The Current Facts on Dentistry in America

Some of the current facts about dentistry in America today are amusing, amazing, educational and surprising. 

Did you ever wonder the going rate for the Tooth Fairy?  According to Securian Dental Plans, the Tooth Fair is currently paying out $2 per tooth. The American actors with the best teeth are Bratt Pitt and Julia Roberts.  Almost three quarters of Americans would rather go grocery shopping than floss their teeth. 

The past decade has seen a serious decline in the incidences of tooth decay.  Only 40% of young people ages 6 to 19 had ever had cavities, which is down 50 percent from ten years ago.  Despite this fact, over 51 million hours of school are lost annually by children due to dental related illness.  Employed adults lose over 164 million hours of work every year because of dental visits or oral health problems.

While Americans spend over $2 billion annually on oral care items, half of Americans do not get regular dental care.  Consider that 50 percent of Americans consider the smile the first facial feature they notice and that 80 percent of Americans are not totally happy with their smile.  With all the advances made in cosmetic dentistry, more Americans can realize a great smile than ever before.