The Loupes Business
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- Published: Thursday, 15 August 2024 17:14
- Written by Tony Jacobs
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As our readers know, magnifying loupes are invaluable to many dental clinicians, and now the market for dental loupes has received some close inspection itself.
A new report has come from Allied Market Research (AMR), a large US based specialist in market research and consulting, who count KPMG, Deloitte, Bain, Nike and Citi amongst their clients. AMR looked at the size of the market, its’ likely growth and regional variations. This interest may be explained by the revelation that the global market was worth a shade under 290 million dollars in 2023. Predicating strong growth, AMR estimate that this will have grown to 619 million dollars by 2033.
This increase is partly explained by the general surge in healthcare spending as well as the increase in over 65s. This has combined with the growing numbers in the profession and the increasing adoption of loupe use across the clinical team. There has also been the continual technical advancement of loupes, wireless lights, increased magnifications, and the arrival of ergonomic optical systems. Many existing users are upgrading, and loupe sales are no longer seen as a later career, or once in a lifetime purchase.
In the 280 page report, AMR looked at the market by product type, end user, and region, and there were distinct differences. By product, UK readers may be surprised to see that globally, clip on devices had a large market share. Unsurprisingly when it came to end users, dental practices and clinics dominated market share, since according to AMR “dental clinics are the primary healthcare facilities where advanced dental procedures and routine check-ups take place.”
Regarding regional considerations, the emerging economies such as India and China with their rapid urbanisation, and increasing middle classes and disposable incomes, were experiencing a steep increase in demand for more advanced healthcare including dentistry.
The increase in provision of minimally invasive treatments was also seen as a factor that would increase the loupe market.
Dentists looking for more detail in the full report may wonder if they made a good career choice, with some versions of it costing over $4,000.
GDPUK has not splashed out on a copy but notes that the provided ‘taster’ summary of “key strategies and developments” is restricted to reporting just one manufacturers launch of a 5x ergonomic loupe in late 2023.
A marked feature of the recent larger dental trade shows has been that though the number of exhibitors may have declined, the proportion of stands offering loupes and lights has increased. Those who have bought loupes recently will be also aware of the increased number of disruptors with a direct to consumer service.
Even in the niche world of dental materials the loupe market may be a little different. In an age of corporates and career associates, they remain a fairly high value item where the purchasing decision is still made by individual clinicians.
GDPUK cannot say whether AMR’s clients will get those last two insights for their $4000
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