presented in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, except as may be indicated below. Certain prior period amounts within the Consolidated Statements of Operations have been reclassified in order to conform with the current year presentation of separately reported Research and development expenses.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of Net sales and expense during the reporting period. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

At September 30, 2021, the Company had $43 million of deferred revenue recorded predominantly in Accrued liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, with an immaterial portion recorded in Other noncurrent liabilities. The Company expects to recognize substantially all of this deferred revenue within the next 12 months.

Accounts and Notes Receivable

The Company records a provision for doubtful accounts, which is included in Selling, general, and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Accounts and notes receivables-trade, net are stated net of allowances for doubtful accounts and trade discounts, which were $14 million at September 30, 2021 and $18 million at December 31, 2020.

Inventory

As of September 30, 2021, all of the Company's inventories were determined by the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) or average cost methods. As of the end of the first quarter of 2021, the Company had $1 million of inventories accounted for under the last-in first-out (“LIFO”) method of inventory costing. Effective as of the beginning of the second quarter, the method of accounting for these inventories was changed from LIFO to FIFO. This change in accounting is preferable as the value of inventory for which cost was previously determined using a LIFO cost flow assumption has declined from prior years due to changes in the business, it allows for a more consistent methodology to be utilized across the Company, and provides improved comparability with industry peers. The change in accounting principle was recognized during the second quarter of 2021 by adjusting these inventories to cost as determined using the FIFO method, resulting in an increase in inventories of $4 million and a corresponding reduction to Cost of products sold in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Operations. The impact of this change was not material to the Company’s financial position as of December 31, 2020, or the Company’s results of operations for any previously reported prior periods nor is the cumulative effect of the change material to the results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2021. Therefore, prior period amounts have not been retrospectively adjusted.

Goodwill & Intangible Assets

Effective 2021 and prospectively, the Company is performing its required annual goodwill impairment test as of April 1 rather than as of April 30 which was the Company’s previous practice. The Company believes this change is preferable as it more closely aligns with the timing of the Company’s strategic business planning process. This change did not result in any delay, acceleration or avoidance of impairment. Furthermore, a retrospective application to prior periods is impracticable as the Company is unable to objectively determine, without the use of hindsight, the assumptions which would be used in earlier periods.

Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04 "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting", which was subsequently amended by ASU No. 2021-01 "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Scope" in January 2021. The new standard provides optional expedients and exceptions to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference the London Interbank Offer Rate ("LIBOR") or another rate expected to be discontinued due to the reference rate reform. This standard is permitted to be adopted any time through December 31, 2022, and does not apply to contract modifications made or hedging relationships entered into or evaluated after December 31, 2022. The Company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its financial position, results of operations, cash flows, and disclosures.