Everyone is looking for the perfect smile, whether you’re looking to impress that new person at the office of just wanting to gain more confidence in group photos. With this demand being consistent over the past several years, the interest and evolution of the cosmetic dentistry industry have grown rapidly.
Cosmetic dentistry is the focus of enhancing the appearance of a person’s smile, ranging from teeth whitening and enamel shaping to full mouth reconstruction. This facet of dentistry utilizes procedures such as but not limited to teeth repositioning, coloring, reshaping and even at times using products such as veneers and dental implants. The expansion of this industry has prompted general dentists and specialists alike to take notice and keep up with the demands of this growing dental field.
Money Matters
The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons state that at least 69% of adults from ages 35 to 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth leading to the increase in cosmetic dental treatments and procedures.
Cosmetic Dentistry hasn’t just had success in America. Many international dental reports have forecasted that the industry is expected to reach a high of $27.95 billion by 2024 on a worldwide level.
Generational Differences
As of last year, cosmetic dentistry in the United States generated an estimated $16 billion in revenue. Experts have stated the reason for such a rise in the industry is due to two major patients’ demographics, the baby boomers and millennials.
With millennials surpassing baby boomers as the largest generation to date, they have been a huge part of cosmetic dentistry’s success and its growing popularity. While the boomers have the financial resources to help expand the market simultaneously.
The motivation for both these groups to seek cosmetic dentist are identical, being the pursuit of improving their overall oral appearance. However, the two generations have different ways of obtaining this desire.
An uptick in Baby Boomer Demand
Baby boomers look toward cosmetic dentistry to maintain a youthful appearance. They often are opting for dental products such as veneers and various dental implants and even dental procedures such as contouring and dental bonding.
Services Millennials Demand
Millennials have taken a more neo-traditional approach in requesting options like teeth “bleaching” or whitening and choosing dental products like Invisalign opposed to ordinary braces. Some even taking a more exotic approach including “dental bling” or “teeth jewelry” to enhance their look and express the individuality.
The Takeaway
The growing popularity of image perception paired with advancements in today’s technology has resulted in the cosmetic dental community to create new and innovative ways that help patients achieve their desired smiles.
Organizations such as Clear Choice and Boyd Industries are now utilizing tools such as 3D printers and other digital design programs to utilize in various ways to help in the cosmetic dental process. These systems are often used to map a patient’s teeth to better visualize where dental implants might be placed with other systems creating the implants from scratch.