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One-Third of American Adults Unhappy with Their Smile

December 19, 2012 By DrSayed 3 Comments

More than one-third of American adults are unhappy with their smile, according to a new study commissioned by the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) and conducted by Wakefield Research.

Of Americans who are unhappy with the appearance of their teeth, 36% believe they would have a better social life if they had better teeth. This may be especially true among young adults, as 48% of Americans ages 18 to 24 have untagged a picture of themselves on Facebook because they didn’t like their smile.

The study found that bad teeth also represented the biggest dating turn-off among men and women. According to the study, 77% of women think crooked teeth are worse than a receding hairline in a potential love interest. Moreover, 22% of Americans who are unhappy with their smile think that better teeth would lead to a better love live.

On a professional level, 78% of Americans perceive adults with crooked teeth to be unsuccessful. And 14% of those unhappy with their teeth felt that they might be missing out on a better job.

“Professional orthodontic treatments have come a long way in recent years, with innovative options such as clear aligner trays, lingual braces, and ceramic braces,” said John F. Buzzatto, DMD, MDS, president of the AAO. “Healthy teeth can be moved at any age and it’s encouraging that two-thirds of Americans think they are never too old for treatment.”

Mark Sayed, DMD, in San Juan Capistrano CA, agrees that is never too late to improve a person’s smile and bite. “We offer several non-traditional metal braces options, including clear brackets & invisalign.” Dr. Sayed has many adult patients in orthodontic treatment ranging from 20 to 73 years old.

The survey queried 1,000 nationally representative US adults, ages 18 and older between September 21 and September 25, 2012, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.

Filed Under: Braces for Adults., FEATURED RESOURCES, FEATURED TOPICS, General Health, News, Sayed Orthodontics in the Community Tagged With: adult braces, braces for adults, clear braces, Invisalign

How to Select Your Child’s Dentist.

July 29, 2011 By DrSayed 15 Comments

Here are some tips for choosing a dentist for your children.

First let us state that the quality of oral care your child will receive is certainly the top criteria. Having said that, a child friendly environment, and staff, can make a very practical difference. The more enjoyable the experience for your child, the better the chances of enrolling your child in the process of proper oral care.

The office is kid friendly. Their waiting room should be inviting and have lots of things for children to do while they wait. Look for children’s games and books in the waiting room, a kid-sized table and chairs, or a television playing children’s programming.
The dentist should allow for extra time with a child. When making the appointment let them know it is a child and that you would like extra time so your child won’t be rushed into anything.
The dentist should let the parent be present in the room during the whole dental visit. Your child will feel more comfortable if you are there.
The dentist should offer learning tools such as videos, books, or other tools to help the child become comfortable with what to expect during a dental visit.
The dentist should explain everything he or she is going to do before they do, allow the child to examine the tools, and even try the tools out before proceeding.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend that your child begin seeing a dentist on a regular basis by their first birthday. For more information on pediatric dentists and other helpful tips visit the AAPD website.

If you have questions about selecting an oral care provider, please feel free to submit a comment. We will be happy to try to answer it for you.