New Dental Treatments Take A Bite Out Of The Credit Crunch - British Academy Of Cosmetic Dentistry

Main Category: Dentistry
Also Included In: Cosmetic Medicine / Plastic Surgery
Article Date: 28 Oct 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the not-for-profit, leading organisation for the advancement and ethical delivery of cosmetic dentistry, today unveiled results for their 2007 audit which polled over 200 practices around the country and outlines over 100,000 procedures. In a possible backlash against dramatic smile makeovers and perhaps as a nod to the expected credit crunch, Britons - and considerably more males than ever before - are opting for more subtle and less invasive treatments, such as braces instead of veneers.

Highlights:

-- 106,536 cosmetic dentistry cases, women accounted for 61% of all procedures

-- Orthodontics (which include both visible 'train track' braces as well as invisible and removable) have more than tripled since 2006, going up by a whopping 345%

-- Males, who used to account for less than a fifth of all orthodontics, now represent almost a quarter at 24%, with 400 cases this year

-- Veneers have stayed consistent, with dentists averaging about the same number as last year, but male patients, who used to account for 28% of the total, now account for nearly a third, or 32%, of all procedures

-- Onlays were another area of considerable growth, increasing by more than a third (34%) - this treatment is much less invasive than its traditional counterpart, crowns
-- With 5,564 cases, whitening remained similar to last year in terms of average number of cases per dentist. Women still account for the majority of these (70%), but unlike last year, when 4% of people said they were 'unhappy' with the results, in 2007 only 0.8% stated dissatisfaction

-- Bridges are another procedure which has become more popular with men, who used to account for 42% and now edging ever closer to women at 46%

-- The number of 'removable' braces, such as the innovative Inman Aligner (which only takes months to straighten teeth) used to account for less than a quarter (22%) of all orthodontic cases now accounts more than half at 58%

According to Dr. David Bloom, dentist and President of the BACD;
"This audit has highlighted some very exciting trends, such as an impressive increase in the number of orthodontic cases. This could well be a backlash against the dramatic smile 'overhauls' popularised in makeover shows but may also herald a more subtle, and indeed cost-effective, approach to cosmetic dentistry by the industry as a whole. It's also interesting to note the overwhelming preference for less invasive treatments such as onlays, which are porcelain fillings to cover part of the tooth, over crowns - which involve drilling to achieve full coverage."

The audit mechanism tracks the top 10 most popular procedures including whitening procedures, tooth-coloured fillings, veneers, implants and crowns. This year's results encompass all practices of full members as of 2007.

According to Dr. James Goolnik, dentist and BACD Board member;
"These results show that men have become more accepting of cosmetic treatments in general - reflecting the importance we now place on a healthy smile. The advent of new procedures such as the removable adult braces and more realistic-looking veneers which require much less drilling also means people are less likely to choose invasive and irreversible treatments. At the BACD our mission is to continue training dentists around the country in these innovative and cutting-edge options."

David Bloom adds;
"The remarkable increase in satisfaction levels with whitening results also shows that not only are techniques advancing, but the public is more educated and realistic in terms of their expectations of what can be achieved."

The results in full:

-- White fillings (back teeth) 39,308
-- Crowns, Inlays and Onlays 27,972
-- Porcelain Veneers 14,500
-- White fillings (front teeth) 10,800
-- Whitening 5,978
-- Bridges 2,900
-- Implants 2,856
-- Orthodontics 1,644
-- Gum Contouring 1,444

Women accounted for 61% of all procedures this year (64,620 treatments carried out). The top 5 dentistry procedures for women in 2007 are: white fillings (back teeth, usually replacing silver amalgams, 22,056 procedures), Crowns-Inlays-Onlays (16,884), Veneers (9,488), white fillings (front teeth, 6,944 procedures) and teeth whitening (3,800).

Men had 39% of all dentistry treatments (41,916 procedures in 2007). The top 5 procedures for men are: White fillings (back teeth, 17,252 procedures carried out in 2007), Crowns-Inlays-Onlays (11,088), Veneers (4,568), white fillings (front teeth, 3,856 procedures) and whitening (1,764).

About the BACD

The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry is a not-for-profit, inclusive organisation for the advancement and ethical delivery of cosmetic dentistry, open to all dental professionals including dental technicians and hygienists. The BACD, which has over 900 members, is affiliated with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. http://www.bacd.com

Source
Jennifer McGarrigle
http://www.bacd.com