Dental Products Company | Pediatric Crown Concept Test
How a dental products company validated a next-generation esthetic pediatric crown concept across seven global markets, informing product design and commercialization strategy through comprehensive multi-country research.
Project Details
Key Results
The Challenge
A dental products company set out to validate a next-generation esthetic pediatric crown concept and to understand global variation in current practices, unmet needs, and adoption drivers. With esthetic options proliferating and country-level standards of care diverging, the company needed clear direction on material/handling trade-offs, cementation preferences, pricing tolerance, and brand perceptions to inform product design and commercialization strategy across seven priority markets.
- Validate next-generation esthetic pediatric crown concept
- Understand global variation in current practices and unmet needs
- Determine material/handling trade-offs and cementation preferences
- Inform product design and commercialization strategy across seven markets
Research Approach
Multi-Country Quantitative Study
PROOF Insights (then PROOF Insights) executed a multi-country quantitative study among clinicians actively performing pediatric crowns, fielded in the US, China, UK, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia (total N≈601, after data-quality exclusions). The survey measured procedure mix, settings, chair time, anesthesia usage, cement preferences, brand familiarity/usage, and feature importance.
Global Market Coverage
Seven priority markets: US, China, UK, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia
Comprehensive Assessment
Procedure mix, settings, chair time, anesthesia usage, and cement preferences
Conjoint Exercise
Tested pediatric crown material/handling configurations and price points
Quality Controls
Rigorous screening and data-quality exclusions for reliable insights
Global Markets Studied
United States
China
United Kingdom
Germany
Mexico
Brazil
Saudi Arabia
Key Findings
Global Procedure Mix & Settings
Stainless steel crowns dominate posterior restorations in most markets; composite and zirconia usage varies widely, with Brazil and China high on their individual materials. Office-only treatment is most common overall, while China shows greater hospital utilization across several crown types.
Chair Time & Anesthesia Patterns
Average chair times for anterior/posterior crowns span were ascertained in minutes depending on material and country. Local anesthesia is the modal approach overall; China shows comparatively higher nitrous oxide usage, and hospital settings are more common for nitrous/general anesthesia combinations.
Cementation Today—and Openness to Change
Glass ionomer and resin-modified glass ionomer (RMGI) are most commonly used across many crown/material combinations, with others used more frequently in Brazil and China. A large share of non-users would consider switching to adhesive or self-adhesive resin cements—immediately in some markets (notably a particular market), more selectively in the US/UK.
Brand Landscape & Perceptions
3 brands are the most familiar and commonly used esthetic pre-formed crown brands globally, with notable regional differences in awareness and trial. Top reasons for discontinuation include insufficient esthetic/clinical durability, difficulty adjusting, and cost. Many clinicians who have not tried certain brands cite no compelling reason to switch or price as barriers.
What to Improve & What Matters Most
Clinicians most often call for decreased tooth reduction, better cost, and greater clinical durability as the top improvement opportunities. When forced to pick the most important attributes, price, longevity/durability, and esthetics lead, followed by margin/proximal adaptability and reduced reduction requirements.
Concept Adoption & Pricing Signals
In conjoint-style preference testing, a composite-based esthetic crown concept outperformed a rigid zirconia concept on likelihood to purchase at tested price bands, with highest stated adoption in several countries.
Impact & Outcomes
Product Design Guidance
- Prioritize particular features for maximum clinical appeal
- Ensure cementation path balances strength with simple workflows
- Support compatible protocols and training for resin cement markets
Positioning & Messaging
- Lead with durability + esthetics + efficiency messaging
- Explicitly address historic pain points in communications
- Quantify chair-time benefits where meaningful by material
Market Strategy
Stage launches and claims to regional priorities:
Three Countries
Lean into value/price-performance and immediate openness to resin cements
Three Other Countries
Emphasize evidence, consistency, and workflow fit; frame resin-cement adoption as case-selective
One Additional Country
Plan for hospital-setting use cases and higher adoption of zirconia/advanced cements
Conclusion
The pediatric crown research provided a clear blueprint for an esthetic pediatric crown offering with broad, multi-market appeal: reduce tooth reduction concerns, preserve esthetics and durability at accessible price points, and meet clinicians where they are on workflows. With country-level nuance in place, the dental products company can advance a configuration and message set that maximizes trial, satisfaction, and conversion across priority regions.
Global Market Strategy
Clear roadmap for multi-market product launch with regional customization
Product Optimization
Data-driven design decisions focusing on durability, esthetics, and efficiency
Commercial Success
Validated concept with clear path to market penetration and adoption
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