Aesthetic demand of French seniors: a large-scale study

The needs of seniors for oral health and aesthetics are growing, as are their demands for aesthetics. This large-scale study aims to identify the demand for aesthetics for a population aged over 55, and the influence of age and gender.

A 15-item questionnaire was placed on the web in partnership with a major magazine dedicated to seniors. It reflected practitioners' questions with regard to senior patient expectations: aesthetic demand assessment, most commonly expressed complaints, the importance given to tooth colour, knowledge of available therapeutic treatments and motivation levels for treatment.

The survey generated 3868 responses, 61% from women; 77% of respondents declared being satisfied to very satisfied with their smile. Their highest priority to improve their smile was tooth alignment, followed by their shape, length and shade. Although 60% of respondents were satisfied with their current shading, 53% would prefer to have them whitened. Aesthetic treatments were well-known to seniors. Over four-fifths of them had heard of dental implants and ceramic crowns. Two-thirds of those who wished to improve their smile were considering dental treatment.

The high number of collected questionnaires confirms the strong interest shown by seniors for dental aesthetics, particularly from women. Baby-boomers seem more attentive to the appearance of their smile than their elders. However, the importance of appearance decreases with age, as it becomes less of a priority, with attention more focused on general health.