FORM 8-K


                SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                      WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549



          ----------------------------------------------


                          CURRENT REPORT
              Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                  Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                  Date of Report July 26, 2004
                 (Date of earliest event reported)


                    DENTSPLY INTERNATIONAL INC
          (Exact name of Company as specified in charter)



              Delaware            0-16211       39-1434669
      (State of Incorporation)  (Commission    (IRS Employer
                                File Number)  Identification No.)




         221 West Philadelphia Street, York, Pennsylvania    17405
        (Address of principal executive offices)           (Zip Code)



                          (717) 845-7511
         (Company's telephone number including area code)









Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits (a) Financial Statements - Not applicable. (b) Exhibits: 99.1 The Dentsply International Inc. second quarter 2004 sales and earnings release issued July 26, 2004 as referenced in Item 12. Item 12. - Disclosure of Results of Operations and Financial Condition The following information is furnished pursuant to Item 12, "Disclosure of Results of Operations and Financial Condition." On July 26, 2004, the Company issued a press release disclosing its second quarter 2004 sales and earnings. This earnings release references net sales excluding precious metal content. Due to the fluctuations of precious metal prices and because the precious metal content of the Company's sales is largely a pass-through to customers and has minimal effect on earnings, the Company reports sales both with and without precious metal content to show the Company's performance independent of precious metal price volatility and to enhance comparability of performance between periods. A copy of the Company's press release is attached hereto as Exhibit (99.1) and is hereby incorporated by reference.

SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Company has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. DENTSPLY INTERNATIONAL INC (Company) /s/ Bret W. Wise Bret W. Wise Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Date: July 26, 2004

NEWS

For Further
Information
Contact:

Bret W. Wise                                        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
(717) 849-4718

                    Dentsply International Inc.
       Reports Record Second Quarter 2004 Sales and Earnings


York,   PA  -  July  26,  2004  --  DENTSPLY   International   Inc.
(NASDAQ-XRAY)  today  announced  record  sales and earnings for the
quarter  ended June 30, 2004.  Net sales  increased  7.8% to $425.3
million   compared  to  $394.5  million  reported  for  the  second
quarter  of 2003.  Net sales,  excluding  precious  metal  content,
increased 7.3% in the second quarter of 2004.

Net  income for the second  quarter of 2004 was $49.0  million,  or
$.60 per diluted  share.  Income  from  continuing  operations  was
$49.2  million  ($.60  per  diluted  share)  in  the  2004  quarter
compared  to $43.5  million  ($.54 per  diluted  share) in the 2003
second  quarter,  a 11.1%  increase in diluted  earnings  per share
from continuing operations.

For the six months ended June 30, 2004,  net sales  increased  9.8%
and  sales  excluding   precious  metal  content  increased  10.2%.
Earnings from  continuing  operations  were $1.16 per diluted share
in the first six months of 2004, a 14.9%  increase  compared to the
2003 period.

Gary  K.  Kunkle,   Vice  Chairman  and  Chief  Executive   Officer
commented  that,  "We  are  pleased  to  report  record  sales  and
earnings  for the second  quarter of 2004.  We are also  encouraged
by an  improvement  in sales  growth in the United  States and Asia
in the  second  quarter.  At the  midpoint  in the year,  we are on
track to meet our  revenue  growth  targets for the year and expect
to  meet  or  exceed  the  earnings  targets   established  at  the
beginning of the year."

Mr. Kunkle also said,  "This quarter we made  substantial  progress
toward the  completion of and  preparation  for the start-up of our
new  anesthetic  filling  plant in  Chicago.  We expect to commence
commercial  production  at this  facility in the fourth  quarter of
2004.  In  addition,  we  have  a  full  pipeline  of  new  product
introductions  scheduled  for the  second  half of 2004,  including
the  launch  of  our  new  non-injectible   anesthetic  Oraqix(TM).
These actions will position us well for continued growth in 2005."


DENTSPLY Conference Call Information DENTSPLY will hold a conference call on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 at 8:30 AM Eastern Time. To access the call, dial (877) 885-5820 (for domestic calls) and (706) 643-9578 (for international calls). This conference call will be broadcast live on the Internet at www.dentsply.com. An audio replay of the conference call will be available for two weeks. To access the replay, please dial (800) 642-1687 (for domestic calls) and (706) 645-9291 (for international calls). Call I.D.: 8763464. 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 dental prosthetics, precious metal dental alloys, dental ceramics, endodontic instruments and materials, prophylaxis paste, dental sealants, ultrasonic scalers, and crown and bridge materials; the leading United States manufacturer and distributor of dental handpieces, dental x-ray film holders, film mounts and bone substitute/grafting materials; and a leading worldwide manufacturer or distributor of dental injectible anesthetics, impression materials, orthodontic appliances, dental cutting instruments and dental implants. The Company distributes its dental products in over 120 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. This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of the company. Actual events or results may differ materially from those in the projections or other forward-looking statements set forth herein as a result of certain risk factors. These risk factors include without limitation; the continued strength of dental markets, the timing, success and market reception for our new and existing products, and changes in the general economic environment that could affect our business. For an additional description of risk factors, please refer to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

DENTSPLY INTERNATIONAL INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (IN THOUSANDS EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA) THREE MONTHS ENDED SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, JUNE 30, ----------------------------- ------------------------------ 2004 2003 2004 2003 ------------- ------------- -------------- -------------- NET SALES $ 425,325 $ 394,478 $ 840,706 $ 765,714 NET SALES - Ex Precious Metals 373,787 348,198 732,791 665,084 COST OF PRODUCTS SOLD 212,424 196,403 422,948 384,877 GROSS PROFIT 212,901 198,075 417,758 380,837 % OF NET SALES 50.1% 50.2% 49.7% 49.7% % OF NET SALES - Ex Precious Metals 57.0% 56.9% 57.0% 57.3% SELLING, GENERAL & ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES 135,003 128,235 269,030 250,473 RESTRUCTURING COSTS 333 - 1,057 - ------------- ------------- -------------- -------------- INCOME FROM OPERATIONS 77,565 69,840 147,671 130,364 % OF NET SALES 18.2% 17.7% 17.6% 17.0% % OF NET SALES - Ex Precious Metals 20.8% 20.1% 20.2% 19.6% NET INTEREST AND OTHER EXPENSE 5,214 5,529 10,710 10,847 ------------- ------------- -------------- -------------- PRE-TAX INCOME 72,351 64,311 136,961 119,517 INCOME TAXES 23,129 20,861 41,971 38,628 ------------- ------------- -------------- -------------- INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS 49,222 43,450 94,990 80,889 % OF NET SALES 11.6% 11.0% 11.3% 10.6% % OF NET SALES - Ex Precious Metals 13.2% 12.5% 13.0% 12.2% INCOME (LOSS) FROM DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS, NET OF TAX (INCLUDING GAIN ON SALE IN 2004 OF $43,031) (179) 768 42,885 1,596 ------------- ------------- -------------- -------------- NET INCOME $ 49,043 $ 44,218 $ 137,875 $ 82,485 ============= ============= ============== ============== EARNINGS PER SHARE - BASIC: CONTINUING OPERATIONS $ 0.61 $ 0.55 $ 1.18 $ 1.03 DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS - 0.01 0.54 0.02 ------------- ------------- -------------- -------------- TOTAL EARNINGS PER SHARE $ 0.61 $ 0.56 $ 1.72 $ 1.05 ============= ============= ============== ============== EARNINGS PER SHARE - DILUTIVE: CONTINUING OPERATIONS $ 0.60 $ 0.54 $ 1.16 $ 1.01 DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS - 0.01 0.53 0.02 ------------- ------------- -------------- -------------- TOTAL EARNINGS PER SHARE $ 0.60 $ 0.55 $ 1.69 $ 1.03 ============= ============= ============== ============== DIVIDENDS PER SHARE $ 0.0525 $ 0.0460 $ 0.1050 $ 0.0920 WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING -BASIC 80,493 78,688 80,208 78,566 -DILUTIVE 82,089 80,327 81,796 80,168

DENTSPLY INTERNATIONAL INC. CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS (IN THOUSANDS) JUNE 30, DECEMBER 31, 2004 2003 --------- ----------- ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS: CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS $ 344,401 $ 163,755 ACCOUNTS AND NOTES RECEIVABLE-TRADE, NET 245,439 241,385 INVENTORIES, NET 203,179 205,587 OTHER CURRENT ASSETS 89,576 88,463 ASSETS HELD FOR SALE -- 28,262 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 882,595 727,452 PROPERTY,PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, NET 376,225 376,211 GOODWILL, NET 947,047 963,264 IDENTIFIABLE INTANGIBLES ASSETS, NET 239,692 246,475 OTHER NONCURRENT ASSETS, NET 89,641 114,736 ASSETS HELD FOR SALE -- 17,449 TOTAL ASSETS $2,535,200 $2,445,587 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY: CURRENT LIABILITIES $ 304,960 $ 327,752 LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS -- 1,269 LONG-TERM DEBT 771,345 790,202 OTHER LIABILITIES 134,943 137,016 DEFERRED INCOME TAXES 67,184 66,861 ---------- ---------- TOTAL LIABILITIES 1,278,432 1,323,100 MINORITY INTEREST IN CONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES 181 418 STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY 1,256,587 1,122,069 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $2,535,200 $2,445,587