The dental products market encompasses products for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and ailments of the teeth, gums and supporting bone. Currently, there are nine recognized dental specialties in the U.S.: orthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, prosthodontics, endodontics, dental public health, oral pathology, and oral and maxillofacial radiology.
In 2008, the U.S. total dental products and services spending reached $102.4 billion and is expected to grow at about 6 percent annually through 2017. The market has enjoyed a steady growth due to a number of facts, such as the growth in disposable income, an increased desire for aesthetics, a demographic shift towards an aging population and a desire to retain tooth structure later in life, as well as a greater utilization of dental preventive care.
The U.S. dental market structure consists of dentists and their practices, dental distribution companies as well as dental manufacturers. Currently, there are 120,000 office-based dental practices, which are supplied by dental distributors. The biggest dental products distributors in the U.S. include Henry Schein, Inc. and Patterson Companies, Inc. which account for approximately 40% and 32% of the market share respectively. The U.S. dental products manufacturer industry is more fragmented, with ten companies accounting for approximately 50% of market share.
In 2008, the global dental products market, excluding dental services, has reached almost $18 billion. The largest segment of the market is restorative and preventive dentistry, while the fastest growing segment in the global dental market is dental implantology. Even though current global economic conditions have impacted the growth of the dental implant market, the long-term growth of the implant industry is very robust. This segment is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16.3 percent in the U.S. from 2004 to 2014 and 13.7% in the E.U. from 2003 to 2013.