Business Acquisitions - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended												1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		4 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011 Entity	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012 Dental Consumable and Laboratory Businesses Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Dental Consumable and Laboratory Businesses Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Dental Consumable and Laboratory Businesses Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Implants/Endodontics/Healthcare/Pacific Rim Segments	Dec. 31, 2011 Implants/Endodontics/Healthcare/Pacific Rim Segments	Dec. 31, 2010 Implants/Endodontics/Healthcare/Pacific Rim Segments	Dec. 31, 2012 Select Distribution Businesses Segments	Dec. 31, 2011 Select Distribution Businesses Segments	Dec. 31, 2010 Select Distribution Businesses Segments	Aug. 31, 2011 Astra Tech [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Astra Tech [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Astra Tech [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Astra Tech [Member] Implants/Endodontics/Healthcare/Pacific Rim Segments	Dec. 09, 2010 DIO Corporation	Dec. 31, 2012 Noncurrent Assets	Dec. 31, 2011 Noncurrent Assets	Dec. 31, 2012 Building Astra Tech [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Machinery and equipment Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Machinery and equipment Minimum [Member] Astra Tech [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Machinery and equipment Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Machinery and equipment Maximum [Member] Astra Tech [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisitions and Contingent Consideration Payments		$ 7,400,000
Acquisition related activity, net of cash acquired		(4,861,000)	(1,787,516,000)	(35,556,000)											(4,300,000)
Cash acquired from acquisitions completed during 2011			23,400,000
Number of acquisitions in period		1	6
Number of earn-out payments in period		1	2
Percentage of interests acquired, common shares														100.00%
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments								5,000,000
Trade accounts receivable		101,200,000
Accrued and other current liabilities		80,100,000
Trade accounts payable		27,100,000
Noncurrent deferred tax liabilities		260,300,000
Pension obligaitons		53,300,000
Inventory fair value adjustment														32,800,000
Property, plant and equipment fair value adjustment															28,700,000
Estimated useful life, minimum (in years)																					40 years	4 years	5 years	15 years	15 years
Depreciable lives range, minimum																					40 years	4 years	5 years	15 years	15 years
Goodwill acquired during period		867,000	978,191,000					952,100,000
Net sales		2,928,429,000	2,537,718,000	2,221,014,000	958,266,000	946,464,000	890,499,000	1,347,380,000	973,296,000	701,417,000	294,643,000	300,544,000	272,622,000				207,100,000
Operating loss		381,939,000	300,728,000	380,273,000													18,500,000
Goodwill increase									9,700,000
Business acquisitions related costs			44,200,000													31,900,000
Initial ownership interest																		17.00%
Purchase of convertible debt issued by affiliate	49,700,000	0	0	49,654,000
Available-for-sale securities, fair value of DIO bond																			75,100,000	47,800,000
Net unrealized holding gains on available-for-sale investments		$ (17,800,000)	$ 11,545,000	$ (11,029,000)