US Markets for Crowns & Bridges 2011

Introduction:

The market for dental crown and bridge restorations has exhibited steady growth for many years. Despite a dip in unit volumes and average selling prices (ASPs) as a result of the global recession, positive growth is expected to resume as the economy recovers and as patients feel financially able to undergo this elective surgery. Revenue increases in this market will continue to be driven by the aging US population and an increasing number of patients requesting restorations to improve their aesthetic appearance. Additionally, dentists will continue to endorse crown and bridge therapies due to their comfort and proficiency with performing these restorations. Market expansion will also be driven by the introduction of new, higher-priced materials and technologies used with crowns and bridges as well as by substantial efforts by manufacturers to promote the benefits of premium-priced computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology. The factor most significantly curtailing this market is the high cost of dental crown and bridge work leading to a trend toward outsourcing dental lab work out of the US. Potentially the most intriguing trend in this market is the relationship between crown and bridge materials with dental implants. Industry experts have noticed a trend toward patients undergoing dental procedures that are substitutes of dental crown and bridge work, including dental implants and overdentures, further curbing dental crown and bridge growth. With an increasing proportion of people needing dental work, the market for dental crowns and bridges will grow slowly over the forecast period. Crown and bridge product coverage includes porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM), all-ceramic pressable, and all-ceramic CAD/CAM restoration materials.

Questions Answered in This Report:

• The market for dental crowns and bridges struggled through the economic crisis in 2008 and 2009 but will experience recovery in 2012. How severely was the market impacted during the economic crisis? Were all segments equally affected? Why is recovery in 2012 instead of 2010 like other dental markets?
• The PFM market will continue to struggle due to soaring metal prices and increasing adoption of ceramic materials. How will the negative forecast on the PFM market affect competitor revenues? To what extent will ceramic materials penetrate into PFM market share? What impact does this have on the competitive landscape in the market? What considerations must be taken into account by international competitors intending to enter this market?
• Over the forecast period, pressables will face increasing threat of substitution from CAD/CAM-milled crowns and bridges. How much of the market did pressables hold in 2010? To what extent will CAD/CAM crowns and bridges penetrate into the pressables market? What impact does this have on the competitive landscape in the market?
• The CAD/CAM all-ceramic market for dental crowns and bridges faced increased competition in 2010, driving lower prices and less market share for the large, international companies. What impact does this have on the competitive landscape in the market? How must big competitors react in order to maintain their market share? Will future conditions continue to drive lower prices?

Scope:

Regions covered: US

Procedure segmentation:

Dental crown and bridge restorations are used in a variety of procedures of which are not provided in this report. Our report focuses on the sales of materials used to make dental crowns and bridges at the manufacturer and dental lab levels.

Market segmentation: Our analysis uses the following breakdown of the market:

• By segment
• Crowns
• Bridges
• By material
• PFM
• High-noble
• Seminoble
• Nonprecious
• All-ceramic
• Pressable (conventional, press-to-zirconia, press-to-metal, and press-to-alumina)
• CAD/CAM (zirconia, alumina, and other)

Market forecast features: Based on primary research with industry professionals, we use our proprietary forecasting model to provide an in-depth examination of current and future trends in procedure volumes, unit sales, average selling prices, and market values over a 7-year period (2009–2015).

Competitive analysis: We provide a detailed analysis of the competitive landscape in the market, as well as market shares and qualitative discussions of the leading competitors in each market segment.