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What follows is a mostly comprehensive explanation of the process involved in manufacturing and installing theideal human smile.
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Lets call this character Mrs. Dalloway.
Or maybe she just wants nicer teeth and it’s not something that requires analysis, okay?
The advantages of good teeth are immeasurable.
There is no system linking oral health with earnings; other humans just prefer to look at nice teeth.
So, anyway, for whatever reason, Mrs. Dalloway says she wants to get veneers.
A veneer is a small tooth facade, made of either porcelain or a resin composite.
The latter is cheaper, but less durable and more prone to staining.
Most cosmetic dentists begin at the end, by building a model of a patient’s soon-to-be new smile.
The size of the global cosmetic dentistry market by 2024: $28 billion.
Its basically the United Nations of veneers.
More recently, he likens it to the construction of a Bugatti, an even more bewilderingly expensive machine.
Less than 500 Bugattis exist today.
The cars look and perform superlatively, but that isn’t really the point.
Veneer installationis sculpture on the most minuscule of scales.
(“It turns a fingernail into a football field,” he says.)
Most veneers are about half as thick as a credit card.
“Almost every dentist has to think cosmetically.”
About 40 percent of dentists reported upwards of $1 million in practice revenue.
The overwhelming majority of respondents were dentists, although many identified themselves as general dentists, distinct from cosmetic.
Many dentists look forward to a more democratic profession.
Health is sold at a premium; cosmetics are sold at a devil’s bargain.
She has one of the most beautiful smiles I’ve ever seen.
“Three years after I got them, they’re just a part of me,” she says.
“Getting veneers is kind of like betting on yourself.
The average life span of a veneer is 10 to 15 years.
“A house, my future kids' education, my teeth.”
Note: A previous version of this article misstated dental practice revenues.
40% of dentists surveyed reported upwards of $1 million in practice revenue, not practice profits.
This post has since been updated to reflect this correction.
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Watch the evolution of dental care over 100 years:
