Long-standing trends in the overdenture and implant-supported bridge market have shifted in the last few years, owing partly to greater patient investment in prostheses and growth in sales of fixed hybrid overdentures. (Image: sujit kantakat/Shutterstock)
BURNABY, British Columbia, Canada: The US market for overdentures and implant-supported bridges can be broken down into the product categories of overdentures, implant bars, attachments and implant-supported bridges and further segmented according to material used and appliance type. The market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 6.4%, reaching US$1.2 billion in value by 2031. This expansion will be largely driven by a rising need for tooth replacement therapies across the US and by further investment by companies in the development of new prostheses, according to iData Research’s newest report on this market.
Growth of the value of the US market for overdentures and implant-supported bridges from 2021 to 2031. (Image: iData Research)
Growing patient need
Edentulism generally results from a lifelong history of oral disease, but can also have its roots in trauma and other causes. Socio-economic factors contribute significantly to edentulism, and its incidence is greater in elderly populations, underscoring the important roles played by income, education and social support in retaining one’s teeth. A 2014 report found that 4.9% of the US population was edentulous, making the national average incidence lower than in the global population. According to the World Health Organization, around 7% of the global population aged 20 years or older and 23% of those over 60 are estimated to be completely edentulous. These numbers are expected to rise over the coming years, owing to increasing life expectancy, and this will have an impact on the need for replacement overdentures and implant-supported bridges.
New manufacturing methods
The manufacturing of overdentures and implant-supported bridges has moved on from traditional casting and copy milling to CAD/CAM technologies. These have become the standard across the US, and only a small portion of laboratories continue to use older fabrication methods.
CAD/CAM was not developed for the production of overdentures and implant-supported bridges, but its use has quickly grown to account for the majority of overdenture and implant-supported bridge manufacturing. The use of CAD/CAM has enabled chain dental laboratories to expand their operations and produce implants from centralised facilities that are geographically further apart and with higher efficiency. As such laboratories grow in number over the coming years, it is expected that CAD/CAM will become the sole production method used, resulting in the decline of traditional production techniques.
The US overdenture market in 2024. (Image: iData Research)
Overdenture types popular in the US
Implant-supported overdentures and removeable implant bar overdentures remain popular in the US, but the placement of newer fixed hybrid overdentures is increasing. Implant-supported overdentures and removable implant bar overdentures gained popularity owing to their affordable pricing and efficient treatment times; however, their requirement for a higher level of prosthetic care and dental hygiene maintenance from patients has boosted the popularity of fixed hybrid overdentures. Their care closely resembling that of natural teeth, fixed hybrid overdentures are more likely to be placed by prosthodontists and come at a higher price.
Major manufacturers and manufacturing constraints
Market growth has led to several companies investing in the development of implanted-supported prostheses, resulting in a highly fragmented market with few large regional companies. Straumann Group, Dentsply Sirona and Envista Holdings have maintained a significant global presence. Straumann Group distributes the Zest Dental Solutions LOCATOR attachment system, which is compatible with more than 350 different implant products from over 70 manufacturers. These attachments offer a pivoting and self-aligning design of greater resiliency and a maximum implant divergence of 40°. Dentsply Sirona is primarily active in the CAD/CAM screw-retained bridge and implant bar overdenture markets. In 2014, Envista acquired Nobel Biocare, whose long legacy in the dental implant and CAD/CAM industry has greatly contributed to Envista’s leading position in the market. Demand for its NobelProcera implant bars has been spurred by consistent growth of Nobel Biocare’s market presence, particularly in North America.
All manufacturers of overdentures and implant-supported bridges for the US market face a common challenge: striking a balance between premium innovative prostheses and long-standing cost-effective ones. Many patients pay out of pocket for dental implant treatment, and cost therefore plays a major role in their selection of prosthesis. Furthermore, the development of new prostheses must be followed by education and training programmes for dentists. These factors, as well as the process of US Food and Drug Administration clearance, may constrain manufacturers’ level of innovation in developing new overdentures and implant-supported bridges.
In conclusion, long-standing trends in the overdenture and implant-supported bridge market have shifted in the last few years. Greater patient investment in prostheses has supported growth in the previously small market for fixed hybrid overdentures. Over the forecast period, this will result in more investment and innovation, giving patients greater choice.
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