Is the dental implant market really growing? And, erythritol challenges xylitol

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

A number of market research firms are bullish on growth opportunities in the dental implant market. A report released this week by TechNavio forecast the global dental implants market to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.42% between 2012 and 2016, while earlier this year GBI Research was even more optimistic, projecting a compound growth rate of 10%, from $3.4 billion in 2011 to $6.6 billion in 2018.

What is driving these lofty predictions, even as many dental implant vendors are reporting less-than-optimum financial results? According to Carmen Chan, an analyst with Millenium Research Group, it's a combination of a healthier economy, renewed patient demand, and broader adoption among dental professionals. Read more in this latest Restoratives Market Update.

Meanwhile, over in the Hygiene Community, a new player is about to enter the oral healthcare market with a product that looks ready to compete with xylitol. Cargill, an international giant in the food, agricultural, financial, and industrial sectors, has been marketing an erythritol product called Zerose for almost 20 years and has spent the last few years investigating its oral healthcare potential. In a new, three-year study to be published in the Journal of Dental Research, researchers compared the caries-prevention effects of xylitol and erythritol in a group of young patients, and their findings might surprise you.

Finally, Dr. Sheri Doniger shares her recent experiences in looking for a new employee, including one woman who reminded Dr. Doniger why it is critical to do background checks on every potential new hire -- even if they look good on paper and seem great in person.