Spain Dental Care Market Analysis

Spain Dental Care Market Executive Summary

Spain's dental care market size is to reach $1,054.71 Mn in 2030 from $692.48 Mn in 2022, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period of 2022-30. Spain is the second largest EU Member State with a total population of 47.1 Mn people. Healthcare spending in 2022 was 9.13% of GDP, with per capita spending of $2711.9 in 2019. Since 1992-2022, the number of dentists in Spain has increased substantially. There were 37,787 practicing dentists in December 2021, out of these registered professionals 1400 work in the Spanish National Health System (SNS). The Spanish National Health System (SNS) covers all aspects of general health but offers very little dental healthcare to adults. In 2021, 44% of the Spanish population visited a dentist in the previous year. Adults only receive emergency care and oral surgery (dental extractions) in publicly financed clinics. Children aged 7 to 15 years are covered (with certain restrictions) by publicly financed funded by a capitation fee-based system for oral healthcare with various care models depending on the local health authority. Over the last 20 years, children's oral health has improved, with the national mean Decayed Missing Filled Teeth (DMFT) score falling from 4.20 to 1.12 due to the public health intervention programs.

The private sector, which employs more than 90% of dental professionals, provides the vast majority of oral health care. There has been a significant expansion in the Spanish dental workforce, despite a relatively modest demand for oral health care services. While the Spanish population expanded by 24% (from 37.5 Mn to 47.1 Mn residents) between 1992 and 2022, the number of dentists increased from 3,946 to 37,787 shifting the dentist/population ratio. Due to the large number of new graduates, the percentage of women in the field has increased and the average age of dentists has reduced. If the current rate of new Spanish dentists graduating each year continues, there will be around 40,000 dentists in Spain by 2025.

In Spain, the vast majority of dentists have private clinics and compete with one another in terms of rates and treatments to provide their services. For an EU citizen with a European Healthcare Card, the coverage of services by the few public dentists under the Social Security system is limited. Thus, a private dental practice that constitutes 90% of the market size is benefited. The dental insurance for a basic dental insurance policy covers the following services: general and preventive dentistry (reviews, diagnostic tests), free yearly dental checks, oral cleaning, fluoridation or extraction, and 24-hour emergency treatment. Private dental care in Spain is relatively inexpensive, especially in comparison to the UK and the US. The estimated number of beneficiaries for private dental insurance in Spain is 3 Mn. Treatments are so low-cost and high-quality that Spain has become a popular dental tourism destination.

Market Dynamics

Market Growth Drivers

Spain is developing as a medical tourism destination for EU member states following Brexit because the expenses are significantly lower than those in the UK. This has been a significant driving force for growth and opportunity for corporations to engage in the unification of a stable network throughout Spain, which is primarily controlled by professionally-owned private clinics, hospitals, and chains. Dental firms (the equivalent of corporate organizations in the United Kingdom) are quickly expanding, a trend likely aided by the enormous growth in the number of young professionals looking for work and the increasing risks of beginning their own dental practice. Ownership of dental clinics is no longer limited to professionals, and investors from outside the dental world are expanding. It should be noted that Spain, along with Luxembourg and Austria, are the only EU member countries that do not have officially recognized dental specialties. The Spanish Dental Association (Consejo de Dentistas), universities, and scientific organizations are negotiating with the Spanish government to get recognition for dental specialist training and dental specializations which further enhances competition in the market.

Market Restraints

The Spanish dental workforce has grown dramatically over the previous three decades(1992-2022), despite a relatively modest demand for oral health care services. Because there are no restrictions on the number of students admitted to private dental schools, the current overproduction is likely to persist, and many new graduates will be unable to find work in Spain. As a result, the current rate of Spanish dental migration to other EU member states is expected to continue. In comparison to other nations with similar economic and political systems, the demand for oral health care in Spain is low. According to the most recent Eurobarometer survey25, 43% of the Spanish population visited a dentist in the previous year (data from 2009).47% of the Spanish population believed that the economic crisis had hampered their ability to visit a dentist and that the economic recession in Spain has been particularly severe, with an unemployment rate 14.7% in 2021 and a higher rate (12.7%) among the younger population (those under 25-years-old). Balancing the significant rise in the number of dentists with the modest increase in use, it has been calculated that the number of private dental visits per dentist decreased.

Competitive Landscape

Key Players

• Dentix (ESP)
• Smysecret (ESP)
• ClínicasDentales Sanitas (ESP)
• ClínicasDentalesFidentia (ESP)
• Bupa Dental Care (GBR)

Notable Recent Deals

1. October 20, 2022: Advent-owned and created a consortium that included Vitaldent, Moonz clinics, and Smysecret to acquire Clinica Dental Cuevas Queipo de Llano, a dental clinic operator in Spain
2. August 2022: Corus expands into Scandinavia with the acquisition of Nordentic, the region's leading dental technology company. Through 63 laboratories and over 1,500 personnel, the company will provide its products and services throughout Spain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Portugal. Corus' current private equity backers Careventures and Quadrum Capital will continue to back the company's future expansion
3. July 2022: Impress, a Barcelona-based teeth alignment firm, announced a $125 million Series B fundraising round led by health-focused Norgine Ventures, LBO France, and Claret Capital Partners, bringing the total capital to $155.8 million. Impress, which provides clear tooth aligners to replace traditional braces, uses a hybrid model in which patients can arrange visits or undergo virtual oral scans with their doctor in person or via the app. The three-year-old start-up has 130 clinics spread across eight European nations (80% of which are profitable, according to the company), and it intends to use the fresh capital to develop in-person clinics and production facilities for its clear aligner.

Healthcare Policies and Regulatory Landscape

The dentist is a member of Madrid's Consejo Dentista de Colegios de Odontólogos y Estomatólogos (Spanish General Council of Colleges of Dentistry and Stomatology or General Dental Council). The Consejo Dentista database contains over 34,000 licensed dentists and over 25,000 dental clinics. A dentist can also be found through a personal recommendation, in the phone book under Dentista, or by using comparison sites such as Dentistaentu Ciudad.

Reimbursement Scenario

The Spanish healthcare system does not cover dental care in Spain unless you are aged under 15 or require emergency treatment. You will need to pay for dental treatment unless you have private health insurance. Dentists in Spain will typically require payment upfront. It is also possible to purchase dental insurance separately as an individualIf you are a low-income Spanish resident or have a child aged 6 to 15, you are entitled to free dentistry in Spain with a medical card. Typically, this involves twice-yearly check-ups, protective treatments, milk tooth extractions, and permanent tooth fillings, though the services provided and the age of entitlement vary by location. If you are registered or have an EHIC card, the state will also fund emergency treatment. If you require immediate medical attention, contact your local hospital or health center, which can be contacted through the Spanish Health Ministry. Some insurers specialize in expat insurance and can offer full health insurance, including dental coverage, that covers you while you are abroad. These companies include Allianz Care, Cigna Global, and Globality Health. Even though dentist prices are normally low, private health insurance might cut them in half and dental insurance in Spain can be purchased for as little as $11 - $21 per month.