As people learn to take better care of their teeth, many of the issues that plagued dental patients a hundred years ago are disappearing. Fewer people are losing their teeth than in previous generations; it’s uncommon to see someone in their thirties walking around with a missing tooth lost to decay or disease. In an age of better dental hygiene, is general dentistry all that’s necessary? Or do we still need prosthodontics?

Generation Gap

While it’s true that general dentistry has taken huge leaps toward improving general dental hygiene, the reasons people seek prosthodontics have also changed. While younger people are less likely to lose teeth to decay, they’re more likely to want crowns, bridges and caps for aesthetic reasons. Having a good smile is important to them and they’re willing to invest in procedures that can prevent their smile from collapsing in later years.

Conversely, people are living longer and longer – and no one keeps all of their teeth forever, no matter how often they floss. Older people often need complete dentures, and they’re no longer satisfied with the easily-lost, wobbly versions offered by general dentistry. They’re looking for permanent solutions such as implants so they can continue to eat carrots and chew on chicken legs on into their seventies and eighties.

Electing to Get Prosthodontics

Many prosthodontics procedures in previous generations were somewhat obligatory, which is to say they were necessary for the patient to continue in their daily routine. Now, many people are getting crowns, bridges, caps, and veneers for reasons unrelated to the health of their teeth. Prosthodontics is often an elective procedure, designed to get people a better smile and improved self-esteem.

This trend isn’t limited to the younger generation, either. Many older people lived through less enlightened times in general dentistry and have the have discolored, cracked, or badly positioned teeth to show for it. They are willing to invest in a better smile, both for the sake of their appearance and their comfort. Prosthodontics’ impact is likely to grow in years – both theirs and ours – to come.

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