Americans are living longer. In fact, a headline in the October 9, 2014 issue of USA Today indicated that life expectancy in the America has hit a record high. According to the article, the American life expectancy in 2012 increased to 78.8 years. In comparison, an American born a century ago would only have lived to be 49.2. This much lower number compares to the 70.8 life expectancy in 1970.
This increased live expectancy is attributed to many thinks including earlier detection of some fatal diseases like heart conditions and cancer, as well as more information about healthy lifestyles. And while many great things happen when people live longer, these increased life expectancies also create some interesting situations. Nor surprisingly, Americans who are living longer are still showing their age. And while the cosmetics industry continues to find ways to to help people look younger and improve their image, other industries are making strides as well.
As many Americans continue to be concerned not only about their health, but also their appearance, it just makes sense that many turn to family dentistry services as a way to protect their teeth and to keep their teeth looking as healthy as possible. While a half a century ago it may have been common for elderly people to wear dentures, today’s family dentistry offices are able to help patients keep their own teeth longer and to make those teeth look as healthy as possible.
Family dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and general dentistry services all share the same basic goal. They all want their patients to have healthy feeling and looking teeth. And while different individuals will strive for different goals, some basic dental habits will contribute to better health. consider the following statistics about how Americans treat their teeth:
- 18% of people indicate that they conceal their teeth during photos.
- 20% of men indicate that they brush their teeth after every meal.
- 22% of people indicate that they floss every day.
- 29% of women indicate that they brush their teeth after every meal.
- 32% of people indicate that they are concerned about the look of their teeth.
- 49% of men indicate that they brush their teeth twice a day.
- 57% of women indicate that they brush their teeth twice a day.
- 75% men indicate that they have a regular dentist.
- 75% of people indicate that they do not replace their toothbrush as often as they should.
- 89% men indicate that they have a regular dentist.
- 83% of people indicate that they see a noticeable difference after having their teeth whitened by a dentist.
- 96% of adults indicate that they believe an attractive smile makes a person more appealing to the opposite sex.
How Important Is Your Smile and the Health of Your Teeth?
It should come as no surprise that in addition to regular dental care and routine checkups many Americans also focus on the purely cosmetic side of dentistry. While family dentistry offices have long been the location for the every six month checkups for children and yearly checkups for adults, many of these offices now offer other services as well. In fact, Americans spend $1.4 billion every year on teeth whitening products, and many of these whitening services occur in family dentistry offices.
The increase in cosmetic dentistry likely goes hand in hand with the nation’s focus on looking and feeling good. Yoga classes, fitness classes, skin rejuvenation clinics, and laser hair removal services are just a sampling of the many ways that Americans work to improve their looks. Families with school age children may manipulate schedules so that their children never miss a scheduled dentist appointment, but adults also make their dental care a priority.
The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry reports that more than half of the adult U.S. population surveyed over age 50 agree that a smile is the one physical feature that stays the most attractive as we age. As American’s longevity numbers continue to climb it simply makes sense that the men and women of America want to make sure that they do everything within their power to stay looking their best. A healthy smile is a stepping stone to many things in life, both relationships with future partners and spouses and the contacts you make when looking for new career opportunities.
