Dental Technology Patents: Top Companies, Trends & White Space 2026
- 31.4% of all 338 records sit with just five assignees, yet the ranked field runs 100 companies deep — a concentrated top with a long single-filer tail.
- Filing peaked at 29 records in 2021 then fell to 15 by 2024, a -48% swing across three years that predates any pandemic-era hangover.
- A61C and A61L dominate the classes at 47.3% and 37.9% of records respectively, while body-fluid devices and polymer compositions sit under 6% each.
Filing growth compares 2021 (29 records) with 2024 (15) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field. Top-5 share is the combined record count of the five largest assignees divided by all 338 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
What the dataset covers
This landscape draws on 338 published records filed between 2015 and 2026 that combine dental device or dental treatment apparatus language with claims over device geometry, implant materials, fixation elements, physiological interfaces, device control or tissue interfaces. The scope is deliberately narrow: it captures where dental hardware claims intersect with the material and control questions that determine whether a device actually works in the mouth, not general dental chemistry or unrelated medical devices.
Filing activity runs across receiving offices led by the United States, with meaningful volume also filed through the EPO, WIPO's PCT route, Canada, Australia and Israel — evidence that the commercially interesting claims are being pursued multi-jurisdictionally rather than filed once and left at home.
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Filing trends and technology composition
Two views of the same 338 records: how filing volume has moved year over year, and which IPC subclasses the claims actually sit in.
Filing trend, 2017-2026
Annual filings rose from 3 records in 2017 to a peak of 29 in 2021, then declined to 15 by 2024 — a -48% move across that span. 2025 and 2026 figures are still incomplete because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so the apparent tail-off in the most recent years should not be read as the field slowing down.
Technology composition by IPC subclass
A61C (dentistry and oral hygiene) and A61L (sterilising and disinfecting) each cover well over a third of the 338 records, confirming that device hygiene and delivery mechanics are the load-bearing claim territory. A61K medicinal preparations and A61F implants and prostheses sit close behind at around a quarter of records each, while glass/enamel compositions, body-fluid devices and polymer compositions each account for 5-7% — smaller but not negligible claim territory.
Shares are the percentage of the 338 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Dental Technology Patent Landscape with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about dental technology patent landscape and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaThe most-cited records in the field
WO2019036042A1 — Dental optic device and uses thereof
The present invention provides dental devices that attach to at least one tooth or other dental work of a first arch and provide a hands-free intraoperative platform for attachment of, e.g., optical devices. In some aspects, the present invention provides dental optic devices that attach to at least one tooth or other dental work of a first arch and provide hands-free intraoperative visualization of at least one area of a second arch opposing the first arch. The present invention further provides systems comprising a dental device disclosed herein and methods of performing a dental procedure using such a dental device.Filed by RICH, STEPHEN, L. and published 2019-02-21.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US20050038498A1 | Medical device applications of nanostructured surfaces | 628 |
| 2 | US20060204738A1 | Medical device applications of nanostructured surfaces | 596 |
| 3 | US7166570B2 | Medical implants and fibrosis-inducing agents | 500 |
| 4 | US20080170511A1 | Home electrical device control within a wireless mesh network | 313 |
| 5 | US20050142163A1 | Medical implants and fibrosis-inducing agents | 311 |
| 6 | US20050221072A1 | Medical device applications of nanostructured surfaces | 300 |
| 7 | US20070282247A1 | Medical Device Applications of Nanostructured Surfaces | 267 |
| 8 | US20070248047A1 | Home electrical device control within a wireless mesh network | 211 |
| 9 | US20060240064A9 | Medical implants and fibrosis-inducing agents | 180 |
| 10 | US7357635B2 | System and method to bioengineer facial form in adults | 147 |
Citation counts accumulate over time inside a searched corpus, so older filings are structurally favoured — read this table as a map of influence on the field to date, not a ranking of current commercial relevance.
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Browse MCP servers →What the numbers mean for a filing decision
Three read-throughs from the concentration, trend and citation data above.
A dense top with room underneath
The top five assignees combined hold 31.4% of all 338 records, and the top ten hold 52.1% — concentrated enough that a new entrant should expect prior art from a small set of repeat filers, but not so concentrated that the remaining field is closed. A 100-company ranking with a long single-filer tail means most of the activity sits outside the leaders.
Filing has cooled from its 2021 peak
Annual filings rose to a peak of 29 records in 2021 before falling to 15 by 2024, a -48% move over three years. Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, 2025-2026 figures are not yet reliable evidence of a continued decline — treat 2024 as the last complete year of data.
Hygiene and delivery mechanics dominate the claims
A61C (dentistry and oral hygiene) touches 47.3% of the 338 records and A61L (sterilising and disinfecting) touches 37.9%, together forming the field's densest claim territory. Polymer compositions (C08L) and body-fluid devices (A61M) sit at only 5.0% each, suggesting these adjacent material and delivery questions are comparatively open.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to dental technology patent landscape, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who is filing, and where the gaps sit
The ranked field runs 100 companies deep across the 338 records in scope. Recent-year momentum among several previously active filers has dropped to zero, which is consistent with the broader 2021-2024 filing decline rather than any single company's retreat.
A single leader, then a steep drop
The top-ranked assignee holds 26 of the 338 records, well ahead of fifth place at 18 and tenth place at 12. The gap between first and fifth is proportionally larger than the gap from fifth to tenth, pointing to one clearly dominant filer rather than a tight cluster at the top.
Co-filing is concentrated in one cluster
Only 10 co-assignee pairs appear in the dataset, and the strongest pairs — all involving the same individual inventor working alongside different collaborators — each reach 19 shared records. This points to one prolific research grouping rather than a broad pattern of cross-company collaboration.
Recent-year activity has gone quiet across the board
Several assignees that were active in prior years, including one filer that recorded a -100% year-on-year change, show zero filings in the latest year. Given the 18-month publication lag, this is best read as an incomplete recent-year picture rather than firms exiting the space.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Biomimetic Therapeutics Inc | 0 | — |
| ANGIOTECH INT AG (CH) | 0 | — |
| Nanosys Inc | 0 | — |
| Align Technology Inc | 0 | -100% |
| YLI URPO ANTTI | 0 | — |
| KARLSSON KAJ | 0 | — |
| HUPA MIKKO | 0 | — |
| ARO HANNU | 0 | — |
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to two practical next steps for a team deciding where to file or partner.
Pressure-test a claim against the leaders
With 52.1% of records held by the top ten assignees, a new filing in core dentistry or sterilisation claim space should be checked against those specific portfolios before drafting, not just against the field average.
Explore assignee portfolios in EurekaScope the under-claimed branches
Polymer compositions and body-fluid device claims sit at 5.0% of records each, well below the dentistry and sterilisation core — worth a dedicated search before assuming the space is open.
Run a white-space search in EurekaCommon questions on dental technology patents
The top-ranked assignee in this dataset holds 26 of the 338 records in scope, with the next four leaders bringing the top-five combined total to 106 records, or 31.4% of the field. Beyond that, the ranking runs 100 companies deep with a long tail of single-filer entrants, so no single company controls the space outright. Anyone evaluating freedom to operate should check the leading portfolios specifically rather than assuming even distribution across the field.
Filing rose from 3 records in 2017 to a peak of 29 in 2021, then fell to 15 by 2024 — a -48% decline across that three-year span. Figures for 2025 and 2026 are still incomplete because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so the recent-looking drop-off should not be treated as confirmed until later years catch up. Based on the last complete year, 2024, filing activity has cooled meaningfully from its 2021 peak.
The two largest IPC categories are A61C, dentistry and oral hygiene, covering 47.3% of the 338 records, and A61L, sterilising and disinfecting, covering 37.9%. A61B diagnosis and surgery, A61K medicinal preparations and A61F implants and prostheses each sit around a quarter of records. Smaller categories including glass and enamel compositions, body-fluid devices and polymer compositions each account for roughly 5-7% of records, marking them as comparatively less crowded claim territory.
The categories with the lowest filing share relative to the dentistry and sterilisation core are the ones worth scoping first: polymer compositions and body-fluid devices each sit at only 5.0% of the 338 records, compared with 47.3% for core dentistry claims. Glass and enamel composition claims, at 7.1%, are similarly thinner. A first claim in these areas should still be checked against the specific leading portfolios in the field, since low overall density does not guarantee an open path around any one company's claims.
It is moderately concentrated: the top five assignees hold 31.4% of the 338 records and the top ten hold 52.1%, which means over half the field sits with a tenth of the ranked assignees. At the same time, the ranking extends to 100 companies, most holding only a handful of records, so the field is not closed to new entrants. The practical implication is that prior-art risk is concentrated among a known set of leaders rather than spread evenly across the field.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.