DYM high-end dental equipment shares with you the development prospects of the Chilean dental industry

I: Chile’s population and economic foundation

Chile’s population size: In 2025, Chile’s permanent population will be about 19 million, with an annual growth rate of 0.5%, and a significant aging trend (the population over 60 years old accounts for 18.1%, and it is expected to rise to 32.1% in 2050). The capital Santiago concentrates 40% of the country’s population and is the area with the most concentrated dental resources.

Chile’s economic situation: In 2024, Chile’s GDP will reach US$330.264 billion, with a per capita GDP of about US$16,442 and an economic growth rate of 2.6%. Despite the growth of the total economic volume, residents’ medical consumption capacity is still limited, and dental services mainly rely on self-payment (accounting for more than 70%). The cost of high-end projects such as dental implants is significantly higher than that of neighboring Peru.

Chileans prefer to eat high-carb staple foods such as bread, corn cakes, and barbecue. They prefer hot drinks and red wine, so they are prone to cause anterior tooth open-bite deformities and tooth surface pigmentation. In Chile, the DMFT index of dental caries prevalence among 12-year-old children is 2.1, while the global average is 1.86. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the habit of cleaning your teeth with a sandblasting dental scaler once every 6 months, and to use an electric toothbrush to keep your mouth clean.

II. Number and distribution of dental clinics in Chile

Market size: By 2025, there will be about 2,000 dental clinics in Chile, of which 80% are private clinics and 20% are chain brands. The density of clinics in large cities such as Santiago and Valparaiso is high, with 1.5 clinics per 10,000 people, while the coverage rate in rural areas is less than 1/3 of that in cities.

Degree of digitization: About 40% of clinics are equipped with digital equipment (such as intraoral scanners and 3D printers), mainly concentrated in the capital and tourist cities, but the problem of outdated equipment in grassroots clinics is prominent (30% still use traditional dental machines).

The largest dental hospital in Chile: Sino-Chilean Friendship Hospital (located in Santiago) is the first Chinese general hospital in South America. Its dental department is equipped with high-end equipment and provides services such as dental implants and invisible corrections, with an annual outpatient volume of more than 50,000 people. In addition, Casablanca Hospital (newly opened in 2025) is a public general hospital with advanced dental facilities, covering a population of 980,000 in the surrounding area.

Representatives of the private sector: The dental departments of private hospitals such as Clínica Alemana and Clínica Dávila are famous for their high-end services. The cost of dental implants is about RMB 4,276-31,504 per case, which is significantly higher than that of public hospitals.

III: Dental equipment imports and industrial chain

Import dependence: Chile’s dental equipment imports account for more than 80%, and the import value in 2024 is about 180 million US dollars, mainly purchased from Switzerland (implants), Germany (dental chairs) and China (consumables). Dental implant equipment (such as Straumann implants) and digital orthodontic systems (such as Invisalign) are the main imports, accounting for more than 60%.

Domestic substitution: Local companies have achieved breakthroughs in basic equipment (such as dental chairs and disinfection equipment), and their market share has gradually increased to 20%, but high-end equipment still relies on imports. In 2024, China’s exports of medical devices to Chile reached 870 million US dollars, of which dental equipment grew by more than 12%.

IV: Development prospects and challenges of Chile’s dental industry

(I) Core opportunities of Chile’s dental industry:

1. Policy support and technological innovation:

The government promotes “Internet + medical care” and plans to equip 80% of community clinics nationwide with AI-assisted diagnosis terminals by 2025, directly driving the growth of the medical IT market by 15%.

The penetration rate of digital dental technology (such as CAD/CAM restoration and 3D printed dentures) will increase from 15% in 2020 to 30% in 2025, and the cost of 3D printed dentures is 15% lower than that of traditional processes.

2. Medical tourism potential:

Chile attracts patients from neighboring countries with its cost-effective dental services. Although Peru has attracted a large number of Chileans for cross-border treatment, Chile’s local high-end dental services (such as invisible orthodontics) are still competitive, with a customer unit price 30% lower than that of the United States.

3. Growth in aging demand:

The increase in the elderly population has driven the demand for dental implants and denture restorations. The number of dental implants will increase by 18% year-on-year in 2024, and is expected to exceed 80,000 in 2025.

(II) Major challenges facing the dental industry in Chile:

1. Regional resource imbalance:

The coverage rate of dental clinics in rural areas is less than 1/3 of that in cities, the talent loss rate at the grassroots level is as high as 25%, and equipment updates are lagging behind.

2. Limited medical insurance coverage:

High-end projects such as dental implants and invisible orthodontics are not included in medical insurance, and demand from low- and middle-income groups is suppressed. In 2024, the average waiting time for public dental clinics will exceed 3 months, and private clinics are expensive.

3. Import cost pressure:

In 2024, the average import price of dental equipment will increase by 11.55%, and the depreciation of the peso will further increase costs and compress the profit margins of clinics.

(III) Future development trends of the dental industry in Chile:

Chaining and digitalization: Brands such as Auna and Uno Dental plan to add 20 new clinics in 2025, focusing on third- and fourth-tier cities; 80% of tertiary hospitals will be equipped with digital diagnosis and treatment systems, and the penetration rate of 3D printing equipment in private clinics will reach 50%.

Sustainable development: The application of biodegradable dental materials (such as bagasse syringes) and energy-saving equipment has gradually become an industry standard, in line with the global green trend.

International cooperation: China and Chile have cooperated to promote the localization of medical equipment. For example, Laboratorios Chile has cooperated with China United Imaging Medical to plan to achieve the localization of 3T magnetic resonance imaging in 2026.