Good health covers any aspect of the human body, everything from nutrition to exposure to sunlight to avoiding drugs and excessive alcohol to controlling the spread of STDs. Some medical procedures are for more cosmetic purposes, such as tanning beds, hair follicle transplants, and the work of cosmetic dentists. Family dental care may sometimes include the work of a cosmetic dentist, and this dental practice, while not needed for cavities or crown replacement, can be used for any patient who wants to improve the quality of his or her smile. After all, many people include tooth appearance in their first impressions of others, alongside such things as hair care, fingernail grooming, and more. This can also be important for formal settings such as business deals of job interviews, so cosmetic dentists can help a person in these arenas, too. Dental care for aesthetics is not necessarily frivolous; it can boost a person’s image, and in subtle ways, image can affect a person’s success in many arenas. When is it time to visit cosmetic dentists? Are cosmetic dental services worth it?

The Popularity of Teeth and Cosmetic Dentists

Many medical procedures to alter body image prove popular, and this includes cosmetic dentists. Cosmetic dentistry is plenty popular; in the year 2017, for example, around 39.09 million Americans had used tooth whitening products, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry believes that every year, Americans spend around $2.75 billion on cosmetic dentistry. Among cosmetic patients, 67% are women and men make up the remaining 33%. Going without cosmetic work on teeth can be unpleasant for some; a 2015 survey showed that 25% of respondents would often or sometimes avoiding smiling around others in the past year, due to their mouth’s or teeth’s condition. and 23% of respondents reported being embarrassed due to their teeth problems, while another 20% had extra anxiety due to their tooth appearance and 14% of respondents reduced their social participation because of their teeth.

However, plenty of Americans do visit their dentists for regular, emergency, or cosmetic care. In the years 2011 and 2012, for example, about 91% of American adults had to deal with cavities, and the CDC reported that in 2014 and 2015, 64% of American adults aged 18-64 had visited the dentist. Later, in the year 2017, around 127.6 million adults visited a dentist. And as of 2015, there were 195,722 dentists working in the United States, which equates to seven dentists for every 10,000 people.

Visiting cosmetic dentists can have a great effect once tooth aesthetics are improved. American adults a nearly unanimous (99.7% agree) that a healthy smile is important for any social interaction, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry carried out a survey that showed that 74% of adults think that unhealthy, unattractive smiles can hurt their career success. It is not just celebrities who diligently whiten their teeth for good appearances; any adult, young or old, who is looking for a promotion or a job would want to maximize his or her personal appeal, and that means everything from clothing to posture to hair care down to tooth whitening and straightening. Similarly, addressing more serious tooth problems such as missing teeth, damaged crowns, serious discoloration, can have a major effect on one’s appearance, and an emergency dentist visit may be needed to fix whatever dental problems are marring a person’s health and social presence alike. But if a person’s teeth are healthy and polished, there is no need to worry.