IDZ

What IDZ does

Institut der Deutschen Zahnärzte (IDZ), founded in 1987 and headquartered in Cologne, Germany, is a private non-profit research institute that conducts population-based dental healthcare research, oral epidemiology, health economics, and evidence-based dentistry for the German dental profession. It is a partner organization of the Bundeszahnärtekammer (BZÄK) and Kassenzahnärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KZBV), the two federal professional bodies of German dentists, and operates across six research areas: healthcare services research and epidemiology, health economics and systems research, dental professional research, medical sociology and health literacy, evidence-based medicine and quality, and medical statistics and data management.

The institute's product portfolio centers on two flagship longitudinal programs: the Deutsche Mundgesundheitsstudien (DMS), a periodic population-based oral health surveillance series conducted since 1989 (the sixth edition, DMS 6, is currently active and includes a longitudinal follow-up of DMS V participants plus new cross-sectional cohorts aged 8-82), and the InvestMonitor Zahnarztpraxis, an annual study of dental practice establishment investments produced jointly with Deutsche Apotheker- und Ärztebank (apoBank) since 1984. Supplementary products include the Y-Dent longitudinal study on young dentists' professional identity, the Zahnärztlicher Versorgungsatlas 2030 (developed with Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin), international healthcare system comparisons, hygiene cost studies, and the peer-reviewed online journal "Zahnmedizin, Forschung und Versorgung." A Shiny-based DMS 6 results portal was released in April 2026 to make longitudinal findings publicly accessible. Field execution is supported by partners including Cerner Enviza (study organization), Kantar (orthodontic field examinations), and infas (survey research).

IDZ does not operate a commercial revenue model. Research outputs and publications are distributed free of charge to dental professionals, researchers, and the public via the institute's website and partner organizations. Operating funding flows from commissioning professional bodies (BZÄK, KZBV, DGKFO) and joint research partners (apoBank), with the institute functioning as the designated research arm of the German dental profession rather than as a product or service vendor. The organization employs 11-50 staff and maintains no disclosed parent company, subsidiaries, venture funding, or M&A activity.

Name

IDZ

Legal name

Institut der Deutschen Zahnärzte

Website

https://idz.institute

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IDZ is a Cologne-based, non-profit dental research institute founded in 1987 that conducts population-based oral health studies, dental economics research, and workforce analysis for the German dental profession, funded by federal dental associations BZÄK and KZBV.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IDZ is a German dental research institute that conducts population-based oral health studies (Deutsche Mundgesundheitsstudien, DMS) and analyses dental practice establishment investments (InvestMonitor Zahnarztpraxis) in partnership with apoBank. It also runs longitudinal studies on dental professional careers (Y-Dent), international health system comparisons, and publishes the online journal 'Zahnmedizin, Forschung und Versorgung'.

Product overview

The IDZ (Institut der Deutschen Zahnärzte) operates as a research institute for German dentists, conducting oral health epidemiology and dental professional research. Its product portfolio centers on two flagship offerings: the Deutsche Mundgesundheitsstudien (DMS) — periodic population-based oral health studies tracking dental disease and care in Germany since 1989 — and the InvestMonitor Zahnarztpraxis — annual economic analysis of dental practice establishment investments since 1984. These are supplemented by the Online-Journal 'Zahnmedizin, Forschung und Versorgung' for publishing results, the Y-Dent longitudinal study on dental professional careers, the Zahnärztlicher Versorgungsatlas 2030 for regional care projections, and various thematic research projects on oral health, dental economics, and international system comparisons. The organization is not a software product company but a public health research institute.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• InvestMonitor Zahnarztpraxis: The InvestMonitor is a joint research project by IDZ and Deutsche Apotheker- und Ärztebank (apoBank) analyzing dental practice establishment investments in Germany since 1984.
• Y-Dent (Berufsbild angehender und junger Zahnärzte)
• Zahnärztlicher Versorgungsatlas 2030
• Zahnmedizin, Forschung und Versorgung

Products and services

• Deutsche Mundgesundheitsstudien (DMS) / German Oral Health Studies Periodic population-based epidemiological studies tracking oral health status, dental disease, and dental care provision in Germany across multiple age groups. Targeted at dental professionals, researchers, policymakers, and public health authorities.
• InvestMonitor Zahnarztpraxis Annual research publication and benchmarking report analyzing dental practice establishment investments, financing volumes, and practice type selection (single vs. group practice, acquisition vs. new establishment) in Germany. Targeted at dental professionals planning practice startup, banks, and industry stakeholders.
• Zahnärztlicher Versorgungsatlas 2030 (Dental Care Atlas 2030) Projection-based research project analyzing future regional dental care needs and supply in Germany. Targeted at health policy makers, dental associations (BZÄK, KZBV), and public health planners.
• Y-Dent (Berufsbild angehender und junger Zahnärzte) Longitudinal nationwide survey tracking professional identity, career choices, and working conditions of dental students and young dentists in Germany over 4 years. Targeted at dental professional associations, workforce planners, and academic institutions.
• Online-Journal: Zahnmedizin, Forschung und Versorgung Peer-reviewed online journal publishing dental medicine, oral health research, and dental care provision studies, including DMS findings and InvestMonitor reports. Available as free downloads. Targeted at dental professionals, researchers, and policy stakeholders.
• Internationale Gesundheitssystemvergleiche (International Health System Comparisons) Cross-country comparative research on dental healthcare systems, including the published comparison of oral health and care systems across Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, and Spain. Targeted at health policy makers and dental associations.
• Hygienekostenstudie Zahnarztpraxis (Dental Practice Hygiene Cost Study) Periodic research study analyzing hygiene costs in dental practices in Germany, with editions published in 1998 and 2008. Targeted at dental practice owners, professional associations, and health economists.

Quantifiable outcome

• DMS 6 includes 3,377 study participants across multiple age groups (8-9 year olds, 12 year olds, 35-44 year olds, 65-74 year olds) for cross-sectional oral health analysis
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Charité Universitätsmedizin BerlinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Zahnärztlicher Versorgungsatlas 2030 (Dental Care Atlas 2030), which projects regional dental care development in Germany considering population and oral health trends.
• KantarmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKantar organizes and executes the Kieferorthopädisches Modul (orthodontic module) of DMS 6. Two study teams travel through Germany conducting examinations.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kieferorthopädie (DGKFO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGKFO commissioned and primarily funds the Kieferorthopädisches Modul (orthodontic module) of the DMS 6 study, which examines dental and jaw misalignment in 8-9 year old children.
• infas (Institut für angewandte Sozialwissenschaft)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partnerinfas conducts the online surveys for the Y-Dent longitudinal study on young dentists' professional development, in collaboration with IDZ.
• Cerner EnvizamajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCerner Enviza serves as the study organization for DMS 6, handling participant coordination, appointment scheduling, and logistics. Contact: [email protected]
• Bundeszahnärztekammer (BZÄK)coreOthersBZÄK is a partner organization of IDZ, collaborating on professional dental research and policy development.
• Kassenzahnärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KZBV)coreOthersKZBV partners with IDZ on dental healthcare research and economic analysis of the dental profession.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Forsyth Institute: Independent US-based dental and craniofacial research institute. Closest international analog to IDZ in combining independent dental research with population-level oral health studies. Operates a similar non-profit research model focused on oral health epidemiology and prevention science.
• IADR (International Association for Dental Research): Global dental research organization advancing oral health research worldwide. Directly comparable to IDZ in mission of advancing dental research and connecting researchers, though with a broader international scope and membership-based association structure rather than single-country research institute.
• Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG): German federal institute for health technology assessment and evidence-based medicine. Similar non-commercial research organization providing evidence-based health policy guidance in Germany. Operates under similar institutional independence and federal association funding model.
• Sciensano: Belgian federal public health research institute providing population-level health data and policy-relevant research. Comparable European public health research role and non-commercial model. While broader than IDZ's dental focus, similar function as authoritative evidence base for national health policy.
• Robert Koch-Institut (RKI): Germany's federal public health research institute. Similar role as a non-commercial research organization providing population-level health data and policy guidance to the German government. Comparable scale and government-association funding model, though with a broader public health mandate than IDZ's dental focus.

Broad incumbents

• FDI World Dental Federation: International umbrella organization for national dental associations worldwide. Connects IDZ with international dental policy and research networks through membership. Provides broader context for IDZ's role within the global dental research and policy ecosystem.
• King's College London Dental Institute: Major academic dental research institution in the UK. Comparable dental research focus including population-level oral health studies, but embedded within a university structure. Conducts international oral health research and trains dental researchers at scale.
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR): US federal agency for dental research, part of NIH. Significantly larger than IDZ with substantial government funding, but serves the same function as an authoritative national dental research body. Comparable role in setting dental research priorities and disseminating findings to policy makers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/idz.institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 IDZ