Just been digging into the publicly traded dental companies space and honestly, there's some interesting stuff here if you're looking beyond just crypto.

Started thinking about this after reading how dental startups are getting massive VC interest lately. But here's the thing - there are already established publicly traded dental companies that have been quietly printing money for years. Most investors sleep on this sector entirely.
Let me break down what caught my attention. Henry Schein (HSIC) is basically the backbone of the dental industry. Like, 90% of US dental practices are their customers. They're moving 120,000+ branded products plus another 180,000 private label items to dentists everywhere. When I looked at their 2018 numbers, revenues hit $13.2 billion with earnings up 11.4%. Stock's been beaten down though - trading near 52-week lows. Classic value play territory.
Then there's Align Technology (ALGN) with their Invisalign dominance. Yeah, competitors like Candid are eating into margins with cheaper alternatives, but ALGN's not dead. Their 2018 revenue jumped 34% to $2 billion. What really stood out: their iTero scanners grew 68% and now make up 14% of overall revenue. That's a second growth engine people aren't talking about enough.
Dentsply Sirona (XRAY) had a rough integration after acquiring Sirona, but they're finally cleaning up their act. Streamlining operations, cutting costs, and analysts were projecting $2.64 earnings per share by fiscal 2020. Stock had a solid run after that.
The publicly traded dental companies I'm watching also include Patterson Companies (PDCO) - they're a distributor like Schein but with animal health diversification (58% of revenue). Their free cash flow generation is solid, and that 4.8% dividend yield is nothing to scoff at.
Then you've got the consumer-facing plays. Procter & Gamble (PG) owns Oral-B, which generates about 9% of their revenue. They just hit their 63rd consecutive year of dividend increases. Church & Dwight (CHD) is smaller but punches above its weight with Arm & Hammer, AIM, and other oral care brands. Over the past decade, CHD delivered 19.4% annualized returns - almost double P&G.
3D Systems (DDD) is the wild card here. Their dental segment is growing with 3D-printed dentures, crowns, and surgical guides. CEO said there are 'billions of opportunities' in this space. Trading at 1.8x revenue, it's cheap relative to history.
What's interesting is how many of these publicly traded dental companies have been overlooked while everyone chases startup hype. The fundamentals are solid, the cash flows are real, and valuations had gotten pretty attractive depending on when you look. If you're diversifying beyond tech and crypto, this sector deserves a closer look.