Demand for Dental Products in China to Reach 21.5 Billion Yuan

Demand for dental products in China is expected to climb 11.0 percent per year through 2012 to 21.5 billion yuan, driven by the increasing number of Chinese who are using dental products to improve their appearance and the growing popularity of professional dental care. Rising personal income levels will make dental products more affordable to consumers while government programs will increase awareness of the benefits of good oral care. These and other trends, including market share and product segmentation, are presented in Dental Products in China, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

Consumer dental products -- including toothpaste, whitening products, mouthwash and dental rinses, dental floss, and denture products -- account for about three-quarters of overall Chinese dental product demand.  Toothpaste dominates the consumer dental product segment, comprising about 90 percent of the market.  However, the fastest growth is anticipated for lower volume products, especially whitening products, floss and dentures, with sales of each growing more than 15 percent annually through 2012. 

Professional dental product demand in China will rise over 14 percent annually through 2012, outpacing consumer dental product advances.  Market gains will be spurred by an increasing number of dental visits per year, as well as by a shift from functional, and repair and restorative products to cosmetic procedures using more aesthetic material.  As income levels grow, more people in China are able to afford orthodontic products.  Among repair and restorative products, ceramic crowns and bridges will achieve the fastest growth, driven by increasing income levels, a rise in the number of root canal procedures and the growing use of more expensive product types. 

The current strong growth in both consumer and professional dental product sales in China is being driven primarily by demand in urban areas.  Urban China typically has much higher disposable income levels, as well as better personal hygiene awareness, than the less-developed countryside.  Going forward, continuing urbanization, as well as government and private efforts to promote hygiene awareness and economic growth in rural areas, will boost per capita consumption of dental products in China. 

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles.