Zoom meetings inspire surge in requests for adult orthodontics
Zoom meetings and video calls have inspired a surge in requests for adult orthodontics, according to UK orthodontists.
Since the pandemic hit in 2020, millions of people have been working from home, swapping face to face meetings for virtual conferences and video calls. In the last 12 months, there has been a sharp rise in the demand for adult orthodontic treatment, which dentists have attributed to us spending more time looking at ourselves on-screen.
Many people have spent hours every day looking at their own reflection as well as their colleagues, friends and family members on a tablet, phone or laptop screen.
It is thought that many have become more conscious of their appearance due to the popularity of Zoom and Teams meetings and Facetime.
Anjali Patel, director of external relations at the British Orthodontic Society (BOS), said that her patients have become more aware of misalignment or crooked or crowded teeth as a result of the ‘Zoom effect.’
A survey commissioned by the BOS suggests that 84% of orthodontists have experienced a rise in adult patients. Most patients are females aged between 26 and 55 years old.
In addition to increased awareness of our appearance linked to video meetings and calls, dentists believe that the pandemic has afforded more people the opportunity to cover the cost of treatment. For those who have been working, it has been possible to save money with travel off the cards and leisure, entertainment and hospitality venues closed.
Many people are now choosing to use the money they have saved during lockdown to pay for straighter teeth. There has also been an increase in demand for cosmetic dental treatments, including tooth whitening and veneers.
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