Oxford came first in a ranking of UK regions with the highest rates of enquiries about clear aligner orthodontics, at a rate of one enquiry per 235 residents.
Almost four in 10 (38%) of these enquiries were considered complex – including factors such as significant crowding, spacing or bite discrepancies requiring longer treatment.
The cities with the highest rate of enquiries about tooth straightening treatments were as follows:
- Oxford
- Chelmsford
- Plymouth
- Sheffield
- Chester
- Durham
- Peterborough
- Exeter
- Bradford
- Darlington.
On the other hand, Edinburgh was found to have the lowest enquiry rate at one per 37,569 residents. The following cities ranked lowest throughout the UK:
- Edinburgh
- Shetland Islands
- Truro
- Perth
- Glasgow
- Hull
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Cambridge
- Aberdeen
- Middlesborough.
Across the country, around half (49.1%) of enquiries related to complex cases. Two thirds of the enquiries (66%) came from women, and the average age of patient submitting enquiries was 28.
The data was collected by clear aligner provider Smile White over the past 12 months.
How does demand for other cosmetic treatments vary across the UK?
In 2024, research found that residents of London were most likely to have discoloured teeth out of all UK cities. The study used five metrics to determine how likely tooth discolouration was: tea consumption, coffee consumption, alcohol consumption, percentage of smokers and number of tea/coffee houses per 10,000 people.
London scored 10 out of 10 for these metrics, followed closely by Birmingham with a score of 9.38 out of 10.
The research was conducted by Dentaly.org, which said that ‘each city displays unique patterns in lifestyle choices that play a role in tooth staining’.
The study also explored how likely residents were to seek tooth whitening treatment to remedy tooth discolouration. London was also found to have the highest search volume for tooth whitening. London, Birmingham and Liverpool were the top three cities for both rankings.
Dentaly.org said: ‘The capital’s residents are not just battling high rates of tooth discolouration but are also the most proactive in seeking remedies.’
Follow Dentistry.co.uk on Instagram to keep up with all the latest dental news and trends.
