Medical & Dental Adhesives & Sealants

Report Overview

Expansion of the market will be fostered by rising health expenditures and rising focus on improving medical and dental procedure outcomes. Advances in life expectancy and the rapid growth in population segments aged 55 and above will lead to increasing incidences of acute illness, a greater prevalence of chronic diseases and disorders, and an increasing volume of patient activity that will drive demand for adhesives and sealants. Technical advancements in biotechnology further allow for sealants that act in conjunction with standard wound closures to reduce fluid and air leaks during and after surgery. This reduces recovery time and readmission rates, which have become key healthcare issues.

Acrylic polymers to remain most widely used types

According to Medical & Dental Adhesives & Sealants, a new study from The Freedonia Group, acrylic polymers will remain the most widely used medical and dental adhesives, representing almost 30 percent of demand in 2019. Acrylic will retain its status as the leading polymer for dental and orthopedic applications due to its relative low cost, durability, and formulation versatility. Acrylic sealants play a major role in the federal government’s agenda to promote oral health, aligning with a stated objective to increase the percentage of children and adolescents receiving dental sealants on their permanent molars. After acrylic, the most prevalent adhesives and sealants are based on polymers loaded with high levels of natural fillers such as glass and cellulose, which are widely used in dental adhesives and bone cements. Medical adhesives based on cyanoacrylate will continue to penetrate both internal and external medical applications based on the commercialization of new grades with improved biocompatibility and flexibility.

Pulmonary applications to be fastest growing medical uses

Freedonia forecasts that cardiovascular and bone applications will lead demand in the medical segment through 2019, accounting for more than 50 percent of all use. However, adhesive and sealant demand in pulmonary applications is forecast to grow at the fastest rate of all medical and dental applications. This growth will be driven by the recent regulatory approval of a product specifically for use in lung surgery as well as the continued adoption of protein-based hemostats in pulmonary surgery. While the incidence of lung cancer is falling, chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) remains the third leading cause of death in the US, behind cancer and heart disease. Looking forward, European hospitals are conducting clinical trials of nonsurgical procedures based on the use of lung sealants to treat lung hyperinflation caused by COPD; this will likely lead to the adoption of similar procedures in the United States.

Restorative applications to fare well

Among dental applications, denture bonding agents, pit and fissure sealants, and restorative adhesives will continue to account for over 80 percent of demand through 2019. The most rapid growth is expected for restorative dental applications, with rapid gains also in smaller segments such as tissue bonding applications associated with periodontal care. However; total demand growth in dental applications will lag medical through 2019, limited by market maturity in pit and fissure sealants and in dental bonding agents.

Study coverage

This Freedonia industry study, Medical & Dental Adhesives & Sealants, presents historical demand data (2004, 2009 and 2014) plus forecasts (2019 and 2024) by product, application and market. The study details key market environment factors, analyzes company market share and profiles 25 US industry players.

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