BUSINESS COMBINATIONS - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Details) shares in Millions			1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended				10 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 29, 2016 USD ($) director shares	Dec. 09, 2010 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) acquisition	Oct. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill					$ 4,539,200,000				$ 5,952,000,000	$ 4,539,200,000	$ 5,952,000,000	$ 1,987,600,000
Common stock, shares outstanding | shares	242.2				226.8				230.1	226.8	230.1
Number of directors | director	11
Number of directors from former board | director	6
Goodwill impairment					$ 558,000,000	$ 0	$ 1,092,900,000	$ 0		$ 1,650,900,000	$ 0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment										346,700,000	0	0
Impairments of finite-lived identifiable intangible assets											0	3,700,000
Cash paid for acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired										145,900,000	341,800,000	54,000,000
Cash assumed in Sirona merger										0	522,300,000	0
Payments to acquire corporate convertible bonds		$ 49,700,000
Net unrealized holding gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities										(44,300,000)	0	8,500,000
Net (loss) income										(1,550,300,000)	431,400,000	251,100,000
Unrealized holding gain, available-for-sale securities										45,000,000		8,500,000
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Net Unrealized Holding Gain (Loss) on Available-for-Sale Securities
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net (loss) income										0	$ 0	3,700,000
DIO Corporation
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership percentage		17.00%
Net unrealized holding gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities												4,800,000
Cost method investment, ownership percentage									13.00%		13.00%
Cost method investments, fair value					54,400,000				$ 63,400,000	54,400,000	$ 63,400,000
Cost method investments, book value					9,400,000				8,200,000	$ 9,400,000	8,200,000
DIO Corporation | Other noncurrent assets, net
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value of DIO bonds												$ 57,700,000
Building
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired property, plant and equipment - useful life										40 years
Building | Minimum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired property, plant and equipment - useful life	25 years
Building | Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired property, plant and equipment - useful life	50 years
Machinery and equipment | Minimum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired property, plant and equipment - useful life	3 years									4 years
Machinery and equipment | Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired property, plant and equipment - useful life	10 years									15 years
RTD
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total acquisition consideration							$ 132,000,000
Goodwill					$ 83,400,000					$ 83,400,000
Sirona Dental Systems Inc
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total acquisition consideration	$ 6,256,200,000
Goodwill	$ 3,758,100,000
Percentage of voting interest acquired	58.00%
Ownership percentage by noncontrolling owners	42.00%
Number of directors from former Sirona board | director	5
Inventory - fair value adjustment	$ 72,000,000
Property, plant and equipment - fair value adjustment	33,600,000
Deferred income - fair value adjustment	(17,300,000)
Transaction related costs											29,900,000
Sirona Dental Systems Inc | Chairside Consumables
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill	3,615,300,000
Net sales contributed by Sirona									1,039,900,000	1,220,200,000
Operating income (loss) contributed by Sirona									227,200,000	$ (1,543,100,000)
Sirona Dental Systems Inc | Dental And Healthcare Consumables
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 142,800,000
Sirona Dental Systems Inc | Common Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Sirona common stock conversion ratio	1.8142
DENTSPLY common stock issued for consideration | shares	101.8
Percent of shares outstanding	42.00%
MIS Implants Technologies Ltd. and Health Consumable Business
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill									$ 204,600,000		$ 204,600,000
Number of acquisitions during period | acquisition			2
Cash paid for acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired			$ 341,400,000
Cash assumed in Sirona merger			$ 66,900,000
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total acquisition consideration				$ 51,100,000
Goodwill				$ 31,300,000