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Zoom meetings cause growing demand for orthodontics during pandemic

Iveta Ramonaite, Dental Tribune International

Iveta Ramonaite, Dental Tribune International

Fri. 14. May 2021

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LONDON, UK: Attending myriad Zoom meetings is now a reality for many professionals who had to shift to the home office culture during the pandemic. Needless to say, having a virtual platform that allowed people to communicate with their colleagues safely from a distance did have its benefits. However, according to a survey conducted by the British Orthodontic Society (BOS), people have become increasingly conscious of their teeth during close-up video conferencing, which is manifested in a surge in adults seeking orthodontic treatment in the past year.

According to the survey results, more than three-quarters (84%) of orthodontists reported that they had experienced an increase in adult patients during the pandemic, and more than half of orthodontists (60%) stated that the demand for treatment in the last 12 months had exceeded their expectations. Factors that contributed to an increase in demand are rising patient expectations and social factors (55%) as well as growing awareness of adult orthodontics (65%).

As for participant demographics, the majority of adult patients seeking treatment were found to be between 26 and 55 and, most likely, female (80%). Dr Anjli Patel, BOS director of external relations, said in a press release: “It is interesting to see the rise in demand for orthodontic treatment over the last 12 months. I know from patients I see at my practice that many have become increasingly more aware of their teeth through the ‘zoom effect’.”

“We want to ensure patients are given the very best advice about orthodontic treatment. Tooth straightening can give people the confident smile they’ve always dreamed about,” she concluded.

According to an article that referred to the BOS statistics, many people were willing to invest in orthodontic treatment, such as the Invisalign orthodontic system for tooth correction, during the pandemic for various reasons. For example, since commuting costs have been dramatically or completely reduced, this has incentivised people to use the money they saved to pay for tooth alignment procedures. Also, since teeth were hidden behind the mask used as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, people felt more confident about wearing fixed orthodontic appliances.

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