. c n I h c 2 overdentures such as fixed-hybrid overdentures and re- movable implant bar overdentures, since the implant bar is a key component of these overdentures. Another current trend within the implant bar market regards the materials being used in their fabrication. Implant bars in both the US and Europe are primarily fab- ricated with titanium, cobalt chromium or, occasionally, gold. In the US, the use of titanium has been most pop- ular whereas in Europe, cobalt is used more often. Both titanium and cobalt chromium have benefits. Cobalt has been used in dentistry for decades and is a very strong, biocompatible material with high corrosion resistance. Titanium is also a very strong and corrosion-resistant material. Where titanium distinguishes itself, however, is through its lightweight nature, elasticity and superior biocompatibility. In the implant bar market, titanium has been gaining considerable popularity, mostly owing to its biocompatibility. Germany, Scandinavia, Austria, Switzer- land and the Benelux region have paved the way in the use of titanium in Europe. Cobalt chromium still com- mands a significant unit share of the implant bar market in France, the UK, Italy, Spain and Portugal, but titanium is expected to become the dominant implant bar material in these countries over the next decade (Fig. 2). Closing thoughts In summary, shifting patient preferences towards fixed- restorations and the widespread adoption of CAD/CAM technology has led to significant changes in the over- denture market. Whereas the future may be uncertain, iData Research forecasts indicate that this market is expected to experience substantial growth over the next five to ten years across Europe and the US. This will be spearheaded by remarkable growth within the fixed- hybrid overdenture, implant bar and fixed attachment markets. about Daniel Sussman is a research analyst at iData Research. He develops, writes and models syndicated and custom research projects for various medical device industries. To date, he has published the company’s European gastrointestinal endo scopic devices report as well as its US and European dental overdentures series. Dr Kamran Zamanian is CEO and founding partner of iData Research. He has spent over 20 years working in the market research industry with a dedication to the study of dental implants, dental bone grafting substitutes, prosthetics, as well as other dental devices used in the health of patients all over the globe. market, other minor competitors exist, such as the Smileloc system. Naturally, the fixed attachment market not only benefits from a steadily increasing rate of adoption but also from being tied to the fastest growing segment within the overdenture market. A shifting landscape for the implant bar market Like the attachment market, the implant bar market is also undergoing substantial changes that will affect it in both the short and long term. The first such change relates to the market’s competitive landscape. The implant bar market can be broken down into implant bars manu- factured by dental laboratories and those manufactured in independent milling facilities. Traditionally, there was a near-even split between dental laboratories and milling facilities in the US; however, dental laboratories command a significantly higher share of the market in Europe, par- ticularly in Italy, Spain and Portugal. Recently, the growing use of CAD/CAM technology has increased efficiency in the milling process and decreased the cost. Hence, smaller dental laboratories are now able to produce their own implant bars inexpensively, substantially increasing their share of the implant bar market. The competition between milling facilities and dental laboratories, in addition to the increased efficiency and cost savings of CAD/CAM technology, have combined to place downward pressure on implant bar prices across the US and Europe. As CAD/CAM technology becomes more accessible, an increasing number of dental labo- ratories have begun in-house manufacturing of implant bars. The increased efficiency of this process has caused the cost per implant bar to decrease. Whereas dental laboratories and CAD/CAM milling facilities are interested in maintaining their profit margins, reduced costs pres- ent an opportunity to capture greater market share. As a result, the price of implant bars has been decreasing while the use of CAD/CAM technology increases. This is expected to reach a plateau as the implant bar market becomes saturated with CAD/CAM milling. These price reductions also have an impact on the pricing of splinted 08 CAD/CAM 2 2022