Demand for Dental Implants on the Rise among Baby Boomers
A common mantra of aging is “You’re only as young as you feel.” However, human nature demonstrates that what is shown on the outside has a psychological impact on what one feels on the inside. In other words, you can only feel as young as you look. Feeling and looking great don’t exist in separate vacuums; there is interdependence between the two.
According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, approximately 30 percent of aesthetic dental procedures are performed on baby boomers “wanting to look better.” It’s no wonder, then, why recent a report from Millennium Research Group, a reputed global authority in medical technology trends, forecasted a 9 percent growth in demand for dental implants over the next five years. While almost 13 percent of the current U.S. population is age 65 and older, that statistic is increasing exponentially as baby boomers grow in number within this demographic over the next two decades, according to information provided by the Administration on Aging.
Although dental implants have a long, established history worldwide, the technology to safely and effectively conduct the procedure for the masses has only come to be in recent years. This directly correlates with improvements in implant materials over the past 50 years and decreasing costs and effectiveness of pre and post-implant diagnostics. Within the past five years, traditional film x-rays in dental offices have frequently been replaced with higher reliability technological solutions, such as the CAT Scan and 3D CAT scan machines. Having access to this detailed information is more expedient to both dentist and patient because the condition of the jaw is a known factor, before attempting implantation. This means that present day implant procedures are much more expedient, accurate and less invasive physically than in years past.
In generations past, turning 65 used to mean automatic dentures and a soft-food diet, but technology’s ability to discern what’s on the outside and the inside allows us all the opportunity to grow older gracefully.
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