Central Dental

What Central Dental does

Central Dental Ltd is a privately held Canadian dental equipment and supplies distributor that has served the Canadian dental community for over 70 years, operating from its headquarters in Scarborough (Toronto), Ontario, and a regional office in Montreal, Quebec. The company supplies dental laboratories and clinics across Canada with traditional dental consumables (teeth, impression materials, acrylics, abrasives) alongside an increasingly central portfolio of digital dentistry solutions covering the complete Capture-Design-Fabricate workflow - intraoral and lab scanners from Shining 3D, CADStar, and Medit; exocad DentalCAD as the open CAD platform; VHF milling machines (K5, K5+, N4, R5) and 3D printers from NextDent (3D Systems), Ackuretta, Miicraft, and Shining 3D; plus post-processing equipment, biocompatible 3D printing resins from multiple suppliers, and CAD/CAM milling materials including zirconia (Dental Direkt), hybrid ceramics (VITA ENAMIC), and PMMA (Unidesa).

The business operates a sales-led, B2B distribution model with orders taken via toll-free phone lines (1-800-268-4442 in Toronto, 1-888-910-3368 in Montreal), a website (centraldentalltd.com), and in-person counter sales at both offices. Pricing is per-unit for hardware (e.g., Ackuretta SOL 130 3D printer at $11,137, Curie Plus UV Oven at $4,289, NextDent LC-3D Printbox at $3,295), per-kg for resins, and $120/hour for the in-house and third-party repair service performed by factory-trained technicians, with loaner equipment available. The company earns revenue across three streams: capital equipment sales, consumable supplies (including 3D printer resins and CAD/CAM materials), and service/repair work tied to its installed base.

Central Dental's customer base consists of Canadian dental laboratories requiring digital equipment for manufacturing crowns, bridges, dentures, and surgical guides, and dental clinics adopting chairside digitization such as intraoral scanning and in-office 3D printing. The company maintains multilingual operations (English/French), distributes through a partner channel via Dent-Line of Canada (dent-line.ca), and supports customers through educational content, quarterly specials, social media, events, and a service department - collectively positioning it as a long-tenured, single-country specialty distributor in the Canadian dental market.

Name

Central Dental

Legal name

Central Dental Ltd

Website

https://centraldentalltd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Central Dental is a privately held Canadian dental equipment and supplies distributor serving dental laboratories and clinics across Canada with traditional dental products and a comprehensive digital dentistry portfolio spanning intraoral scanning, CAD design, milling, and 3D printing, operated from Toronto and Montreal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dental Equipment and Supplies Distribution

NAICS

Dental Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (339114)

SIC

Dental Equipment & Supplies (3843), Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)

akta.pro primary industry

CAD/CAM Digital Design & Milling Centers (HLABAJAE)

Keywords

• Dental equipment distribution
• Digital dentistry solutions
• CAD/CAM dental products
• Dental laboratory supplies
• 3D printing dental materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Scarborough

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dental Equipment Sales: Sale of dental equipment including 3D scanners, 3D printers, milling machines, and post-processing equipment to dental laboratories and clinics
2. Dental Supplies: Sale of consumable dental supplies including teeth, impression materials, acrylics, abrasives, CAD/CAM materials, and 3D printer resins
3. Service and Repairs: In-house and third-party repair services for dental equipment with hourly rate of $120, loaner equipment available for a fee

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Central Dental distributes dental equipment, consumable supplies, and complete digital dentistry solutions (Capture-Design-Fabricate workflow) to dental laboratories and clinics across Canada. Its portfolio includes 3D scanners, intraoral scanners, 3D printers, milling machines, CAD software, post-processing equipment, 3D printing resins, zirconia and ceramic milling materials, dental teeth, impression materials, acrylics, and abrasives. The company also provides factory-trained equipment service, repairs, and loaner equipment to support the products it sells.

Product overview

Central Dental is a Canadian dental equipment and supplies distributor operating since the 1950s, serving the Canadian dental community with a comprehensive portfolio of products across four main categories: Teeth, Supplies, Equipment, and CAD/CAM. The company's digital dentistry solutions represent its core technology focus, providing a complete digital workflow spanning three stages: CAPTURE (intraoral scanners including Shining Aoralscan 3, Aoralscan ELF/Elite/Elite Wireless, DIOS 4.0, and desktop lab scanners including Shining AutoScan-DS-EX Pro, MetiSmile face scanners, and CADStar CS.NEO), DESIGN (exocad DentalCAD as the primary open CAD platform with modules for implants, bars, splints, provisionals, and complete dentures), and FABRICATE (VHF K5/K5+/N4/R5 milling machines with DentalCAM 7 software, and 3D printers including NextDent 5100, Ackuretta SOL 130, FreeShape 120, and Miicraft 125 Ultra, supported by post-curing equipment from Curie, NextDent, and Dentsply). The company distributes 3D printing resins from NextDent, Keystone Industries KeyPrint, ResinWorks3D, Whip Mix, and Detax Freeprint, along with milling materials from Dental Direkt (zirconia), VITA North America (ENAMIC hybrid ceramic, SUPRINITY PC glass ceramic), and Unidesa (PMMA). Central Dental positions exocad as the preferred open CAD platform due to its independence from scanner hardware and optional annual licensing model, contrasting with closed systems like 3Shape, Dental Wings, and inLab.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shining AutoScan-DS-EX Pro Lab Scanner Versatile desktop lab scanner from Shining 3D with blue light structured light technology for digitizing dental models, dies, impressions, and articulators. Intended for dental laboratories.
• Shining Aoralscan 3 Intraoral Scanner AI-powered intraoral scanner with ergonomic design, single arch scan in 25 seconds, and full arch in 1 minute, intended for dental clinics and practices performing chairside digital impressions.
• Shining Aoralscan Elf Intraoral Scanner Shining 3D intraoral scanner for digital dental impression capture, for dental clinics adopting chairside scanning.
• Shining Aoralscan Elite Intraoral Scanner Dual-purpose scanner combining intraoral scanning with intraoral photogrammetry (IPG) for full arch implant accuracy and same-day full arch treatment workflows.
• Shining Aoralscan Elite Wireless Intraoral Scanner Wireless version of the Aoralscan Elite with coded scanbodies for enhanced implant scanning workflows in dental clinics.
• MEDIT DIOS 4.0 Intraoral Scanner Direct intraoral scanner combining video-based 3D technology with intelligent scan detection, single tooth in vivo accuracy of 10 micrometers, integrated with Medit Link cloud platform for dental clinics.
• CADStar CS.NEO and CS.NEO Pro Lab Scanners Austrian-made desktop lab scanners using white LED structured light technology, 5-micron accuracy, full arch scan in 12 seconds, seamless integration with exocad for dental laboratories.
• Exocad DentalCAD Software Leading dental CAD software that operates independently of scanner hardware, available in Perpetual and Flex license models with modules for implants, bars, models, splints, provisionals, partial frameworks, complete dentures, and DICOM visualization for dental laboratories and clinics.
• VHF K5 Milling Machine 5-axis dry milling machine for all dental indications including CoCr chrome-cobalt, with 500W power, 60,000 RPM, 3-micron repeat precision, and automatic 16-tool changer, for dental laboratories.
• VHF K5+ Milling Machine Enhanced 5-axis dry milling machine with webcam for remote support, Ethernet connectivity, improved ionizer and air circulation, and DirectDiscTechnology for dental laboratories.
• VHF N4 Wet Grinding Machine 4-axis wet grinding machine for vitceramics, zirconia, and titanium, accommodating 30 material blocks from 12 manufacturers and 140+ prefabricated titanium and CoCr abutment blanks, validated by the University of Washington, for dental laboratories.
• VHF R5 Milling and Grinding Machine 5-axis mill and grinder for titanium and CoCr materials, 800W power, 80,000 RPM, 3-micron precision with water-cooled spindle and DirectCleanTechnology for combined wet and dry operation, for dental laboratories.
• VHF DentalCAM 7 Software VHF's proprietary CAM fabrication software integrated into all VHF machines, providing open import, intelligent tool changer with backup tool support, and optimized machining strategies for crowns, bridges, abutments, inlays, telescope crowns, veneers, and implant bridges.
• VHF Milling Burs and Grinding Tools German-made carbide dental burs and diamond grinding tools for vitceramics and composites, including radius cutters, cylindrical cutters, and diamond tools for use with VHF milling machines in dental laboratories.
• NextDent 5100 3D Printer High-speed 3D printer powered by Figure 4 technology from 3D Systems, validated with 30 biocompatible NextDent materials, for dental laboratories and clinics producing dental appliances and sacrificial patterns.
• Ackuretta SOL 130 3D Printer

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% faster scanning time with CADStar technology

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability9 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Shining 3DcoreTechnology or IntegrationKey technology partner providing lab scanners (Autoscan DS-EX Pro), intra-oral scanners (Aoralscan 3, Aoralscan Elf, Aoralscan Elite), face scanners (Metismile), and post-processing equipment (FABWASH). Major supplier of digital capture solutions.
• ExocadcoreTechnology or IntegrationLeading CAD software partner. Exocad DentalCAD is offered as brand private label by major manufacturers. Central Dental provides exocad software with multiple license options (Perpetual/Flex) and combinations (Core/Advanced/Implant/Ultimate).
• VHF Camfacture AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationGerman manufacturer of milling machines (K5, K5+, N4, R5), grinding tools, and DentalCAM7 software. Complete milling workflow solutions including dry and wet machining for CoCr, titanium, zirconia, and ceramics.
• NextDent (3D Systems)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides NextDent 5100 3D printer using Figure 4 technology, plus comprehensive portfolio of 30+ biocompatible 3D printing resins including DENTURE 3D+, C&B MFH, MODEL 2.0, ORTHO RIGID, SG (Surgical Guide), TRAY, TRY-IN, GINGIVA MASK, CAST, ORTHO IBT.
• AckurettamajorTechnology or IntegrationProvider of SOL 130 3D printer, Curie Plus UV Oven, Curie UV Oven, CLEANIE post-processing unit, and FreeShape 120 3D printer. Offers Alpha 3D slicing software.
• Keystone IndustriesmajorTechnology or IntegrationProvides KeyPrint line of 3D printing resins including KeySplint Soft, KeyModel, KeyOrthoModel, KeyMask, KeyCast, and KeyGuide. US-manufactured DLP resins for dental applications.
• Dental DirektmajorTechnology or IntegrationGerman manufacturer of zirconia products including DD cubeXONE (4Y-TZP), DD cubeX2 ML multilayer zirconia, and BioZX2. Full range of discs in various shades and thicknesses for CAD/CAM milling.
• Vita North AmericamajorTechnology or IntegrationProvides VITA ENAMIC hybrid ceramic (dual network structure combining ceramic and polymer) and VITA SUPRINITY PC zirconia-reinforced glass ceramic for dental restorations.
• Whip MixmajorTechnology or IntegrationProvides 3D printing resins including VeriModel OS, VeriModel, VeriTray, VeriGuide, and VeriCast. 1kg containers with specialized formulations for dental models, trays, guides, and casting.
• Dentsply SironamajorTechnology or IntegrationProvider of DIGITAL CURE post-curing units (small and large capacity) for dental 3D printed restorations. Validated for Lucitone Digital Print denture materials.
• CADstarmajorTechnology or IntegrationAustrian manufacturer of CS.NEO and CS.NEO Pro lab scanners with white light LED technology, 5-micron accuracy, full arch scanning in 12 seconds, and no annual license fees. Seamless integration with exocad.
• MEDIT (DIOS 4.0)majorTechnology or IntegrationProvider of DIOS 4.0 intraoral scanner with powder-free scanning, 3D video technology, natural color capture, and Medit Link collaboration platform. 5.3um single tooth accuracy.
• Creative CADworksmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides training and ongoing technical support for Miicraft 3D printer users. Founded by Hemdeep and Kamal Patel with expertise in digital dentistry since 2009. Offers CADWorks 3D nesting software.
• Dent-Line of CanadaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferenced partner for Canadian dental distribution, accessible via dent-line.ca

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Benco Dental: Large US-headquartered privately-held dental supply distributor with growing Canadian presence. Overlaps with Central Dental in distributing digital dentistry equipment and supplies but operates at significantly greater scale and offers proprietary practice-management solutions.
• Henry Schein: Global Fortune 500 dental and medical supply distributor with significant Canadian operations. Competes with Central Dental on equipment, supplies, and digital dentistry products but at vastly greater scale, breadth, and with practice-management software bundles that Central Dental does not offer.
• Patterson Companies: Major North American dental and animal health supply distributor with a Canadian subsidiary (Patterson Dental Canada). Competes directly with Central Dental in distributing CAD/CAM, imaging, and restorative products to dental practices and labs, but with a much larger product catalog and salesforce.

Direct peers

• Sinclair Dental: One of the largest Canadian-owned dental supply distributors, with national coverage and a broad product portfolio overlapping Central Dental's equipment, supplies, and CAD/CAM offerings. Both companies serve the same Canadian dental laboratory and clinic customer base with similar multi-brand distribution models.

Regional players

• Burkhart Dental: Privately-held US dental supply distributor serving the western US. Comparable in private-company positioning and multi-brand distribution model, though geographically focused on the US rather than Canada, making it a model peer rather than direct competitor.

Others

• exocad: Leading dental CAD software vendor whose DentalCAD platform Central Dental positions as the open backbone of its digital workflow. exocad is both a key technology partner and a potential channel risk if it expands direct sales in Canada.
• 3D Systems (NextDent): Manufacturer of the NextDent 5100 3D printer and 30+ dental resins that Central Dental distributes. Comparable as an upstream partner and industry signal, but 3D Systems sells both directly and through distributors, sometimes competing with its own channel partners.
• Shining 3D: Chinese manufacturer of intraoral scanners (Aoralscan), lab scanners (AutoScan-DS-EX Pro), and face scanners (MetiSmile) that Central Dental distributes. As a key supplier, Shining 3D's product strategy and pricing directly affect Central Dental's scanner line economics.
• Ackuretta: Provider of dental 3D printers (SOL 130, FreeShape 120) and post-processing equipment (Curie, CLEANIE) distributed by Central Dental. A key additive manufacturing partner, particularly relevant to Central Dental's chairside and lab 3D printing value proposition.
• VHF Camfacture AG: German manufacturer of dental milling machines (K5, K5+, N4, R5) and grinding tools distributed by Central Dental. A core fabrication partner whose product roadmap and competitive position vs. competitors like Imes-Icore directly shapes Central Dental's milling offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/centraldentalltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/centraldentalltd
• Xx.com/centraldental_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Central Dental