v2.4.0.8

Employee Benefit Plans - Other Employee Benefits (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Management [Member] | Deferred compensation bonus and commission plan [Member]
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Excluding Share-based Payments and Postretirement Benefits [Line Items]
Deferred compensation plan fair market value amount charged (credited) to operations	$ 1,100,000	$ 300,000	$ 0
Qualified 401K plan [Member]
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Amounts charged (credited) to operations	25,300,000	23,800,000	23,000,000
Qualified 401K plan [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Maximum matching contributions as a percentage of participants' contributions (in hundredths)	100.00%
Maximum participants' contributions as a percentage of their base compensation (in hundredths)	7.00%
Allowable maximum percentage of contributions allocated to Henry Schein Stock Fund (in hundredths)	20.00%
Supplemental executive retirement plan [Member]
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Amounts charged (credited) to operations	$ 4,100,000	$ 2,100,000	$ 700,000

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- Details

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- Definition

Maximum percentage of 401(k) plan contributions that can be allocated to the Henry Schein Stock Fund.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The compensation expense recognized during the period pertaining to the deferred compensation arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5047-113901



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 710

-SubTopic 10

-Section 30

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6409875&loc=d3e20015-108363

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- Details

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- Definition

The amount of the cost recognized during the period for defined contribution plans.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 70

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6414718&loc=d3e28014-114942

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- Definition

Percentage of employees' gross pay for which the employer contributes a matching contribution to a defined contribution plan.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Maximum percentage of employee gross pay the employee may contribute to a defined contribution plan.

+ References

No definition available.

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