Dental Asia May/June 2022

DENTAL PROFILE
The in-and-outs
of the dental
implant market
Lingga Tanamal
Vice-president of sales - Asia-Pacific
of Henry Schein’s Global Oral
Reconstruction Group
Henry Schein’s global oral reconstruction
group focuses on implant specialities, featuring
brands such as ACE Surgical Supply Company,
BioHorizons, Camlog and medentis medical,
which are all vertically integrated — from the
manufacturing to the market, including post-sales
services. Dental Asia speaks with Lingga Tanamal,
vice-president of sales, Asia-Pacific, Global Oral
Reconstruction Group, Henry Schein, Inc. to find
out more insights on dental implants.
Being in the medical device industry for almost
three decades, what are some of the key
takeaways you have brought along with you
to the Henry Schein dental implant business,
and how do they help shape your vision for the
company?
Lingga Tanamal: Within the last 20 years,
dentistry and how it is performed have changed
enormously. In the field of implantology, digital
workflows have advanced the speciality with
the introduction of intraoral scanners, 3D
printing and local milling. This streamlines
treatment protocol, improves practice efficiency
and increases patient comfort while delivering a
high standard clinical outcome.
Partnerships with universities are of increased
importance. Documenting clinical evidence
helps to identify optimum treatment options
and workflow while reducing healthcare costs.
Integrating implantology innovations through
continuing education for the next generation of
dental practitioners is crucial.
The advent of innovation has also elevated the
focus on the patient experience. Patients are
becoming more educated, which drives their
interest to understand their treatment options.
This has led to a more detailed conversation
between dentist and patient.
Finally, the regulatory landscape is rapidly
evolving with ever-changing and stringent
requirements. While fulfilling the new
requirements may be challenging for implant
manufacturers, they are necessary to ensure the
patient’s safety and efficacy. This also eliminates
“fly by the night” implant manufacturers.
All of this has shaped my vision as well as the
company’s drive to provide innovative, integrated
dental implantology products and services to
our customers to help them to deliver clinically
proven dental implant solutions for the patients.
We act as trusted advisors and partner with our
customers to tailor solutions to their needs.
Dental implants are arguably an indispensable
part of today’s clinical dentistry. Is there a
reason for this, and how will you envision the
next milestone in implant dentistry?
Tanamal: The awareness of the importance
of good oral health is growing, perhaps as an
impact of COVID-19. As patients learn about the
benefits of dental implants for their well-being,
they also realise the cosmetic benefits of getting
implants. With advancements in treatment
protocols, patients accept dental implants as a
long-term solution.
We will see more remote patient monitoring
appointments, an expansion of the use of digital
workflows, and more artificial intelligence and
augmented reality in dentistry, and above all in
implantology. Insurance companies may come
up with more varieties of dental coverage, which
right now is still rather limited in Asia-Pacific.
Dental tourism is offsetting the redistribution
of services and related costs while maintaining
high-quality care. With an increased demand for
high-quality products and stricter regulations for
market entry, I am convinced that only the best
dental implant brands will survive in the long
term.
Tanamal with her team members
24 DENTAL ASIA MAY / JUNE 2022