Socioeconomic determinants of demand for dental cosmetic treatments

The demand for cosmetic dentistry is a growing trend globally. Increased media coverage, availability of free online information, and the improved economic status of the general population have led to an increase in the patient's aesthetic expectations. Since no study has measured the relationship between the economic status of people and the choice of cosmetic dentistry in Iran and due to the growing demand for it, this study was designed.

In this descriptive epidemiological study, we visited three completely different areas in terms of Socioeconomic status (SES) in Tehran. A checklist was used to record the gender, job, age, education level, maternal status, and source of payment for cosmetic dentistry treatment.

The majority of the volunteers for dental cosmetic restoration were 23-26 years. Of 498 cosmetic restoration volunteers, 50 were men and 448 were women. As for the education level, most of the participants had a high school diploma. The cost of cosmetic restoration of 351 patients (70%) was paid by the parents or the spouse, and 147 patients paid the cost from their income. Our study showed that 7% of visits to dental clinics were only for cosmetic treatment demands in Tehran in 2021.

Type of job, education level, and marital status had no significant relationship with the choice of cosmetic treatment while age had a significant relationship with the choice of cosmetic dental restoration treatment. In addition, the choice of cosmetic dental treatment was completely related to gender, and women were the main users of it.