Dental Radiography Equipment Market Research Report and Outlook by 2028

The dental radiography equipment sector is anticipated to grow significantly, reaching an estimated US$ 4,242.32 million by 2028, up from US$ 2,559.09 million in 2021. This growth represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6% from 2022 to 2028. Key drivers of this market expansion include the increasing incidence of oral cancer, a rise in the number of dental practices, and heightened spending on dental health.

As reported by the American Dental Association in 2020, approximately 5 million individuals aged 65-74 in the United States are edentulous, with around 3 million having lost all their teeth primarily due to dental caries, a condition that can be effectively diagnosed through dental radiography (X-ray). Furthermore, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that in 2019, about 86.9% of children aged 2-17 visited dental facilities. Additionally, 63.0% of adults aged 18-64 and 65.6% of seniors aged 65 and above had at least one dental visit. These routine check-ups often involve procedures such as crowns, root canals, maxillofacial treatments, bonding, and fillings.

A study titled "Ecological Study on Needs and Cost of Treatment for Dental Caries in Schoolchildren Aged 6, 12, and 15 Years" published in 2021 revealed that approximately 70-85% of 12-year-old schoolchildren in Mexico suffer from dental caries. Despite improvements in health indicators among indigenous populations, significant oral health disparities remain. Intraoral radiographs are essential for diagnosing dental caries, leading to an increased demand for dental radiography equipment as the prevalence of dental diseases rises. Regular dental check-ups and the high incidence of dental issues are driving the need for radiographic imaging, which is crucial for diagnosing caries and other dental conditions. Moreover, advancements in dental imaging technology are enabling companies to introduce innovative products. For example, Dentsply Sirona, a US-based manufacturer, launched the Schick AE in October 2019, a next-generation intraoral sensor featuring numerous technological enhancements.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on dental care, with routine appointments in the UK being suspended in March 2020. According to CDC guidelines for dental settings, the US focused on providing essential dental services while minimizing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure to patients and staff. This prioritization led to reduced access to dental care, particularly among socially disadvantaged groups. A study published by NCBI titled "Frequency and Pattern of Outpatient Dental Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic at Hospitals and Community Clinics" reported that out of 14,319 dental visits at outpatient clinics in Alberta, Canada, the number of visits in 2018, 2019, and 2020 were 5,671, 5,036, and 3,612, respectively. This data highlights the decline in dental visits during the pandemic, resulting in fewer procedures and referrals, which adversely affected the dental radiography equipment market due to a significant drop in diagnostic scans in North America.

Product Insights

The dental radiography equipment market is categorized into several segments: intraoral X-ray systems, extra-oral X-ray systems, intraoral plate scanners, and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) systems. The intraoral X-ray systems segment is expected to dominate the market in 2022. However, the CBCT imaging systems segment is projected to experience the highest CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period. Dental CBCT offers a rapid and non-invasive method for addressing various clinical inquiries through X-ray imaging. Unlike traditional X-ray images that provide two-dimensional (2D) views, dental CBCT produces three-dimensional (3D) images, which can assist dentists in diagnosing, planning, and assessing specific dental conditions.

In preparing the report on the dental radiography equipment market, several key primary and secondary sources were consulted, including the BDIA Technology and Trends Survey from 2019, Worldometer, the State of Mouth Cancer UK Report, Cancer Focus Northern Ireland, General Dental Services Statistics, and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).