The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that Americans visit their dentist at least twice a year. These bi-annual checkups allow dentists to keep teeth clean, while ensuring that any problems that might occur are caught before they turn into something worse. Unfortunately, a growing number of Americans don’t take the ADA’s recommendation seriously, putting off a visit to their dentist until they have a problem. Subsequently, workers in the United States miss an estimated 41.5 million work days each year due to a dental problem.
American Dental Habits Are Reshaping the Entire Industry
The way Americans treat their teeth is causing a shift in the dental healthcare landscape. An estimated 80% of dentists in the U.S. are classified as general practitioners. This is the type of dentist you see when you need your teeth cleaned. The other 20% are dental specialists, healthcare professionals who are focused on one of the nine recognized dental specialties. Cosmetic dentistry, one of these specialties, is among the fastest growing specializations in the country, currently employing more than 42,000 people.
From 2008 to 2013, the cosmetic dentistry industry in the States grew by an approximate 1.8% annually. The industry now pulls in $4 billion in annual revenue. With the number of root canals expected to grow from the current rate of 24 million per year, and one in five Americans living with untreated dental cavities that will eventually require care by a cosmetic dentist, it should come as no surprise that, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the market for cosmetic dental professionals is set to expand by 16% through 2022.
While the cosmetic dental industry remains relatively small when compared to that for general dentistry, with only an estimated 10% of dentists performing cosmetic procedures like dental implants, Americans can expect a surge in the number of professionals looking to meet their needs.
