May 23 2013
According to Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence, the European crown and bridge market will be driven primarily by the rapid uptake of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) all-ceramic restorations due to their superior aesthetics and better fit for patients.
The higher price of CAD/CAM all-ceramics compared to other restorations will contribute to expanding revenues.
Furthermore, CAD/CAM all-ceramics are even more expensive in Europe compared to the United States because European dental laboratories prefer purchasing CAD/CAM all-ceramic crowns and bridges from milling centers. Although milling centers charge a premium for milling the products, it is still more cost-effective for labs in Europe to use them than to purchase the capital equipment required for in-house manufacturing, which is more common in the US. As a result, the higher proportion of CAD/CAM all-ceramics sold by milling centers will further raise prices and support market growth.
"Compared to the US, the adoption of all-ceramic materials is a little farther along in Europe, so the competitive landscape is more segmented," said MRG Analyst Jeremy Seath . "Nonetheless, strong all-ceramic competitors, such as Ivoclar Vivadent, DENTSPLY International and Nobel Biocare are well-positioned for success."
Although the proportion of porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) revenues will shrink through 2021, these products still represented about half of the total crown and bridge market in 2012. Among countries that were especially impacted by the European debt crisis, there will be higher adoption of less expensive materials to reduce the costs of manufacturing crowns and bridges for patients. For example, there has been stronger adoption of nonprecious PFM restorations in Italy and Spain. Similarly, sales of pressable all-ceramic restorations, which are low-cost alternatives to CAD/CAM all-ceramics, will grow faster in France, Italy and the United Kingdom compared to other countries. Growth in the European crown and bridge market will thus be stifled somewhat by the use of less expensive materials due to ongoing economic difficulties.
Millennium Research Group's European Markets for Crowns and Bridges 2013 report includes unit, average selling price and revenue information, along with market drivers and limiters and a competitive landscape for PFM and all-ceramic crowns and bridges in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.