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October 2009 | Dental Lab Products
Competitive edge: Market insider

Digital Impression Market
to See High-Growth

Independent research group forecasts market potential of digital impression technology.

Information provided by iData Research Inc.

Photo: iData Research Inc.

Digital impression-taking technology is estimated to see double digit growth rates as dentists adopt this highly flexible, quick, affordable, and accurate solution to manufacturing and fitting dental restorations.

One of the primary advantages in using a digital impression system over traditional processes involved in CAD/CAM technology is the elimination of many manual steps involved in creating a restoration. The technology produces a more accurate restoration because the three-dimensional image is produced instantly, allowing the dentist to make any adjustments necessary to the prep site in real time. Also, the dentist and the lab technician are not confined to creating an all-ceramic restoration, but have the option of turning the model into a PFM or pressable restoration.

Productivity drives growth

Digital impression-taking technology offers many procedural enhancements for manufacturing and fitting dental restorations. The system’s intraoral scanner is able to take an accurate digital impression of the teeth, instantly uploading the image and allowing the dentist to make any corrections or changes to the patient’s prepped dentition. There is less chair time for the patient because the intraoral scanner makes it possible to skip the long and arduous process of making a physical plaster model of the patient’s mouth.

This process eliminates the risk associated with a traditional physical impression changing size or shape during transportation, thus leading to an inaccurate final restoration. The dentist also is not limited to making an all-ceramic fixed restoration as is the case with the chairside CAD/CAM systems. Clinical studies have shown restoration remakes have been reduced from an average of 5% using traditional methods, to less than 1% with digital impression-taking systems.

Market size and forecast

In 2008, the U.S. market for digital impression-taking systems increased by 73% over 2007. This high rate of growth was due to the introduction of new technology in 2006 as well as continued adoption by dentists due to the technology’s procedural enhancements and relative affordability. By 2015, the U.S. market for digital impression-taking systems is estimated to reach $83.5 million.
affordable alternative

Chairside CAD/CAM technology has a high up-front cost, dissuading many dental offices from purchasing the systems. Digital impression-taking systems offer an affordable purchase price. This provides a very attractive and enticing alternative for dental offices that wish to be on the leading edge of fabricating high-quality restorations.

Practitioners still hesitant

Following a typical life cycle of an emerging market, digital impression-taking systems are still in their embryonic stage, where the market is just beginning to develop. While there are early adopters of the technology who are avid users of the system, the majority of dentists and laboratory technicians are waiting to see whether the system will live up to the hype. Early clinical studies are encouraging as they have shown high levels of success and procedural enhancements for dental offices, thus paving the way for more practitioners adopting the technology.

Pricing

There are two components to the pricing strategy for the current digital impression-taking systems. The dentist is charged a small fee for each scan. The laboratory also pays a fee for every model they purchase from the companies’ central milling/3D printing centers. This provides a steady revenue stream for both companies. Through 2015, unit sales will drive the majority of market growth with average selling prices (ASPs) seeing moderate growth.

In 2009, the ASP for a digital impression-taking system was approximately $22,000, an increase of 15% over the previous year. The growth of the ASP will peak in 2009 to match the higher demand for the systems. Throughout most of the forecast period, the ASP will stay within the $20,000 to $30,000 price range. By 2015, it is expected that the ASP of a digital impression taking system will be approximately $30,000.

Recent industry changes

Cadent’s iTero™ intraoral scanner was the first entrant into the U.S. market in 2006, closely followed by 3M ESPE’s Lava Chairside Oral Scanner C.O.S.™ in early 2008. Sirona released its own CEREC AC acquisition unit, with the intraoral Bluecam scanner at the beginning of 2009. Other companies entering the market are: Hint-EL (directScan), Densys 3D, D4D Technologies, Evolution, IOS, and GC. As dental offices begin to integrate digital technology further into their practices, more companies are expected to tap into this growing market. 

About the Author

The information contained in this article is an excerpt from a detailed and comprehensive report on the U.S. Market for Dental Prosthetic Devices 2009, which is available for purchase from iData Research Inc., an international market research and consulting group focused on providing market intelligence for the medical device, dental, and pharmaceutical industries. For more information about this and other reports on the dental industry, please call: 866-964-3282, e-mail: dental@idataresearch.net or visit www.idataresearch.net.