Technavio’s latest report on the dental implants market in Europe provides an analysis on the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2015 to 2019. Technavio defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline.
According to Barath Palada, a lead research analyst at Technavio for orthopaedics and general medical devices, “The dental implants market in Europe experienced significant growth in the past few years and has the potential to grow further during the forecast period. Technological advancements in dental health care practice and increased awareness of oral health are important factors that will assist in the growth of the market over the next four years.”
The top three emerging trends driving the dental implants market in Europe according to Technavio healthcare and life sciences research analysts are:
- Technological advancements in implants
- Increase in M&A
- Growing medical tourism
Technological advancements in implants
Advances in dental care have driven the market with the use of the new dental procedures and devices. These offer comfortable, safe, efficient, and less time-consuming procedures for implant surgery. The use of 3D imaging, CAD or CAM, and virtual reality training in laboratories are some of the noteworthy technological advancements. The use of hybrid implants that comprise a zirconium crown and a titanium implant is expected to increase in many European countries during the forecast period. These hybrid implants improve aesthetic appearance, and have better strength and functionality when compared with traditional implants.
Manufacturers are also designing implants that have superior osseointegration and can be used for immediate loading. MDI mini implant by 3M is one such product that can be placed in areas with minimum bone density and can support full or partial dentures. These implants can be placed with minimally invasive techniques.
Increase in M&A
M&A help strengthen product portfolios and productivity. For example, DENTSPLY merged with Astra Tech Dental and changed its name to DENTSPLY Implants in 2012. In December 2014, Danaher acquired Nobel Biocare for USD 2.2 billion to become a dominant player in the dental implants market. Similarly, in June 2015, Zimmer Holdings acquired Biomet assets and changed its name to Zimmer-Biomet. This acquisition doubles the size of Zimmer’s spine and dental implant business. The acquisition will also allow Zimmer access to untapped markets. These alliances might help in manufacturing advanced products and offer novel treatments, thereby increasing availability and penetration of dental implants.
Growing medical tourism
Medical tourism is popular in some developing countries of Europe due to the low cost of procedures in these countries. An EU directive was established in 2013 to aid cross-border healthcare programs across Europe. According to this directive, patients will receive low-cost treatment in other EU countries. This has encouraged Western Europeans to travel to Eastern Europe, including Poland and Bulgaria, for medical procedures such as dental implant procedures.
“The rising quality of dental services and infrastructure improvements in developing countries are other reasons for growing dental tourism. northwestern Europe, especially the UK, also has one of the highest rates of dental tourism,” says Barath.
