Sichuan Dental Implant VBP 2.0 Launches, Expanding Material Scope and Abutment Types; Angelalign Technology Inc. Wins Two Patent Cases in First Instance, Align Technology’s Requests Dismissed; Shanxi…

Sichuan Dental Implant VBP 2.0 Launches, Expanding Material Range and Abutment Types

On July 13, 2026, the Sichuan Provincial Healthcare Security Administration issued a notice for information declaration on dental implant systems, with the declaration period set from July 17 to 27. This round covers five components: implants, restorative abutments, healing abutments, transfer rods, and analogs. The material scope has been expanded from the first round to include multiple materials such as Grade 2, 3, and 4 pure titanium and titanium-zirconium alloys. The range of restorative abutments has also been broadened, incorporating both single-tooth and multi-tooth restorative abutments into the declaration scope. Additionally, this round introduces scanning rods as an optional component for transfer rods, adapting to digital diagnostics and treatment.

Angelalign Technology Prevails in Two Patent Cases at First Instance, Align Technology's Claims Dismissed

Source: Angelalign official website

On July 13, DENTALGOODNEWS (Leading Dental Industry Media, DGN) learned from Angelalign Technology Inc. that the Zhengzhou Intermediate People's Court has issued first-instance judgments in two patent infringement lawsuits filed by Align Technology, Inc. against Angelalign. The court dismissed all of Align Technology's claims, ruling that Angelalign's aligner products and design methods, the angelAttach™ precision attachment system, the masterForce comprehensive orthodontic force simulation system, and the iOrtho™ digital orthodontic design system do not fall within the scope of the asserted patents and do not constitute patent infringement.

According to previous reports by DGN, in August 2025, Align Technology filed a lawsuit in a Texas state court, accusing Angelalign of infringing five of its core patents. It subsequently initiated legal actions in Europe and China, seeking injunctions and financial compensation. Angelalign has denied all allegations and stated it would actively defend itself.

On May 12, 2026, the Düsseldorf Local Division of the Unified Patent Court in Europe rejected Align Technology's application for a Temporary injunction against Angelalign's sale of the A7 premolar extraction solution in the European market, citing insufficient evidence.

Shanxi Proposes to Regulate Dental Service Pricing, Full-Bony Impacted Third Molar Extraction Fee up to 347 Yuan per Tooth

On July 10, 2026, the Shanxi Provincial Healthcare Security Administration issued a "Notice" proposing to standardize the pricing of 114 dental service items and discontinue 220 existing items. It will implement a Government-guided Price with a Price Ceiling, allowing prices to be lower but not higher. Prices will be set according to six tiers of medical institutions, with the highest rates at the provincial-level Class A institutions. For example, for a full-bony impacted third molar, the extraction fee at the highest provincial-level Class A rate is 347 yuan (excluding anesthesia, examination, imaging, and medication costs). For a full mouth of 28 teeth, the total cost for full-mouth scaling, polishing, and air polishing is 504 yuan.

National Healthcare Security Bulletin: Basic Medical Insurance Covers 1.33 Billion People, 142 Types of High-value Consumables Included in VBP

On July 16, 2026, the National Healthcare Security Administration released the "2025 National Medical Insurance Development Statistical Bulletin," showing that basic medical insurance covered 1,330,693,900 people, with a coverage rate of 95%. Fund revenue was 3,592.132 billion yuan, expenditure was 3,005.519 billion yuan, and the balance was 525.772 billion yuan. Employee medical insurance covered 388,561,200 people, with an inpatient expense fund payment ratio of 84.1%. Resident medical insurance covered 942,132,700 people, with an inpatient payment ratio of 66.0%. The volume-based procurement (VBP) of drugs and consumables has included 142 types of High-value consumables, covering 9 major categories. The proportion of discharges paid by case-based payment (Payment by Disease Type) reached 91.8%. Regions such as Beijing have taken the lead in clarifying the medical insurance classification for dental service pricing items.

Three Ministries Jointly Issue Document: Regulating Centralized Procurement of Medical Equipment in Public Medical Institutions

On July 14, 2026, the National Health Commission, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration jointly issued a "Notice," requiring all public medical institutions nationwide to implement departmental centralized procurement for medical equipment listed in the catalog. Provinces must complete at least one round of centralized procurement for Class B large medical equipment (including Dental Equipment) by the end of 2026, and pilot programs at the prefectural and municipal levels must be initiated by the end of June 2027. The notice also requires the establishment of a registration database for high-value medical equipment to enhance economies of scale and lower prices. Regions such as Inner Mongolia have taken the lead in publicly soliciting opinions, exploring tiered and classified management, and price supervision mechanisms.

State Council Releases "15th Five-Year Plan" for National Health: Implementing Oral Health Promotion Actions for Children, Adolescents, and the Elderly

On July 7, 2026, the State Council issued the "15th Five-Year Plan for National Health," proposing to increase the average life expectancy to 80 years by 2030 and designating oral health for children, adolescents, and the elderly as key promotion actions. The plan aims to build approximately 1,000 Integrated County Medical Community (Tight-knit County Medical Alliance) over the next five years to enhance primary-level dental service capabilities, with service standards for township health centers and community health service centers reaching over 95%. The National Health Commission stated it would strengthen overall coordination and collaborate with relevant departments to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the plan, ensuring the tasks are carried out.

WHOLE SHINE MEDICAL 2026 H1 Performance Forecast: Dental Business Profit Improves, Net Loss Attributable to Shareholders Narrows by Approximately 24%-50% Year-on-Year

On July 14, 2026, WHOLE SHINE MEDICAL released its performance forecast for the first half of 2026, projecting a Net Profit Attributable to Shareholders of the Parent Company loss of 12 million to 18 million yuan, narrowing by approximately 24%-50% year-on-year, a reduction of 5.75 million to 11.75 million yuan compared to the loss of 23.75 million yuan in the same period last year. Revenue from dental medical services increased slightly, leading to improved profitability. However, weak demand for the permanent magnet switch business resulted in an overall loss. The company stated it would continue to communicate with its associates and fulfill its information disclosure obligations in accordance with the law. The forecast data is an estimate not subject to pre-audit by certified public accountants, with final figures subject to the official report.

Mitsui Chemicals Plans to Establish Integrated Dental 3D Printing R&D, Production, and Sales System to Accelerate New Product Development and Launch

On July 15, 2026, Mitsui Chemicals integrated its Japanese Dental 3D Printing and some material businesses into its wholly-owned subsidiary Sun Medical, building an integrated R&D-manufacturing-sales platform to accelerate new product development and launch. The integration involves Kulzer Japan's 3D printers and materials, supported by Japan's medical insurance policy covering 3D-printed full denture materials. According to previous reports by DGN, Mitsui Chemicals plans to acquire the U.S. dental product company Ultradent Products for approximately $900 million, integrating it into the group's global business upon completion.

Largest U.S. Orthodontic Support Organization Smile Doctors Secures $125 Million in Funding

On July 14, 2026, the orthodontic support organization Smile Doctors announced that its first-half performance exceeded expectations and that it received a $125 million capital increase in the second quarter. It plans to add 18 new clinics in the next 12 months, aiming to surpass 600 clinics by the end of 2026. It currently operates 591 clinics across 36 U.S. states. Smile Express®, supported by Invisalign®, offers clear aligners for adults. Meanwhile, U.S. dental DSO Dental Care Alliance (DCA) completed over $1.1 billion in debt restructuring and secured $95 million in new financing.

Dental AI Revenue Cycle Management Provider Secures $12.6 Million in Funding for AI and Automation Technology Investment

On July 15, 2026, the dental AI revenue cycle management platform InsideDesk completed a $12.6 million (approximately 85.29 million yuan) growth financing round, led by Pender Ventures with participation from Round13 Capital and Graphite Ventures. The funding will be used to deepen AI research and development, automation technology, and key position hiring. The platform has been deployed at U.S. dental organization MB2 Dental, improving the efficiency of insurance Accounts Receivable recovery. The financing represents new capital, including equity financing and a small amount of venture debt; the valuation was not disclosed.

Q & M Dental Group Plans Cross-Border Acquisition of Australian and Thai Dental Chains for 733 Million RMB

On July 12, 2026, Singapore-listed dental group Q & M Dental Group (Singapore) Limited announced the acquisition of 100% of Australia's Experteeth and 51% of Thailand's Deezy for over S$140 million (approximately RMB 733 million), with a 15-year Lock-up Period for core management. The Australian dental institution acquisition price is A$119.64 million, with an attached 8-year profit guarantee of approximately A$112.6 million. The Thai dental institution acquisition price is THB 994.5 million, with an attached 6-year profit guarantee of approximately THB 1.25 billion. The company simultaneously suspended its secondary listing on the Malaysia Stock Exchange, with shares suspended from trading on July 9. The closing price before the suspension was S$0.555.

Insurance Group Principal Financial Group Plans to Acquire AI-Driven Benefits Platform, Dental Insurance Business Serves 25,000 Small and Micro Enterprises

On July 7, 2026, Principal Financial Group (Nasdaq: PFG) announced it had reached an agreement to acquire Beam Benefits, with the transaction expected to close in the second half of the year. Beam provides dental and other employee benefits to over 25,000 small and micro enterprises, with approximately $175 million in premiums in 2025. The acquisition is expected to push Principal's premium and fee income growth to the 5%-9% upper limit by 2027, leveraging Beam's AI underwriting to improve risk pricing efficiency.

Largest U.S. Campus Mobile Dental DSO Changes Hands, Served Over 370,000 Children at 8,000+ Schools in 2025

On July 13, 2026, Smile America Partners, the largest mobile dental service organization in U.S. schools, announced its acquisition by family investment company Kaltroco, with former shareholder Beach Point Capital Management exiting. Post-acquisition, Kaltroco will provide growth capital to help the company continue providing dental care to over 370,000 children at more than 8,000 schools nationwide. Current CEO Steve Higginbotham and the management team will remain in operational control. Founded in 1994, Kaltroco focuses on long-term investments and has holdings in over 30 companies in healthcare and other sectors.

Fined 115,000 Yuan: Dental Clinic Used "1,280 Yuan Dental Implant" as Bait, No Cases Actually Sold at That Price

Between January 17 and March 3, 2026, a dental company in Liling and its walk-in clinic promoted Dental Implant Treatment at "1,280 yuan per tooth" during a "Good Cheap Dental Festival," attracting 398 patient visits, but none were completed at the advertised price. Regulators determined that the clinic used misleading pricing tactics to lure transactions and published unapproved medical advertisements, imposing fines of 71,005 yuan and 40,574 yuan respectively, totaling 115,579 yuan. Both entities were ordered to cease the illegal advertisements and mitigate their impact.

Mayo Clinic Accused of Concealing 67% Error Rate of AI Assistant MAYA, Former AI Compliance Lead Reports and is Subsequently Fired

On July 6, 2026, Traci Tamiko Eto, former AI compliance lead at Mayo Clinic, filed a lawsuit alleging that the clinic's dental AI assistant MAYA concealed a 67% error rate and that 10 reports were ignored. She received a raise of approximately $7,000 to around $166,000 in March 2025, was subsequently retaliated against and fired, with her employment terminated on December 1. The case currently represents only the plaintiff's allegations and has not yet entered the court's fact-finding stage.

New Data: U.S. Dental DSO M&A Market Sees Over 175 Transactions in First Half of Year, Consolidation Rate Reaches 35%

On July 10, 2026, TUSK Practice Sales released a report stating that U.S. Dental DSO mergers and acquisitions completed approximately 128 transactions in the first half of the year, involving 175 clinics, with a consolidation rate of 35%. Valuation multiples are expected to narrow from 5-9x to 4-7x. Debt among graduates of public dental schools has risen by 30%, and by 38% at private schools. Young dentists face restrictions on acquisition loans, making traditional "doctor-to-doctor" transitions more difficult.

HKU and Fujian Medical University Collaborate to Develop Anti-Caries Nanocomposite Hydrogel, In Vitro Model Shows Approximately 68% Reduction in Demineralization Lesion Depth

In July 2026, Fujian Medical University, in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong, published an in vitro study in the "Journal of Dentistry." The developed pH-responsive nanocomposite hydrogel (NCH) reduced Dentin demineralization lesion depth from 110.92 µm to 35.41 µm in a pH cycling model, a reduction of approximately 68%. The hydrogel releases silver, calcium, and zinc ions in an acidic environment (pH 4.5), with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 210 ppm and cytotoxic IC₅₀ values of 1440 ppm and 1069 ppm, respectively. The study remains at the in vitro stage and requires further animal experiments and clinical validation.