Dental Devices in India

With increases in discretionary spending, the Indian dental device market looks encouraging for future growth. Major dental device subcategories include:

• Equipment such as digital imaging systems like intraoral sensors (RVG) Orthopantomogram (OPG), Surgical and Endodontics equipment, scalars and surgical chairs
• Orthodontics devices such as self-ligating brackets, lingual attachments and orthodontics implants
• Endosseous dental implants and its surgical kit, bone grafting material, dental cement and tooth shade resin material
• Intra-oral devices for prevention and management of snoring
• Dental laboratory equipment including CAD and CAM technology

India’s 200,000 general dentists work in 145,000 such standalone practices as of 2015. Every year more than 12,000 new dental practices start up in the country. There are estimated to be another 40,000 orthodontists, prosthodontists, endodontists, periodontists, pedodontists, oral and maxilla-facial surgeons, oral medicine and radiologists.
Historically, most dentists have been solo practitioners or worked within a family practice. Chains such as MyDentist, Apollo and Vasan are making an impact on patients as well as practitioners. More than 90 % of the practitioners work in and around the major cities and play an extremely influential role in the purchase of dental devices and materials for hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities.  There are nearly 300 dental colleges,  5,000 dental technicians and 3,000 dental hygienists in India.

India’s demand for dental equipment, instruments and materials is met mainly from imports primarily from Germany, USA, Italy, Japan and China. Companies such as AB Dental Devices of Germany, Dentsply of the United States, and Mectron of Italy have had success in India thus far.