Workflow Optimization, Improved Efficiency, and Faster Turnaround of Devices Drive the Demand for Digital Dental Solutions
Dental practices and dental laboratories in Spain have recognized the importance of adopting digital dental solutions. Digital dental solutions continue to record substantial growth and are these expected to continue expansion as business models and significant value offerings continue to evolve in tandem with the fast-paced world of connected health. Digital dental solutions are also increasingly being utilized in diagnosis and restorative dentistry, especially in implant and oral treatment planning.
Despite their higher efficiency and clinical effectiveness, the high cost of digital dental solutions has been one of the key market growth restraints, especially in the solo practices. Dental practices and laboratories are moving toward digitization in order to improve workflow efficiency and increase accuracy. This drives the demand for digital dental solutions such as CAD/CAM solutions and digital imaging systems.
On their part, vendors are launching new devices scanners that will meet the needs of different types of dental practices and their workloads. Digital dental solutions also enable dental practices to decrease the turnaround time of devices manufactured in dental laboratories and improve diagnosis and impression accuracy while reducing costs in the long term.
In terms of patient awareness, adoption of the digital platform by patients for education and communication is growing rapidly. On the other hand, the adoption of digital technologies by dentists or dental professionals is slower compared to adoption by the patients and the public. The demand from patients is likely to push dentists to adopt more digital technologies in order to reduce the waiting time and improve the aesthetic options currently provided in the field of dentistry.
The biggest challenge to their adoption, however, is posed by the high cost of digital dental solutions compared to the existing solutions in the market. As more than 75% of all dental practices are solo practices, affordability becomes a key criterion for the adoption of new systems. Moreover, interoperability and software platforms of digital systems should be compatible with each other, enabling dental practices and dental laboratories to ensure a smoother workflow. The high investment cost and capital expenditure involved in hardware procurement will continue to be the biggest challenge for adoption in the near term of three to five years. The research service provides an overview on the digital dental solutions market in Spain and provides a four-year forecast from 2016 to 2020. The unique value of this study is that it provides insights gathered from more than 350 end users, including dental practitioners and dental laboratory technicians. The segments include intraoral scanners, extraoral scanners, intraoral imaging, extraoral imaging, CAD/CAM milling systems, and 3D printers.
