DTI welcomes new partner: “A bridge between Japan and the rest of the world”

“We are pleased to have finally joined DTI,” commented Medical Net President and Chief Operating Officer Yuji Hirakawa on the new partnership. “Japan is the third-largest economic power in the world and there are many good dental companies in the country. We want to be a bridge between Japan and the rest of the world.”

The alliance is part of the company’s efforts to expand its business outside of Japan. According to Hirakawa, who established Medical Net in 2001, the company had previously focused on its home market exclusively. Another step towards internationalising business will be the opening of a dental clinic in Bangkok in Thailand in September, he said.

Launching in autumn, Dental Tribune Japan aims to reach about 20,000 dentists and 10,000 dental hygienists through its local website. The first issue of the print edition will be published on 2 October with a print run of approximately 20,000 copies. As of 2018, the targeted publication frequency will be four editions a year with a print run of 30,000 copies.

With more than 100,000 dentists and about 64,000 dental clinics, the Japanese dental health care sector is one of the largest worldwide. Figures from Statistica on the number of dentists between 2000 and 2014 show that the profession enjoys great popularity and has continued to grow. The number of dental practitioners per 100,000 inhabitants rose from 70.3 in 2000 to 80.7 in 2014.

Catering to the needs of the growing number of dental professionals, Medical Net also plans to add an educational offering to its portfolio in the future, utilising DTI’s expertise as an organiser of continuing education programmes, including e-learning, through the Dental Tribune Study Club.

The combined DTI portfolio currently includes more than 130 print publications and multiple websites that reach over 650,000 dentists in more than 90 countries and 25 languages.