Growth in dental implant sales to propel bone-graft-substitute market

According to new dental reports by iData Research (www.idataresearch.net), the leading global authority in medical device, dental and pharmaceutical market research, the U.S. market for dental implants is expected to regain double-digit growth by 2013, and will help drive the dental prosthetic market to reach over 82 million prosthetic placements by 2016. In addition, the dental bone-graft-substitute (BGS) market is estimated to double in value. Adoption of new technologies such as computer aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) will also boost growth in these markets, as companies such as Sirona, DENTSPLY and Nobel Biocare promote their CAD/CAM systems.

Smaller, cost-effective dental implant companies have been instrumental in fueling sales in the implant and prosthetics markets. These companies, such as Implant Direct and Blue Sky Bio have been gaining market share in recent months.

"Dental implants have earned the reputation of being the best aesthetic option for single-tooth replacement," said Dr. Kamran Zamanian, CEO of iData. "By 2016, over 20% of general practitioners are expected to place dental implants and their adoption of computer-guided-surgery will further the growth of this market."

The reports state that CAD/CAM manufactured prosthetics are expected to grow at double-digit rates, gaining unit share at the expense of conventionally made prosthetics. More dental laboratories are adopting the CAD/CAM technology, particularly due to falling prices of CAD/CAM blocks and the appeal for faster and more accurate prosthetic manufacturing.

The reports also state that the release of new BGS products from companies such as BioHorizons, Biomet 3i and Zimmer will drive dental implant use. Advancements in allograft and synthetic materials are increasing the application of BGS, and expanding the pool of patients eligible for dental implants and prosthetics.

iData's global 12-report series on the "Markets for Dental Implants, Prosthetics, CAD/CAM and Bone-Graft-Substitutes" covers implants, abutments, crowns, prosthetics, CAD/CAM systems and blocks, bone-graft-substitutes, membranes and tissue engineering products, around the world.