A large number of local companies in Brazil that offer dental implants at a very low price point are driving down aggregate selling prices. (Photo: cifotart/Shutterstock)

2013-10-23 | News Americas

TORONTO, Canada: According to a new report, the Brazilian, Russian, Indian and Chinese (BRIC) markets will be the fastest-growing dental implant markets worldwide in the next few years. It is believed that they will reach $1.3 billion in 2021 owing to the rising number of dentists learning to perform implant procedures and the increased importance of local low-cost competitors for the international dental industry.

According to the Millennium Research Group (MRG), a Canadian provider of strategic information to the health care sector, Brazil currently represents the largest of the BRIC markets and will continue to generate the highest proportion of revenues, accounting for over 50 percent of all dental implant revenues. Dental implants have been available in the country for a long time and many Brazilians seek this treatment owing to a high level of aesthetic consciousness in the society.

With regard to market expansion, however, MRG predicts that the less mature Russian, Indian and Chinese markets will have greater growth, with the dental implant market in China experiencing the strongest development.

"Price competition will be less prevalent in China than in Russia, India or Brazil," said MRG analyst Jeremy Seath. "Chinese dentists place greater emphasis on brand names and premium products because it improves the appearance of their practices to patients. The majority of patients undergoing dental implant treatment in China continue to be part of a wealthy social class and they are more likely to request higher-priced brands. As a result of this trend, the aggregate selling price in China was more than double that of the other BRIC countries in 2012."

MRG also stated that low-cost products will gain more importance as price competition intensifies worldwide. Although the increasing availability of low-cost products will make dental implant procedures more accessible to patients, this trend will ultimately impede revenue, MRG suggested. Therefore, international competitors, particularly in Brazil, will be looking to meet growing demand for implants by acquiring local low-cost companies to offer low-cost products alongside their premium devices. In 2012, for instance, Straumann acquire a 49 percent stake inNeodent, a leading dental implant company in Brazil. 

The report, titled "BRIC Markets for Dental Implants 2013," can be accessed on MRG's website.