today IDS 2009 Show Preview

Chinaisincreasinglycompeting with dental technicians and lab- oratories in Europe and the US. Editor Shelly Yui from our sister publication Dental Tribune China metwithlabconsultantMaYunXiu duringtheChinaDentalIndustrial Summit last year to discuss the current state and prospects of the dentallabindustryinChina. Shelly Yui: Mr Ma, Chinese dental labs are often said to of- fer cheap but low quality serv- ices. How do you respond to theseclaims? Ma Yun Xiu: Most Chinese dental labs I had the chance to visithaveaseriousconsciousness forserviceandproductquality. But contaminated bridges and crowns from China have recently appeared in the Unit- ed States. Are these individual cases? I think they are. By now a majority of dental labs in China are using raw materials as well as equipment from high-level brands in the world, such as Ivoclar Vivadent, Dentsply or Shofu. To illustrate this, I can tell you that almost 90 per cent of ce- ramic powder used in Chinese labsisimportedfromNorthAmer- ica,EuropeandJapan. How many dental labs are thereinChinarightnowandto what extend are they working withoverseasclients? There are more than 8,000dentallabsofdifferent sizes in China of which ap- proximately 100 are able to provide qualified services for overseas clients. While therestareactivelyseeking new market opportunities abroad, these few have gained a significant volume of the world market and are continuouslyexpanding. As China has become a worldwide production cen- tre for the apparel and shoe industry, we have full confidence that it will become a global pro- ductioncentrefordenturesaswell. How would you rate the level of dental lab work in China compared to other emerging countries in the re- gionlikeIndiaforinstance? Chinese dental labs have ex- perienced a remarkable revolu- tionfromasimplehandicraftbusi- ness to a state-of-the-art industry. Our technicians are professional andtheirworkiscompatiblewith international standards. There- fore,youcanfinddentures“Made in China” in many neighbouring countries like India, but hardly theotherwayaround. What main services do Chi- nesedentallabsoffer? Thisdependsontherequested product but there is literary noth- ing Chinese dental labs can’t do. Meanwhile, they use computer management systems and the internet, which largely enhan- ces their service ability. Foreign clients can acquire the informa- tion by electronic order immedi- ately and experience a higher level of transparency through on- lineconsultingsystems. How does the Chinese gov- ernment ensure the product quality of dental lab work con- ductedinthecountry? Our government pays special attention to the safety of medicalproductsandstrict- ly supervises any type of dental lab work. Therefore, dental labs are required to have a medical license and the manufacturers have to have a license for produc- tion. There are differences, however, in quality stan- dards throughout the coun- try and some provinces de- mand factories to provide detailed QC (Quality Con- trol) reports for every piece theyproduce. Where do you see the gen- eral prospects for the dental labindustryinChina? Theprospectsforthedentallab industryinChinaarebrightsince the abilities to serve global cus- tomershaveincreased.Ourdental lab industry can built upon its product service attitude, product quality and decent price policy. I hope that our labs continue to offerexcellentproductsandserv- icesforeveryoneinneed. Thankyouforthisinterview. AD “The Chinese government pays special attentiontothesafetyofmedicalproducts” Interview with Mr MaYun Xiu,President of STD Lab Management With the economy in the United States declining, preven- tive dental care can be one of the first things to go. The correlation between rising unemployment and a drop in preventive dental care, however, is not necessarily duetopeoplebeingshortofcash, according to a study in the on- line edition of Health Services Research. The researchers analysed 10 years of information about visits to dentists’ offices in met- ropolitan Seattle and Spokane from Washington Dental Ser- vices, USA, the largest dental in- surer in the state, which covers roughlyone-thirdofitsresidents. They compared this information to unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Washington’s Employment Secu- rity Department, and ruled out other possible explanations for a correlation. In the Seattle area, for every 10,000peoplewholosttheirjobs, there was a 1.2 per cent decrease in visits to dentists for checkups. The drop was higher in the Spokane area, where the same increase in unemployment was associatedwitha5.95percentde- crease in preventive visits. This is notable as the study looked at peoplewhohaddentalinsurance that covered routine care. “Weseethathighcommunity- level unemployment exacts a psychological toll on individu- als,”saidleadstudyauthorBrian Quinn. “Even for people who are working, or who have a working partner or spouse, there might be an impact if they’re stressed about themselves or their signifi- cant others losing their jobs.” Quinn, a program officer for theRobertWoodJohnsonFounda- tion,saidthedistractionofworry- ing about not having a job could make dental care drop off a per- son’sradar.“Duringstressfulperi- ods, those things that don’t seem asurgentmaybeignored,”hesaid. Quinnaddedthatbecausepre- ventive care is usually cheaper than tooth repairs, dental plan administratorsandpublichealth policy makers might want to promote cleaning and checkups during periods of high unem- ployment. EconomicfearsintheUSaffectdentalcare industry news06 Show Preview IDS Cologne 2009 Mr Ma Yun Xiu (DTI, Shelly Yui) According to the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD), more and more men are opting for cosmetic dental treat- ment. Men, who used to account for28percentofallveneers,now account for nearly a third of all procedures. Similarly, men used to account for less than a fifth of all orthodontics. They now represent almost a quarter, with 400 cases this year. Bridgesareanotherprocedure that has become more popular withmen,whousedtoaccountfor 42 per cent and now are edging ever closer to women at 46 per cent.Overall,orthodontics(which includes both visible ‘train track’ aswellasinvisibleandremovable braces)hasboomedinpopularity, with the number of cases more thantriplingsince2006. Women are still the big spenders on cosmetic dentistry, accounting for 61 per cent of all procedures. Women also still ac- count for the majority of whiten- ing procedures. According to Dr James Gool- nik, dentist and BACD board member, “These results show that men have become more ac- ceptingofcosmetictreatmentsin general—reflecting the impor- tance we now place on a healthy smile. The advent of new proce- dures, such as the removable adult braces and more realistic- looking veneers, which require much less drilling, also means people are less likely to choose invasive and irreversible treat- ments.” Dr David Bloom, dentist and president of the BACD, added, “This audit has highlighted some very exciting trends, such as an impressive increase in the num- ber of orthodontic cases. This could well be a backlash against the dramatic smile ‘overhauls’ popularised in makeover shows but may also herald a more sub- tle, and indeed cost-effective, ap- proach to cosmetic dentistry by the industry as a whole. It’s also interesting to note the over- whelming preference for less in- vasive treatments, such as on- lays, which are porcelain fillings to cover part of the tooth, over crowns, which involve drilling to achieve full coverage.” Men drive cosmetic trends THE TOP FIVE PROCEDURES FOR MEN IN 2007 White fillings (back teeth) 12,252 Crowns–Inlays–Onlays 11,088 Veneers 4,568 White fillings (front teeth) 3,856 Whitening 1,764 Source:BritishAcademy of Cosmetic Dentistry (DTI/CURAphotography) Dental implants are 98 per cent successful and cause little or no bone loss, according to new research published in the Journal of Oral Implantology. Authors Zeev Ormianer, DMD, and Ady Palty, DMD, reviewed 60 charts of patients who re- ceived a total of 267 implants in two private dental practices in Israel and Germany. Theyfoundthat98.5percent of the implants survived and there was no discernable bone lossin88percentoftheimplant sites. The mean follow-up time was 7.5 years. The study goal was to determine the level of bone loss over time at the im- plant sites in the jaw. A key clinical issue was not whether bone loss would occur, but how much bone loss should be con- sidered normal and acceptable. Commentingonthefindings, Jamie Lozada, DDS, president of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID), said the study adds to a growing body of compelling clinical evi- dence supporting dental im- plants as the most successful method for replacing missing or compromised teeth. “With an estimated two of threeAmericanshavingatleast one missing tooth, implants are becoming the preferred tooth- replacement option. Implant surgeryisoneofthesafest,most precise and predictable pro- cedures in dentistry,” Lozada said. Mostimplantsfound tobesuccessful The global market for den- tal supplies is projected to ex- ceed US$21.8 billion by 2015, a new report by Global In- dustry Analysts, USA, says. Demand for dental products and services remain healthy due to growing incidence of cosmetictreatment,newprod- ucts that reduce patient dis- comfort,increasedhealthcon- sciousness and growing num- ber of dental implants. However, growth in the conventional supplies cate- gory may be tempered due to emerging procedures and technologies that require few- er supplies and materials. According to the report, dental care markets vary widely across different coun- tries. Rapid growth in living standards has induced great- er realisation about the qual- ityofmedicalanddentalserv- ices in countries such as In- dia and China. Consequently, thesecountriesareexhibiting soaring demand for modern and sophisticated technology and equipment in the dental market. United States, Japan, and Europe collectively dominate the worldwide dental sup- plies market, with over 80 per cent share of sales in 2008. Global market exceeds US$21 billion by 2015