Forty per cent of Brits ‘unhappy with their teeth’

Forty per cent of the UK population are unhappy with the appearance of their teeth, according to a new survey, with nearly half (48%) planning to undergo cosmetic dental work.

A survey of 666 participants by Cosmetic Surgery Solicitors found that of those who were unhappy with their teeth, 47% had already undergone some form of cosmetic dentistry such as tooth whitening or veneers.

However, a quarter (25%) stated they were either unhappy or very unhappy with the results of their cosmetic procedure.

‘Teeth can be a sensitive issue for many people, with crooked, discoloured or missing teeth causing embarrassment or low self esteem’, commented Michael Saul, partner at Cosmetic Surgery Solicitors.

‘However, cosmetic dentistry can cause more problems than it solves, with many patients left disappointed with the results.

‘Worse still, they could be left in great discomfort, with painful sensitivity or requiring corrective dentistry further down the line to repair the damage.’

‘We advise exercising caution when it comes to undergoing any kind of cosmetic procedure, and this includes dental work, and so we have created a checklist, “How to choose a cosmetic dentist”, to help the British public undergo cosmetic dentistry safely.’

Popular cosmetic procedures

‘Teeth whitening was the most popular procedure, with nearly a quarter (24%) whitening their teeth either with a home kit, through a dentist surgery, or at a specialist clinic.

This follows news that the global teeth whitening products market is expected to reach $7.40 billion by 2024, according to Reportlinker.

For the participants who whitened their teeth, the majority (68%) used a home whitening kit and 42% reported being happy or very happy with the results.

In contrast, those who whitened their teeth through a dentist’s surgery (24%), saw their satisfaction levels increase to 69%.

The most common complaint was a lack of results – teeth did not look any whiter – or painful sensitivity caused by the bleach used in the whitening solution.

Of all the survey participants, the majority (85%) have had restorative dentistry at some point in their life, with the most common procedure being fillings (66%).

A further 40% have undergone some form of cosmetic dentistry, with the most popular procedure, 22%, being teeth whitening.

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