Shofu

What Shofu does

SHOFU INC. is a Kyoto-headquartered dental products manufacturer founded in 1922, publicly listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (ticker 7979) since 2012 and the first company in Japan's dental industry to go public (1989). The company manufactures a comprehensive portfolio of dental materials and equipment organized across abrasives (Dura-Green, Dura-White stones; Super-Snap polishers), diamonds and carbides, cements (resin, glass ionomer, traditional), preventives, restoratives (Giomer composites, flowables, bulk-fill), ceramics and CAD/CAM materials (Vintage porcelain systems, SHOFU Block & Disk, TRINIA), denture teeth, and dental equipment (EyeSpecial cameras, DentaLaze lasers, articulators). Its core technology is the proprietary Giomer platform featuring S-PRG (Surface Pre-Reacted Glass) Filler, which releases six mineral ions including fluoride with recharge-release functionality, supporting the MiCD (Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Dentistry) concept.

Shofu operates a hybrid distribution model combining direct regional subsidiary sales with an extensive independent dental dealer network. The company has ten wholly-owned subsidiaries across the USA (San Marcos, since 1971), Germany (since 1978), UK (since 1992), China (since 2003/2005), Singapore (since 2013), Brazil and India (since 2017), and Vietnam (since 2020), plus domestic manufacturing through SHIGA SHOFU INC. and SHOFU PRODUCTS KYOTO INC. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales of consumable dental materials and equipment, priced on standard commercial terms (Net 30 days, FOB San Marcos for US/Canadian orders). The customer base spans two primary horizontal segments: dental professionals (general dentists and specialists performing clinical procedures) and dental laboratories/technicians (commercial fabricators of dental prosthetics), with a secondary downstream segment of patients seeking minimally invasive aesthetic dentistry. Marketing leverages regional websites, technical documentation, trade show participation, dealer relationships, and a patient-facing 'Find a Dentist' referral feature.

Name

Shofu

Legal name

SHOFU INC.

Website

https://shofu.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SHOFU INC. is a Japan-based dental products manufacturer founded in 1922, offering artificial teeth, abrasives, restoratives, ceramics, CAD/CAM materials, and equipment powered by proprietary Giomer S-PRG Filler technology, serving dentists and dental laboratories globally through regional subsidiaries and dealers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dental Materials and Equipment

NAICS

Dental Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (339114), Dental Laboratories (339116)

SIC

Dental Equipment & Supplies (3843)

akta.pro primary industry

Fixed Prosthodontics (Crowns, Bridges, Veneers) (HLABAFAA)

Keywords

• Dental materials manufacturing
• Dental restorative products
• Dental abrasives polishers
• CAD/CAM dental ceramics
• Dental laboratory supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyoto

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dental Materials and Equipment: Shofu manufactures and sells a comprehensive range of dental products including abrasives, diamonds and carbides, cements, preventives, restoratives, ceramics and CAD/CAM materials, and dental equipment. The company sells through direct channels and dealer networks globally.
2. Laboratory and Clinical Products: Full product portfolio spanning chairside and laboratory applications including finishing/polishing, restorative materials, porcelain systems, denture teeth, and specialized equipment like EyeSpecial cameras and DentaLaze.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shofu manufactures and sells a comprehensive range of dental products for clinicians and dental laboratories, including abrasives and polishers (stones, discs, kits), rotary instruments (diamonds and carbides), cements and adhesives, Giomer-based preventive sealants and restorative composites, porcelain and CAD/CAM materials, denture teeth, and dental equipment (intraoral cameras, soft-tissue lasers, articulators, light-curing units). Products are sold under sub-brands such as Beautifil, BeautiBond, Vintage, Super-Snap, Ceramage, and Veracia, and are differentiated by the proprietary Giomer S-PRG Filler technology that releases and recharges fluoride and other mineral ions.

Product overview

Shofu is a comprehensive dental products manufacturer offering a broad portfolio organized across several categories: Abrasives (stones, polishers, finishing kits), Diamonds & Carbides (rotary cutting instruments), Cements (resin cements, glass ionomers, traditional cements), Preventives (Giomer-based sealants), Restoratives (Giomer composites, flowable composites, bulk composites, adhesives), Ceramics & CAD/CAM (porcelain systems, CAD/CAM materials, denture teeth), and Equipment (cameras, lasers, articulators). The company's core proprietary technology is Giomer, featuring S-PRG (Surface Pre-Reacted Glass) fillers that release and recharge fluoride ions, providing ongoing oral health benefits. The product line spans from basic consumables (abrasives, polishers) to advanced materials (Giomer composites) and dental equipment, serving dental professionals in both clinical and laboratory settings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Giomer: Product line containing S-PRG Filler that releases six mineral ions including fluoride to promote oral health
• Beautifil
• BeautiBond
• Vintage
• Super-Snap
• Ceramage

Products and services

• Dura-Green Abrasive Stones and Dura-Green DIA Green silicon carbide abrasive stones (Dura-Green) and diamond-impregnated variants (Dura-Green DIA) for efficient material removal in dental finishing and polishing applications. Sold to dental clinicians and laboratories.
• Dura-White Stones White aluminum oxide abrasive stones for finishing dental enamel and composite restorations, used by dental clinicians.
• Super-Snap Polishing System Color-coded progressive polishing discs, strips, and buff disks for finishing and polishing dental composites, including dedicated single-use and ultra-gloss variants for dental clinicians.
• CeraMaster Coarse and CeraMaster Polishers Ceramic polishing points (standard and Coarse variants) for finishing zirconia and other ceramic dental restorations, sold to dental laboratories and clinicians.
• Ceramisté and Ceramisté Soft Polishers Polishers with varying hardness options designed for finishing ceramic dental restorations.
• CompoMaster and CompoMaster Coarse Composite polishing points (standard and Coarse) for finishing and polishing dental composite resin restorations.
• CompoSite and CompoSite Fine Polishers Two-step composite polishing system for achieving high-gloss finishes on dental composite restorations.
• OneGloss and OneGloss PS Polishers Single-step polishers (standard and PS enhanced variant) for finishing dental enamel and composite restorations in one operation.
• Brownie, Greenie, and Supergreenie Polishers Silicon carbide polishing points for finishing and polishing dental restorations across clinical applications.
• ZiLMaster Zirconia Polishing System Specialized polishing system for finishing and polishing dental zirconia restorations.
• Composite, Porcelain, Zirconia, Amalgam, and Porcelain Veneer Finishing and Polishing Kits Complete multi-instrument finishing and polishing kits for dental composites, porcelain and enamel, zirconia, amalgam and metal, and porcelain veneers, supplied with CA or FG shanks as appropriate.
• Dura-Polish, Dura-Polish Dia, CompoSite, and Direct Dia Polishing Pastes Polishing pastes (aluminum-oxide and diamond variants) for chairside and laboratory polishing of dental restorations, including intraoral composite polishing paste.
• AcryPoint Lab Polishers, Lab Series Stones, and Hardie Polishers Laboratory-specific abrasive stones (Lab Series), silicon carbide polishers (Hardie), and acrylic polishers (AcryPoint) used in dental laboratory prosthetic finishing workflows.
• Pro-Cut Diamonds and Robot FG Diamonds High-cutting-efficiency diamond burs (Pro-Cut, Robot FG) for dental preparation using high-speed handpieces.
• Hybrid Points, TPE Diamond Points, and GingiCurettage Diamonds Specialized diamond rotary instruments: thermoplastic-coated (TPE), hybrid abrasive-polishing (Hybrid Points), and gingival curettage designs (GingiCurettage) for dental procedures.
• Robot Carbide FG Finishers and HP Cutters Tungsten carbide finishing burs (FG) for clinical restorations and carbide cutting burs (HP) for dental laboratory use.
• BeautiBond and BeautiBond Xtreme Adhesives Dental adhesive systems (BeautiBond standard, BeautiBond Xtreme) for bonding composite resins to tooth structure in direct restorative procedures.
• BeautiLink SA, BeautiCem SA, and MonoCem Self-Adhesive Resin Cements Self-adhesive resin cements for permanent dental cementation of crowns, bridges, and other restorations, used by dental clinicians.
• CX-Plus, CoreShade, and GlasIonomer Base Cement Glass ionomer cements (CX-Plus, GlasIonomer Base Cement) and a shaded core build-up material (CoreShade) for dental lining, base, and core build-up applications.
• HY-Bond Polycarboxylate Cement and HY-Bond Zinc Phosphate Cement Traditional polycarboxylate and zinc phosphate cements for dental cementation applications.
• BeautiSealant and PRG Barrier Coat Giomer-based preventive products: BeautiSealant pit-and-fissure sealant with fluoride release for caries prevention, and PRG Barrier Coat as a preventive coating based on prereacted glass-ionomer technology.
• Beautifil II Giomer Composite Restorative Giomer-based packable composite resin (Beautifil II) plus Low-Shrinkage (II LS), gingival shade, and enamel shade variants for direct dental restorations with fluoride release and recharge.
• Beautifil Flow Plus and Beautifil Flow Flowable Composites Flowable Giomer composites (Beautifil Flow, Beautifil Flow Plus, and Flow Plus X with enhanced properties) for minimally invasive direct restorations with fluoride release.
• Beautifil Kids SA Self-Adhesive Pediatric Restorative Self-adhesive Giomer composite formulated for pediatric dental restorations, supporting minimally invasive pediatric dentistry with fluoride release.
• Beautifil-Bulk Restorative and Beautifil-Bulk Flowable Bulk-fill Giomer composites (sculptable and flowable variants) for efficient placement in deep cavity restorations with fluoride release.
• FIT SA Self-Adhesive Flowable Composite Self-adhesive flowable composite (FIT SA) for direct dental restorations where simplified bonding is desired.
• FX-LC and FX Ultra Light-Cured Glass Ionomer Restoratives Light-cured glass ionomer restoratives (FX-LC and FX Ultra) for dental applications, providing an alternative to composite restoratives.
• SHOFU Block & Disk HC CAD/CAM Materials CAD/CAM milling blocks and discs (SHOFU Block & Disk HC) for fabrication of dental prosthetics such as crowns, inlays, and onlays in dental laboratories and clinical milling centers.
• TRINIA CAD/CAM Disc Fiber-reinforced composite disc (TRINIA) for CAD/CAM-milled dental restorations including long-span and implant-supported prosthetic frameworks.
• Vintage Porcelain Systems (Vintage PRO, Vintage Halo, Vintage ZR, Vintage MP) Vintage porcelain systems for layering and characterization of dental restorations: Vintage PRO for all-ceramic, Vintage Halo for layering/characterization, Vintage ZR for zirconia frameworks, and Vintage MP for metal-ceramic (PFM) restorations.
• Ceramage Indirect Restorative Composite Sintered ceramic composite (Ceramage) for indirect restorations including inlays, onlays, and veneers, used in dental laboratories.
• Veracia SA and Q3 Pack Denture Teeth Premium denture teeth (Veracia SA and Q3 Pack) with advanced materials delivering a natural appearance for removable prosthetic restorations.
• Ceravety Press and Cast Investment Dental investment material (Ceravety Press & Cast) for press and lost-wax cast techniques used in dental laboratory prosthetic fabrication.
• EyeSpecial and EyeCam Dental Cameras Dedicated dental cameras (EyeSpecial for intraoral imaging and documentation, EyeCam for clinical photography) used by dental clinicians for patient documentation and case presentation.
• DentaLaze Dental Laser Dental soft-tissue laser (DentaLaze) for soft-tissue dental procedures in clinical practice.
• Articulators Dental articulators for simulating jaw movement during prosthetic design and fabrication, used in dental laboratories.
• Solidilite V and Sublite V Light-Curing Devices Light-curing units (Solidilite V and Sublite V) for polymerizing dental materials in clinical and laboratory settings.
• Giomer Technology Platform (S-PRG Filler) Proprietary Giomer technology platform built on S-PRG (Surface Pre-Reacted Glass) Filler that releases six mineral ions including fluoride and recharges fluoride when environmental levels fall; underpins Shofu's preventive, restorative, and sealant products and supports the MiCD (Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Dentistry) treatment concept.

Quantifiable outcome

• S-PRG Filler recharges fluoride and releases it when fluoride concentration falls, providing sustained oral health benefits

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MiCD Global NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShofu is an official partner of MiCD (Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Dentistry) Global Network, promoting a new type of dental treatment that provides aesthetically pleasing results while being minimally invasive with respect to natural teeth. Shofu develops new products and technologies in line with the MiCD concept to help build trust between patients and dentists.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• VOCO GmbH: German dental materials manufacturer specializing in restoratives, composites, and preventive products — closely comparable mid-sized competitor to Shofu's Beautifil and Giomer lines.
• Ivoclar Vivadent: Privately held Liechtenstein-based dental materials manufacturer with strong positions in composites, ceramics, and prosthetics — competing head-to-head with Shofu's Beautifil and Vintage lines.
• GC Corporation: Japanese-headquartered global dental manufacturer of restoratives, cements, and preventive products with overlapping portfolio depth in glass ionomers and bioactive composites similar to Shofu's offerings.
• Kuraray Noritake Dental: Japanese dental materials company with significant overlap in resin cements, adhesives (PANAVIA), and zirconia ceramics — directly competing with Shofu's BeautiBond, BeautiCem, and Vintage ZR lines.
• Ultradent Products: US-based privately held dental manufacturer known for composites, sealants, and preventive products — competing directly with Shofu's restorative and preventive lines globally.
• Coltène: Swiss dental manufacturer with strong positions in restoratives, endodontics, and finishing/polishing — overlapping directly with Shofu's Super-Snap, OneGloss, and restorative portfolios.

Broad incumbents

• Dentsply Sirona: One of the largest global dental equipment and materials manufacturers, offering restorative materials, CAD/CAM systems, and a broad consumables portfolio directly overlapping Shofu's restorative, ceramic, and equipment categories.
• Henry Schein: Large dental distributor and equipment provider that distributes competitor brands and increasingly offers private-label products; a critical channel partner and indirect competitor to Shofu's dealer-distributed model.
• 3M Oral Care: Diversified industrial giant's dental division covering restoratives, preventive, and orthodontic products; competes broadly with Shofu and has materially larger R&D and distribution scale.

Others

• Mitsui Chemicals: Strategic capital and business alliance partner of Shofu since 2009 (enhanced 2020); a specialty chemicals company supplying raw materials and co-development capability for Shofu's dental product innovation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sdaapac

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shofu