Changing lifestyles, characterized by unhealthy food habits and increasing consumption of high sugar food and aerated drinks is leading to a rapid decline in oral hygiene and spurt in the incidence of dental problems. As per oral health facts published by the World Health Organization in 2012, 60% to 90% of school children and close to 100% of adults worldwide have dental cavities. Consequently, this is leading to increased uptake of dental procedures, in turn, fueling demand for dental equipment. The Global Dental Equipment Market has witnessed significant growth over the last decade and is projected to follow along a similar growth trajectory, with a projected CAGR of 4.9% over 2016–2021 to reach a whopping US$ 7.52 billion by 2021. Dental equipment is used for diagnosis, restoration, teeth removal, Ortho-dentistry, and other dental treatments and procedures. The equipment aids the medico-dental professionals in manipulating the tissues to provide visual access during dental procedures. Increasing incidence of dental problems are attributed to various factors, which include the following:
Increasing consumption of high-sugar food:
Bacteria present in the mouth thrive on sugar as its food source. Granulated sugary chocolates, candies, cookies, donuts, cakes, and ice cream, among other food, have a high sugar content that is detrimental to oral health. Sugary drinks leave a film on teeth and gums that increase bacterial attack, leading to dental issues. The WHO has proposed the imposition of taxes on sugary drinks in order to dissuade consumption of the same and alleviate the incidence of dental issues.
Consumption of tobacco-related products:
Adverse effects of tobacco on oral health range from relatively harmless discoloration and staining of teeth, Halitosis, oral mucosal disease such as Smoker’s Melanosis, Periodontal disease, Smoker’s palate, increasing caries and candidosis, and malignant lesions to potentially life-threatening oral cancer. As per stats revealed by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, an average of 20 cigarettes was consumed by smokers in 75 countries in 2012. Consequently, dental restorative surgery and other treatment are increasing across the globe.
Gum Diseases:
Bleeding gums, chronic bad breath, swelling or sensitivity to hot or cold foods due to persistent bacteria in oral cubicles is another major factor leading to poor oral health
Oral piercing:
As per the American Dental Association increasing number of people opting for oral piercing is, in turn, resulting in a high rate of infection and rising instances of cracked or chipped teeth. These can also lead to more serious infections such as hepatitis or endocarditis.
Increasing geriatric population:
As per the census-funded by the National Institute of Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, geriatric population accounted for around 8.5% (617 million) of the global population in 2015, and is expected to increase to 17% (1.6 billion) by 2050. As per data released by WHO in 2012, around 30% of the population aged 65–74 years does not have natural teeth. This is a highly lucrative demographic group for reconstructive dental surgery.
Increasing dental tourism:
The emergence of Asia Pacific as a dental tourism hub, due to low-cost dental surgery options along with an abundance of highly trained dentists in the region, creates a high growth market for dental equipment in the region. This is further being supported by supportive government regulations in countries such as India.
Besides these, various other macro factors such as rising discretionary income and increasing adoption of advanced technologies, especially in developed regions are further fueling the market growth.
According to the report titled ‘GLOBAL DENTAL EQUIPMENT MARKET, BY EQUIPMENT TYPE (DENTAL IMAGING EQUIPMENT, DENTAL LASERS, HYGIENE MAINTENANCE DEVICES, SYSTEMS AND PARTS, HYGIENE MAINTENANCE DEVICES), END USER (HOSPITALS, DENTAL CLINICS, DENTAL LABORATORIES), AND GEOGRAPHY - TRENDS, SIZE, AND FORECAST TILL 2024’ published by COHERENT MARKET INSIGHTS, the market for dental equipment was valued at 6.3 billion in 2015 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period (2016 – 2024).
Factors hampering the global dental equipment market:
Lesser incidence of dental cavities due to water fluoridation: Fluoridation is a process of controlled addition of fluoride to water to reduce tooth decay. Fluoridated water has fluoride to an extent in which cavities can be prevented. This deliberate inclusion of fluoride to public water supply jeopardizes the global dental equipment market obliquely to a certain extent.
High product costs leading to growth in adoption of refurbished products: Most dental equipments are rather expensive due to high investments in R&D and high taxes levied on these products by various governments, ultimately being passed on to the consumer. This renders most advanced dental equipment unaffordable for most consumers, especially in emerging economies in the Asia Pacific and Latin America. Furthermore, lack of favorable reimbursement policies dissuades uptake of cosmetic dental surgeries among the populace. This is led to the emergence of a large market for refurbished dental equipment, mainly characterized by the import of these products to emerging economies from developed economies. This significantly dents the dental equipment market growth.
Dominant market players:
Planmeca OY (Finland), Carestream Health, Inc. (U.S.), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), and Dentsply Sirona (U.S.) account for a major share of the dental equipment market. These organizations emphasize on strategies such as partnerships, expansions, and product launches to retain their positions in the dental equipment market. Other key players include Biolase, Inc. (U.S.), A-dec Inc. (U.S.), Midmark Corporation (U.S.), AMD LASERS (U.S.), Ivoclar Vivadent AG (Liechtenstein), and 3M (U.S.).
Various initiatives by government and non-government organizations to increase awareness about dental health are expected to create a highly conducive environment for market growth over the following decade. The development of cost-effective products targeting low-income economies can allow for more effective penetration into these highly lucrative and largely untapped markets.
To know more about the latest market trends and insights, read the report titled ‘GLOBAL DENTAL EQUIPMENT MARKET, BY EQUIPMENT TYPE (DENTAL IMAGING EQUIPMENT, DENTAL LASERS, HYGIENE MAINTENANCE DEVICES, SYSTEMS AND PARTS, HYGIENE MAINTENANCE DEVICES), END USER (HOSPITALS, DENTAL CLINICS, DENTAL LABORATORIES), AND GEOGRAPHY - TRENDS, SIZE, AND FORECAST TILL 2024’, published by COHERENT MARKET INSIGHTS. Click on the link below to access the report –
https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/dental-equipment-market-85
