Buyer's Guide Update: Dental implants and orthodontic applications

Dear Buyer's Guide Update Member,

This edition of the DrBicuspid Buyer's Guide Update focuses on two product categories that have been in the news a lot this past year: dental implants and orthodontic appliances.

In recent years, we've seen implant dentistry move increasingly into the realm of the general dentist. This trend is due in part to technology development and a shift in consumer demand. Implants are now widely accepted by dental practitioners and patients alike as superior to bridgework and other procedures to replace missing teeth.

As a result, companies have been investing heavily in implant technology to meet the growing consumer demand. From titanium implants to mini-implants and image-guided implant surgery, a plethora of new implant products and systems have come onto the market.

In 2007, the U.S. dental implant market approached $750 million, according to Millennium Research Group. Revenues in this market include those generated through sales of regular- (> 3.0 mm) and small- (≤ 3.0 mm) diameter dental implants, final abutments, and other tools such as analogs, components, and healing abutments.

To find out about the latest dental implant products and suppliers, check out this DrBicuspid Buyer's Guide category:

Implants

Another growth area being driven by both technology development and consumer demand is orthodontics. In recent years, more adults have begun turning to orthodontics today; experts say one out of five orthodontic patients is an adult (18 years of age and older), and that the number of adult patients has increased 60% from 10 years ago.

Advances in the products themselves have put more orthodontic appliances into the hands of general dentists as well. Metal braces are giving way to ceramic, and no one can deny the public's fascination with Invisalign -- although recent research found these plastic phenomena are effective only 41% of the time.

For the latest information about orthodontic products and suppliers, check out this DrBicuspid Buyer's Guide category:

Orthodontic Appliances

You can also click on any of the links below for more information about individual products and services. If you're a vendor and would like to update your Buyer's Guide listings, just send an e-mail to [email protected] to get started.