Finnish health tech company Koite Health has signed a distribution agreement with Megagen Iberia, a major player in Spain's dental industry. This partnership aims to revolutionize oral health care by offering the innovative Lumoral treatment for patients nationwide. For Koite, the Spanish market represents a key milestone in Europe, providing significant growth potential and opening doors to other Spanish-speaking markets.

MegaGen Iberia is the Spanish division of global dental implant leader MegaGen, known for its innovative solutions like the AnyRidge implant system. With a strong presence in Spain’s growing dental implant market, MegaGen Iberia provides advanced products and offers extensive training and support for dental professionals. Their partnership with Koite Health to distribute Lumoral, demonstrates their focus on enhancing patient care.

In an interview, Enrique García Estrada, General Manager of Megagen Iberia, shares his insights on the collaboration and what it means for the Spanish dental market.

Why is Koite Health (Lumoral) a good partner for your company?

"At Megagen, innovation is at the core of everything we do. We continuously seek cutting-edge solutions that align with our commitment to enhancing dental care. From the outset, we were captivated by Lumoral’s revolutionary approach to oral health. This device not only targets oral hygiene but also allows us to engage more closely with patients, offering them an innovative way to maintain their implants at home. Lumoral's unique proposition fits perfectly within our portfolio of advanced dental solutions."

What do you expect this collaboration to bring to Megagen Iberia, the Spanish dental market, and implant patients?

"Through this partnership, we expect to provide both dental professionals and patients with a transformative tool that elevates oral care standards. Lumoral's ability to reduce bacterial plaque and maintain oral flora is particularly beneficial for implant patients, who need to safeguard their oral hygiene to prevent complications like peri-implantitis. We believe this collaboration will strengthen our position in the market by offering a solution that brings innovation directly into patients’ homes."

Dental Implants in Spain – Market Growth and Demand Drivers

Spain is one of the global leaders in dental implant procedures. Over recent decades, implants have become a popular solution for tooth replacement due to their aesthetic and functional benefits. The market is growing, driven by an aging population that needs long-term dental solutions, a focus on aesthetics, increasing oral health awareness, and technological advancements. Innovations in new materials used in dentistry, 3D imaging, and digital workflows have made implant procedures more efficient and accessible, further boosting demand and expanding the market.

"The market is growing at a steady pace," explains García Estrada. "With an aging population, there is increasing demand for implant-prosthetic rehabilitations, driven by a need for functional and aesthetic solutions. In 2023 alone, Spain recorded the sale of 1.8 million dental implants. While aging is a primary driver, factors such as rising oral health awareness and improvements in implant technology are contributing to this growth."

The Role of Oral Care in the Stability of Dental Implants

Thorough oral hygiene is crucial for implant stability. Dental implant failures can occur for various reasons, affecting both the short-term success of the procedure and long-term stability. Dental implants are not free from the risk of gum infections. Peri-implantitis is an inflammatory condition that affects the tissues surrounding the implant, leading to bone loss and implant instability – possibly loss of it. It is often caused by bacterial buildup due to poor oral hygiene. If this dental plaque is not treated, it can result in implant failure.

According to García Estrada, "Studies show that 10-15% of dental implants fail due to poor oral hygiene. Post-implantation care is essential to minimize complications like peri-implantitis, a condition that can lead to implant failure. Devices like Lumoral are game changers, offering patients a preventive solution they can use at home to maintain their implants in optimal condition."

Peri-implantitis: A Growing Concern

"Peri-implantitis affects about 20-30% of dental implant patients," says García Estrada. "This inflammation around the implant can lead to bone loss and eventual failure if not properly managed. Risk factors include poor oral hygiene, smoking, and a history of periodontal disease. It is critical to manage this condition proactively, and Lumoral’s technology offers a promising solution to reduce these risks."

García Estrada sees Lumoral as an essential tool for implant patients. "The ability to reduce bacterial plaque and maintain oral health at home will give both patients and dentists greater peace of mind. Lumoral complements professional care, allowing dentists to focus on delivering more advanced treatments while patients can take a more active role in their daily oral hygiene. I believe dentists should consider offering Lumoral to all implant patients as part of their aftercare to prevent complications like peri-implantitis."

When asked about the consumer groups who will benefit most from Lumoral, Estrada highlights a broad potential audience. "While Lumoral can benefit people of all ages, we anticipate higher adoption among middle-aged and younger adults who are more likely to understand and consistently use the technology. Athletes, elderly individuals with implants, and those who are more proactive about their oral health are key target groups."

Current Oral Health Concerns in Spain: Can Lumoral Make a Difference?

Garcia Estrada continues that Spain faces significant oral health challenges, including dental caries, periodontal diseases, and the growing prevalence of peri-implantitis. Periodontitis alone affects a substantial portion of the adult population.

“Lumoral has the potential to be a game-changer, offering a solution that directly tackles the bacterial plaque that leads to these conditions. If we can integrate Lumoral into daily oral care, it could play a pivotal role in improving oral health outcomes across the country."

Introducing Lumoral at Industry Events

Megagen Iberia plans to officially launch the innovative Lumoral technology at the upcoming MINEC Summit 2025, a major scientific congress where the company is a main sponsor. The event will take place in Madrid, Spain, on January 31 and February 1, 2025.

"We’ll be showcasing Lumoral to both dental professionals and consumers. For dentists, Lumoral offers an advanced tool to enhance patient care, particularly in preventing peri-implant complications. For consumers, it is an accessible at-home solution that supports deeper oral hygiene. By targeting both groups, we aim to achieve widespread adoption and a significant impact on oral health."

“This strategic partnership between Koite Health and Megagen Iberia is set to usher in a new era of oral care in Spain, with Lumoral leading the way in improving dental health, particularly for implant patients,” says Koite Health CFO Tero Pasanen.

“We see the Spanish market as an important milestone for us in the European market, providing significant growth potential for Lumoral. The Spanish market also opens doors to other Spanish-speaking markets, outside of Europe,” Pasanen adds.

Lumoral is an innovative antibacterial treatment developed by Finnish scientists to enhance oral hygiene, complementing traditional methods like brushing and flossing rather than replacing them. It utilizes light activation along with a specialized Lumorinse mouth rinse to effectively target harmful plaque bacteria while remaining gentle on the oral flora. Lumoral is especially beneficial for individuals who may struggle with conventional oral care methods, providing an effective adjunctive therapy for maintaining oral health and preventing infections.

The 17th MegaGen International Symposium in Rome, Italy, will be held from May 30 to June 1, 2024. Organized by MegaGen, a leading dental implant company, the event gathers dental experts worldwide to discuss the latest technologies in implantology. Lumoral will be spotlighted at the event for its contribution to enhancing oral health for patients undergoing or considering implant treatments.

With the theme "All Roads Lead to Rome - Revolutionary Advances; The Journey to Full Mouth Restorations with Immediate Implants", the MegaGen symposium serves as a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and professional development.  

At the event, attendees can participate in lectures, workshops, and hands-on training sessions led by renowned speakers and key opinion leaders in the oral health field. Topics covered during the symposium will include digital dentistry, immediate implant placement, surgical techniques, prosthetic dentistry, and more.

– For our Lumoral team, the event offers an invaluable opportunity to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the field of implantology. It also provides professionals in the implant industry with a great chance to introduce themselves with antibacterial Lumoral treatment and the benefits it offers to patients, says Tero Pasanen, Chief Commercial Officer of Koite Health Ltd.

Expanding Implant Market Spurs Demand for Lumoral Antibacterial Treatment

The global dental implants market is flourishing because of a growing prevalence of dental diseases and tooth loss, an aging population, and the rapid adoption of technological advancements and digital technologies, such as computer-aided design and 3D printing, in dental implant materials and design. 

Pasanen notes that with the implant industry expanding, the need for advanced oral hygiene methods, including Lumoral, is also growing. 

Finnish health technology company Koite Health Ltd. has been in a Lumoral distribution agreement with MegaGen Italia since May of last year. Pasanen notes that the event in Rome is a natural progression of the collaboration, helping to raise awareness of antibacterial light-activated Lumoral treatment among the participants.

Oral home care is very important for the health of dental implants. Because 95 percent of dental diseases are caused by bacteria in the plaque, regularly eliminating dental plaque improves dental hygiene as well as prevents and treats dental and gum disease. Proper oral hygiene combined with regular use of Lumoral could be decisive in preventing periodontitis and peri-implantitis.

Lumoral brings many benefits to implant patients: it helps sustain oral bacterial diversity while reducing plaque bacteria, it reduces gingivitis and plaque and tartar formation, and treats and prevents periodontitis and peri-implantitis efficiently.

– We believe that it is an excellent idea that dentists would offer a Lumoral device to all their implant patients to help prevent peri-implantitis and help keep the implants healthy, Mr. Federico Annoni from Megagen Italia said in an earlier interview.