Ownership Submission
FORM 3
 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
  STERKENBURG ALBERT
 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
01/01/2009		 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
DENTSPLY INTERNATIONAL INC /DE/ [XRAY]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
AMSELBERG 20		 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
(Street)

WEISBADEN, GERMANY, 2M 65191		 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4)		 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option 12/08/2009 12/08/2018 Common Stock 12,000 $ 25.91 D  
Stock Option 12/08/2010 12/08/2018 Common Stock 12,000 $ 25.91 D  
Stock Option 12/08/2011 12/08/2018 Common Stock 12,000 $ 25.91 D  
Stock Option 12/12/2004 12/12/2011 Common Stock 2,300 $ 15.58 D  
Stock Option 12/11/2005 12/11/2012 Common Stock 20,400 $ 18.49 D  
Stock Option 12/15/2006 12/15/2013 Common Stock 20,200 $ 22.14 D  
Stock Option 12/13/2007 12/13/2014 Common Stock 14,262 $ 27.45 D  
Stock Option 12/13/2008 12/13/2015 Common Stock 16,778 $ 27.74 D  
Stock Option 03/22/2009 03/22/2016 Common Stock 13,800 $ 28.57 D  
Stock Option 12/12/2009 12/12/2016 Common Stock 23,200 $ 31.36 D  
Stock Option 12/10/2010 12/10/2017 Common Stock 16,900 $ 45.15 D  
Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) 02/05/2010   (1) Common Stock 3,400 $ (1) D  
Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) 02/04/2011   (1) Common Stock 2,860 $ (1) D  
Additional RSUs (2)   (1)   (1) Common Stock 36.36 $ (1) D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
STERKENBURG ALBERT
AMSELBERG 20
WEISBADEN, GERMANY, 2M 65191		       SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT  

Signatures

Brian M. Addison, POA for Albert Sterkenburg 01/02/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Not applicable to this transaction
(2) Dividend on existing vested or unvested Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) awarded to participant, payable as additional units of phantom stock

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