The Millennium Research Group's (MRG) latest Crown and Bridge Marketrack report indicates that 37% of dental CAD/CAM production was outsourced in the second quarter of 2008 -- a 15% increase over 2007, according to the company.
Many dental laboratories outsource CAD/CAM crown and bridge production to keep up with demand for CAD/CAM restorations, MRG noted. Outsourcing greatly decreases the capital expenditure for the necessary equipment, requiring a dental laboratory to invest only in a scanner, the cost of which is sometimes as low as 25% of a complete CAD/CAM system, according to MRG. Nobel Biocare and Straumann/etkon -- two key competitors in the CAD/CAM market -- exclusively offer outsourced production. Accordingly, many labs view outsourcing as a more viable and profitable option than purchasing a complete CAD/CAM system.
"The more labs that outsource CAD/CAM restoration, the better," says Kevin Flewwelling, manager of MRG's Orthopedics and Dental division. "This practice will allow more dentists to meet the increasing patient demand for custom-milled crowns and bridges."
Copyright © 2008 DrBicuspid.com
