📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

This Sector Will Drive the 3-D Printing Boom A new report predicts the dental sector will lead the growth in commercial 3-D printing over the next decade.

By Jenny Cosgrave

entrepreneur daily

This story originally appeared on CNBC

Printed jawbones and dental implants are set to lead the growth in commercial 3-D printing, with the sector expected to expand over 500 percent in the next 10 years, according to a new report.

The dental sector is on the verge of a "mass uptake" of the technology and represents a "clear growth area" for 3-D printing, according to tech research firm IDTechEx.

Read More: Has the 3-D printing bubble already burst?

Dental sector to drive 3-D printing boom - dental casts

Image credit: Shutterstock

It expects the dental and medical 3-D printing sector to grow by around 515 percent to $868 million by 2025, up from its current value of $141 million.

As a result, many printer manufacturers are designing machines and developing materials specifically aimed at the dental market, the group's report said.

Read More: 3-D printing market to grow 500% in 5 years

"Applications are emerging in the medical and dental fields, where the opportunity afforded by cheap customisation is allowing surgeons to replicate a patient's body based on MRI and CT scans in order to practice difficult invasive procedures, and medical and dental implants which are fully customised to a particular individual can be generated," IDTechEx said.

With some 90,000 dental surgeries in the U.S. alone, the group estimates that dental-specific printer sales in the country could hit $180 million per year, as each printer costs around $20,000 and has an average lifespan of around 10 years.

Read More: How 3-D printing will radically change the world

Manufacturer Stratasys is named by IDTechEx as one of the leading companies in the space. Shares in the Nasdaq-listed group jumped as much as 19 percent earlier this month after it reported a 67 percent increase in second-quarter revenue, beating analysts' expectations.

In total, the 3-D printing market will be worth $4 billion by 2025, according to the report, as jewellery, aerospace and auto industries begin to implement the technology more.

Jenny Cosgrave is a writer/producer at CNBC.com covering the buy side, economics and markets.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

He Started a Luxury Side Hustle at Age 13 — Now the Business Earns More Than $10 Million a Year: 'People Want to Help You When You're Young'

Michael Morgan, now the owner of Iconic Watch Company, always had a passion for "old things" — and he turned it into a lucrative venture.

Thought Leaders

It's the End of the Entrepreneurial Era As We Know It

With the rise of advanced technologies and AI, are we losing all sense of the independent business person and entrepreneur?

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.