Henry Schein 2006 Annual Report Download - page 10

Dental spending continues to increase,
driven in part by a growing awareness
of the correlation between oral health
and overall well-being. Studies have
demonstrated the relationship between
periodontal disease and stroke or heart
attack, while other research shows that
some chronic health conditions, such as
diabetes, may place a person at greater
risk for periodontal disease. Most
recently, a Harvard study has suggested
a link between poor oral health and
pancreatic cancer.
As a result, the important role of dentists
in the healthcare continuum is becoming
clearer, as they help in the early
detection of cardiovascular disease,
asthma, oral cancer and other conditions.
Additionally, the percentage of patients
with dental insurance coverage, a
greater emphasis on cosmetic dentistry,
and the growing use of pharmaceuticals
and diagnostic procedures in dental
practices are all accelerating dental
spending. These trends have resulted
in a need for greater dental practice
productivity, which is driving equipment
and technology sales.
Henry Schein’s Dental Group, which
includes Sullivan-Schein Dental and
Zahn Dental Laboratory in the U.S. and
Henry Schein Ash Arcona in Canada, is
there to meet virtually all of our dental
customers’ needs for operating an
efficient and successful practice while
providing a high quality of patient care.
The Group serves approximately 85%
of the estimated 135,000 U.S. and
Canadian office-based dental practices
and 19,000 laboratories, and has
approximately 38% of the estimated
$5.5 billion U.S. and Canadian
distribution market. In 2006, our
position in the market was further
strengthened with the acquisition of
Island Dental, a full-service distributor
of dental merchandise and equipment,
and Darby Dental Laboratory Supply, a
full-line distributor serving the U.S.
dental lab community.
The Dental Group offers approximately
42,000 in-stock products to our dental
customers and many more as special-
order items. This comprehensive
selection includes many important
product exclusives, such as the
Camlog™ dental implant system;
Colgate®Oral Care line of products;
DEXIS®digital radiography products;
BruxGuard™; Pentron®Laboratory
Products; ShadeVision™; the i-CAT™
Cone Beam 3-D Imaging Systems
from Imaging Sciences International;
BIOLASE®dental laser systems; and
Milestone Single Tooth Anesthesia™
system.
Meeting Virtually All
Dental Customers’ Practice Needs
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HENRY SCHEIN