Dentists cash in as we pay for perfection
DENTISTS are profiting from a huge rise in cosmetic treatment as more of us spend thousands of pounds to get a winning smile.
The top-earning private dentists in the UK made a collective turnover of almost £1billion in 2014 – up 22 per cent on 2010 – with treatments including ‘smile analysis’ and sonic polishing, research shows.
Analysis by finance provider LDF says the rise is because Britons are shelling out thousands of pounds for private treatment.
One of the increasingly popular procedures is so- called smile analysis, when a dentist assesses the width of the mouth, its symmetry and the extent to which teeth are even and white.
The process typically costs £100. But any subsequent treatment such as braces, crowns being fitted on uneven teeth or whitening can be up to £10,000 depending on what a patient decided to have done.
Other procedures include sonic clean and polishing – for about £130 a session – which uses air and tiny particles to blast teeth and remove stains caused by coffee, chocolate and wine.
Separate figures from the British Association of Cosmetic Dentistry estimate the number of people seeking such treatments is growing by 40 per cent a year.
Experts say adults are becoming more self- conscious and worry that their personal life and career may be hindered if they don’t have nice teeth.
Also, medical advances have replaced traditional train-track braces with clear, barely noticeable devices costing £6,000.
Many are having these fitted in the run-up to major events where they will be extensively photographed such as family weddings or milestone birthdays.
Peter Alderson, of LDF, said: ‘British people have taken to cosmetic dentistry in a big way, and that’s reflected in rising incomes for top dentists.
‘ Increasing numbers of dental patients are starting to explore cosmetic treatments like laser whitening, and are willing to pay significant amounts of money for cutting- edge services, especially i f they are delivered in a more exclusive, private clinic-style environment.
‘The biggest dental groups are able to invest very heavily in their practices’ equipment, furnishings and IT systems, and that has raised the stakes in the profession markedly.
‘The younger generation of dental clients – those that are more comfortable with paying for cosmetic dentistry – expects enhanced services such as online booking and text message reminders as well as cuttingedge treatments.
‘If dentists want to make the most of the demand for cosmetic dentistry, they need the type of apparatus and environment that brings in clients, but that type of equipment routinely costs tens of thousands of pounds.’
One popular procedure is ‘cosmetic bonding’, in which grey fillings or chipped teeth are painted over to make them almost invisible, costing up to £1,000.
Laser whitening is increasingly being offered for about £100.
Nissit Patel, of Progressive Dentistry in Putney, south-west London, said: ‘Over the past five years, I have seen a huge increase in adult orthodontics, primarily for cosmetic reasons. In my practice, the business has at least doubled in the past three years.’
He added that many of his patients came to him shortly before weddings or birthdays.
‘Cutting-edge treatments’