The dental implant and prosthetic market is projected to reach $6.4 billion this year. With a growing number of Americans growing uncomfortable with the look of their teeth, it’s easy to see why. From cavities, to replacing missing teeth to removing wisdom teeth, the dental care industry will be kept busy in the future as Americans use different methods of dental care to restore their smile.

Cutting off the cavities

Cavities often take months or even years to form, but by age 17, 78 percent of people have been affected by at least one. Even with such a high number of cavities, they are often left untreated by 1 in 5 people. The number could get even higher in the fall when candy and other treats with high sugar content fly off of store shelves. According to CNBC, Americans could spend in excess of $800 million on emergency dental visits because of Halloween.

Flossing regularly and brushing twice a day are two good forms of dental care to help prevent cavities and tooth decay. More than 20 percent of people say they floss every day. When it comes to brushing your teeth, dentists recommend short, back-and-forth strokes with the toothbrush held at a 45 degree angle toward the gum line.

Rather than scheduling a follow-up appointment right away with a dental office, people often wait three years before scheduling another one. While some may be wary of a trip to the dentist, it’s important to visit the dentist regularly to avoid major dental issues and to ensure the long term health of your teeth.

A demand for dentures

Nearly 18 percent of people hide their teeth in photos and missing teeth is a big reason why. Most adult Americans are affected by partial edentulism (lack of teeth) and in 15 years that number could grow as high as 200 million. In fact, nearly 15 percent of those who are edentulous have dentures made each year and tooth replacement is a problem that isn’t going away anytime soon.

The number of people with dentures is growing as nearly 30 million Americans are missing all their teeth in at least one of their jaws. As more and more people have a tooth extraction or tooth removal, the number of tooth implants is expected to grow as well. Three million people have implants already and that number continues to rise by 500,000 by the year.

Removing a tooth or multiple teeth

Another area where the dental care industry is growing is in the removal of wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth removal is common in adults as the average mouth only has room for 28 teeth. Those getting their wisdom teeth removed are typically having third molars removed from the back of the mouth that aren’t able to develop like normal teeth. Five million Americans have wisdom teeth removed every year and wisdom tooth removal is an outpatient procedure.

Making sure you’re monitoring your teeth regularly is important and if you don’t, chances are good you’ll be having a chat with your dentist about removing a tooth. There are plenty of reasons for removing a tooth and some of these include:

• Removing baby teeth to allow permanent teeth to come in.
• Removing infected teeth, especially in folks receiving cancer treatments.
• Making room for other teeth for people who need braces. Teeth are extracted to make room for teeth to be moved into their proper place.
• Removing teeth that have been damaged.

Whether you need to see a dentist about removing a tooth, filling a cavity or getting some sort of implant, visiting a dentist regularly has many benefits, so don’t hesitate to set up an appointment with local dental services in your area.