More than three quarters (84%) of orthodontists have seen a spike in adult patients.
This is according to new statistics revealed by the British Orthodontic Society (BOS).
More than half of UK orthodontists (60%) also report a larger than anticipated jump in demand for treatment over the last 12 months.
And data suggests this is down to rising patient expectations and social factors (55%), as well as increased awareness of adult orthodontics (80%).
Heightened awareness
The ‘Zoom boom‘ effect has been widely credited as a contributing factor to the rising interest in dental treatment.
Anjli Patel is BOS director of external relations. She said: ‘It is interesting to see the rise in demand for orthodontic treatment over the last 12 months.
‘I know from patients I see at my practice that many have become increasingly more aware of their teeth through the “Zoom effect”.
‘We want to ensure patients are given the very best advice about orthodontic treatment. Tooth straightening can give people the confident smile they’ve always dreamed about.’
Taking action
Dentistry has been celebrating the increasing interest within the profession through its ‘boom time’ column.
In her article, Gina Vega describes how business has picked up – with a significant chunk of patients paying in full before treatment begins.
‘We started noticing the Zoom boom pretty quickly,’ she said.
‘People called saying: “I’m using Zoom and I don’t really like how my teeth look”. They wanted to do something about it.
‘Of course, they didn’t have holidays that summer or social events. So the money was there, they were ready to start ASAP.’
She adds: ‘Around 70% of our patients are paying in full at the beginning of the treatment!’
Catch up with previous Dentistry’s Boom Time articles:
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