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Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition | 1+2/2016 10 BUSINESS The Middle East is considered one of the fastest growing dental markets worldwide. Quality and innovative technology have been at the centre of interest for the region’s dentists, practitioners and manufacturers as dentistry has advanced from basic treatment to state-of-the-art oral health care. A record number of companies from the UK took the opportunity to exhibit at this year’s UAE International Dental Confer- ence and Arab Dental Exhibition (AEEDC). Dental Tribune spoke to threefirst-timeexhibitorsaboutthe problems and promises of entering the market. Ten years ago, one could hardly have imagined a spike in interest in 3-D printing in Middle Eastern digital dental laboratories. Now, the region’s dental industry is rap- idly adopting new technologies such as intra-oral scanning and CAD/CAM to keep up with the rising demands of its increasingly affluent patients. Digital dentistry, a technological revolution most UK dental practices are already fa- miliar with, has entered the region within the last few years. Interest from the Middle East in modern dentalinstruments,however,isnot limited to digital solutions. Den- tists have begun to look for high- quality endodontic and implant systems, as well as discovered cos- metic dentistry as the next rising star in the region. The dental in- dustry in the UK, a market with significantdomesticgrowthowing to its wide range of products and companies, has been promoting its expertise at trade fairs in the region, such as AEEDC. The first UK pavilion at AEEDC was established in 2010 with eight companies exploring the market and its numer- ous business oppor- tunities. Since then, the number of profes- sional visitors has dou- bled, from 20,000 to more than 40,000 in 2016, and so has the number of UK companies. “The UK pavilion contained 15 UK ex- porters and we are delighted thatthisrepresenteda50per centincreaseinthesizeofthe UK pavilion compared with our last attendance in 2014,” remarked Edmund Proffitt, Policy and Public Affairs Director at the British DentalIndustryAsso- ciation(BDIA).“The Middle Eastern and Gulf region markets con- tinue to offer significant sales opportunities for UK dental exportersascoun- tries continue to in- vest in the provision of dental services. The opening up of the Iranian market also pro- videsahostofnewsalesopportuni- ties for UK exporters.” Iran—the next big market? For many British companies, both AEEDC and Dubai have been considered an excellent opportunity to expand into the Gulf and Middle Eastern markets such as Iran. For instance, daily two-hour flights be- tween Tehran and Dubai have long fostered trade between the two countries, while European andAmericancompanieshaveyet to profit from the short distance. At the trade fair, many exhibitors noted a significant increase in vis- itorsfromIran,awelcomeresultof the suspended United Nations’ sanctions that hindered business for years. The UK government has now seen the opportunity to transfer its technical expertise to Iran and therefore encourage its industries to reinvest in the country.Ascompetitionfordental products is still relatively low, it seems like the right time for the British dental industry to enter the market. QualityEndodonticDistributors was established in 1989 in Peter- borough in the UK at a time when the endodontic materials and methods we take for granted today were at their very beginnings. The supplierofrubberdams,lubricants andendodonticinstrumentschose to exhibit in Dubai because the market promises new opportuni- tiesforgrowth.“WewenttoChicago before, but the trend moved across to Dubai. Here, we primarily met dentists, dealers and manufactur- ers from the region. It is important tobuildupadealernetworkhereto succeed,”said Edward R.S. Conduit, sales and marketing director of the company. OsteoCare Implant System was already working with distributors from Kuwait when it decided to pursue further opportunities in the region and exhibit at AEEDC. The company looked for dealers for each country instead of target- ing the whole region. “In order to succeed, dental companies need to raise brand awareness and partner with as many local distributors as pos- sible, as regional differences exist,” according to Head of Operations Dave Stephens. “We particularly looked for distributors in the UAE. We have had incidental sales for about 20 years, but the business has quite changed in this time. for implants has increased at home and abroad so we had to make sure our products remained visible. We are not into fast trends, but assure simplicity and quality madeinBritain.Weprovidedental implant systems for all ranges, as well as also hands-on courses on placing them correctly.” Understanding the dos and don’ts OsteoCareapproachedUKTrade &Investment(UKTI)andtheBDIA and spoke to business advisors before planning its show partici- pation. UKTI and BDIA offer nu- merous training opportunities to help companies to identify their markets and establish a consid- ered pathway before starting to export. They advise that UK com- panies still seek legal advice and work with established networks. Successful export to the Middle Eastern and Gulf states further requires Arabic-speaking people living in the same time zone. Althoughlanguagehasnotbeen a barrier, as English has domi- nated business in Dubai and most of the region, Arabic remains the world’s fourth most important language on the Internet after English, Chinese and Spanish, according to Google. Hence, any UK company looking for online sales could significantly increase traffic and customer engagement by setting up a website in Arabic. Also, it is good to know that pay- ment by credit card, which is quite common in the UK, has not reached the same level of accept- ance as cash in the Middle East. EnlightenSmiles,aLondon-based manufacturer of tooth whitening systems based on hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, was another first-timeexhibitor.Thecompany drew a large crowd to its stand owing to the region’s rising de- mand for whitening solutions not based on light.“Cosmetic den- tistry is an aspiring if not giant market in the Middle East. Our syringes, pastes and complete kits with home and office gels made quite an impression in Dubai,” said Dr Sanjay Patel, Director of Enlighten. “There is still an educational processtakingplaceintheregion,” he added. “I would compare this market to the situation in Europe ten years ago. Now, this market is asking for light-activated prod- ucts while we stopped using lights in 2006 in favour of our new whitening solutions. Dubai suc- ceeds at bringing together coun- tries that are relatively close by, such as Egypt and India. Here in Dubai,we also experiencedstrong interest from Sudan, a market we would not have thought about be- fore. Now, the process of turning interest into actual distributors and clients will take at least a year. This is how business works here.” Even though the UK remains Enlighten’s most important mar- ket,managementdecidedearlyon to export to Germany, the Nether- lands, Finland, Spain and France. While a number of companies in theUKarestillpursuingsuccessin thedomesticmarket,therearenu- merous opportunities abroad and it would appear that the Middle East is certainly one of them. How to succeed in the Middle East By DentalTribune International Dubai Clinical MastersTM Program in Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry 7 days of intensive live training with the Masters in Dubai (UAE) 2 sessions, hands-on in each session, plus online learning and mentoring. Learn from the Masters of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry: Tribune Group GmbH is an ADA CERP provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. Tribune Group GmbH is designated as an Approved PACE Program Provider by the Academy of General Dentistry. 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