Market report showcases big players in intra-oral scanners

Donna Santos

Dr Kamran Zamanian

Fri. 6 September 2024

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CAD/CAM was first introduced in 1973 and continues to evolve, adapting to the wave of innovation and digitisation.¹ The first intra-oral scanner was developed in the 1980s.² Since then, numerous intra-oral technologies with diverse features have been launched.

Several influential factors have propelled the growth of the intra-oral scanner market, and infection control, accuracy, production efficiency, the popularity of clear aligners and the growing number of dentists are several of the major drivers. The significance of infection control became even more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Market trends

The total market value of intra-oral scanners globally in 2023 was estimated to be US$1.02 billion (€919 million^*).³ With the global population on the rise and a concurrent increase in the number of dentists in many countries, the potential growth rate is projected to remain strong and to reach a valuation of US$1.6 billion in 2030.

Global intra-oral scanner market for 2020–2030. (Source: iData Research)

Installed base

North America exhibits the most rapid growth rate in the adoption of intra-oral scanners, as indicated by the estimated installed base in 2018 and 2023, followed closely by Asia-Pacific and Western Europe. The market is anticipated to achieve a global installed base exceeding 500,000 units by 2030. Align Technology’s iTero intra-oral scanners alone reached an installed base of 73,000 units worldwide in the first quarter of 2022 according to the company’s financial results.⁴

Market opportunity

The growing number of dentists stands as a persistent market driver, contributing to the ongoing growth of intra-oral scanners. Furthermore, the younger generation of dentists exhibits the highest potential for adopting CAD/CAM systems, influenced by their exposure to technology during their education.

Upon comparing the estimated installed base and the number of dental clinics across all regions, it was determined that Asia-Pacific holds the highest potential for the adoption of intra-oral scanners. According to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Australia experienced an increase of over 30% in the number of dentists from 2011 to 2021. Following closely, Latin America is emerging as a region with substantial room for the adoption of intra-oral scanner technology. It is estimated that the total number of dentists in Brazil constituted more than 50% of the overall number of dentists in Latin America. Brazil has witnessed a significant surge in the number of dentists, growing from 264,000 in 2015 to over 360,865 in 2022.^5, 6

Competition landscape

The global intra-oral scanner market is predominantly led by Align Technology, 3Shape, Medit, Dentsply Sirona and Envista Holdings. These companies have significantly contributed to market growth through continuous product innovations and efforts to educate dental practitioners about the advantages of embracing digitisation through intra-oral scanners. This approach has driven a substantial surge in unit sales worldwide.

Global intra-oral scanner installed base in 2018, 2023 and 2030. (Source: iData Research)

Align Technology

Align Technology was the leader of the global intra-oral scanner market in 2023. The company has been expanding its presence globally and in September 2022 opened a new manufacturing plant located in Poland to reach the under-penetrated market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.⁷ Through the plant, the company plans to strengthen its production and estimates the creation of 2,500 jobs in 2025.⁸

Its Invisalign aligners have become increasingly popular in recent years, and this has allowed Align to make serious advances within the intra-oral scanner market. General dentists and orthodontists who wish to offer Invisalign services are offered heavy discounts on Align’s iTero intra-oral scanners, which are the preferred means by which to submit Invisalign cases. Partnerships with dental support organisations, dental clinic chains, dental service groups and dental practice networks have strengthened its position as the strongest competitor in the intra-oral scanner market. Its software upgrades for exocad and iTero have also had a significant influence on the expansion of its intra-oral scanner business.

In 2023, Align released iTero Element Plus Series, which offers an advanced scanning capability. This year, the company launched iTero Lumina, which boasts a compact and smaller wand size.

3Shape

3Shape has been able to make strides in the market through ongoing innovations and product enhancements. Since introducing its first intra-oral scanner, TRIOS, in 2011, 3Shape has continued to develop new scanners, releasing TRIOS 3 Mono in 2016,⁹ followed by TRIOS 3 in 2015.¹⁰ Notably from 2019, when it launched TRIOS 4, the company has consistently pursued advancements in its intra-oral scanner technology. TRIOS 4 was the first intra-oral scanner to offer the timely detection of both surface and interproximal caries. In addition to equipment, the company has continued to actively upgrade its software, recognising its equal importance in driving device innovation. Its intra-oral scanners have continued to gain popularity, and in 2022, 3Shape released an upgraded and wireless intra-oral scanner, TRIOS 5.

In June 2021, Dentsply Sirona and 3Shape announced a strategic partnership to enhance digital dentistry and oral healthcare. A key facet of this collaboration involved granting users of 3Shape’s TRIOS scanners access to Dentsply Sirona’s SureSmile aligner software. The primary goal of this collaboration is to simplify the digital workflow for dental professionals, ultimately improving efficiency and precision.

Medit

Medit produces low-cost scanners and maintains a number of partnerships, which have allowed it to secure a modest foothold in the overall market. Medit first announced its intra-oral scanner device, the Medit i500, in 2018. However, in 2020, the company lost its right to sell the Medit i500 in Germany owing to an infringement lawsuit filed by 3Shape. Medit launched the Medit i700 in 2021, and then in 2022, it launched the Medit i600 and Medit i700 wireless scanners. These scanners are distributed through global partnerships with Straumann Group and Kulzer. Moreover, its software, Medit Link, which allows dentists and dental laboratories to connect and conduct business, has bolstered the demand for the company’s intra-oral scanners.

In 2022, MBK Partners, one of the largest private equity funds in north-east Asia, signed a deal to acquire Medit. Two years after the acquisition, Medit released the Medit i900 intra-oral scanner, which features upgraded capabilities and functions, a lighter weight and a smaller size compared with the Medit i700.

Global installed base of intra-oral scanners and number of dental clinics in 2023. (Source: iData Research)

Dentsply Sirona

The vast majority of Dentsply Sirona’s share in the market stemmed from sales of chairside systems, mainly CEREC. CEREC uses the Primescan intra-oral scanner, which was launched in 2019, and in 2022, Dentsply released a more accessible laptop version, Primescan Connect.

Dentsply Sirona has a strong partnership with several large distributors, such as Henry Schein and Patterson Companies, as well as with dealers and importers. Moreover, its marketing approach centred on dental practitioners, dental schools and dental laboratories has contributed significantly to the demand for its chairside system and intra-oral scanners. Furthermore, its Connect and CEREC software updates, along with improvements to its intra-oral scanner firmware, have enhanced the appeal of the product for current users and have the potential to attract new buyers.

Envista Holdings

Envista’s acquisition of Carestream Dental’s intra-oral scanner business in April 2020 positioned it to become one of the major competitors in the intra-oral market.¹¹ Its intra-oral market share is due to Carestream Dental’s CS 3600 and CS 3700. While these scanners are often sold separately, they are marketed as a part of the CS Solutions line, which includes the CS 3100 milling machine and is bundled with exocad software to offer a chairside CAD/CAM package.

Carestream Dental partnered with the now defunct SmileDirectClub in February 2022 to utilise the CS 3700 in its SmileShops and partner network locations.¹² It was considered a demand propeller, given the increased demand for aligner treatment during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carestream Dental was rebranded as DEXIS and operates as part of the Envista equipment and consumables business. In October 2022, DEXIS launched the DEXIS IOS Solutions portfolio.

Closing thoughts

The market growth of intra-oral scanners is being driven by several factors, including the increasing number of dentists and dental clinics, the rise in demand for aligners, and the need for production efficiency, accuracy and infection control. Product innovation and software upgrades have further grown this demand. As the competitors in the intra-oral scanner market continue to expand across all of these regions, it is expected that the market demand will grow significantly annually by 2030. North America is expected to experience slower growth compared with other regions owing to the region reaching market saturation in the coming years; however, demand will persist, primarily driven by unit replacement. In Western Europe, the market is growing exponentially, as there is aggressive adoption and integration of digitisation in workflows. Asia-Pacific and Latin America have been identified as top regions with high potential for growth. Nevertheless, the regional average selling prices in these areas are typically lower than those in North America and Western Europe, affecting the overall market value.

Editorial note:

^* Calculated on the OANDA platform for 29 December 2023.

A list of references can be found here.