The following article was written by Kailani Liu, a student at NYU Stern, who worked with Bullish as a summer 2024 Miura (Bullish intern). 

Casting a friendly smile at a stranger can help brighten their day, but most won't show their teeth due to insecurity.

A study revealed that less than a quarter of respondents show their teeth when grinning and 57% cover their mouths when laughing. More alarming, 14% of Americans skip social events due to insecurities surrounding their teeth. 

The root of this problem is the cost of care. The expense associated with dental care is the biggest reason people choose to avoid the dentist. Over half of all Americans can’t afford oral care. Even those covered by insurance struggle to afford expensive procedures such as root canals and dental implants. This reality has led to the rise of dental tourism, a trend where people travel to foreign countries for procedures that are too costly stateside. When adding travel, lodging, and food expenses to the bill, dental tourists still end up saving 18%. 

Access to dental care only gets more difficult as people age and retire—leaving behind workplace benefits such as health insurance. Medicare’s health insurance doesn’t include basic dental benefits like cleanings or checkups and Medicaid’s coverage for dental expenses varies from state to state. 

How brands can better meet their needs 

With such a high barrier to traditional dental care, there emerges an opportunity for new consumer brands to fill this gap by offering high-quality and accessible products and services that capture consumer dollars in the ever-growing market. 

The dental services market was valued at $146 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% through 2030. This steady growth can largely be attributed to the rising public awareness of oral health—including a growing number of oral and dental disorders, changes in insurance coverage, advancements in dental treatments, and a surge in cosmetic demand.

At-home dental care

Research shows that Americans have issues with maintaining proper oral hygiene practices at home. Only one third of Americans floss daily (one third flosses occasionally and the rest never do). Additionally, a study showed that 61% of respondents used fingernails to remove pieces of food stuck between their teeth while 21% used strands of hair or safety pins. It’s recommended to brush twice a day, but 31% fail to do so. Moreover, the average American only brushes for half the recommended time of two minutes.  

These statistics reflect the need for not only better adherence to standard dental care recommendations, but also more oral care options to improve at-home dental practices. Consumer brands are beginning to address the gap in flossing, specifically, with products like Stimmie, a reusable toothpick, Cocofloss, maker of a flavorful and efficient floss, and Flaus, an innovative electric flosser. The toothbrush market is also bristling with new products like SURI and willo to compete alongside legacy electric brush names on the shelf. There are countless new toothpastes (from planet-friendly Bite to science-based Twice) as well as whitening systems (Laughland and Hismile) to complete the modern dental stack. For those not practicing sufficient dental hygiene at home, these options could lure them into participating by making it more streamlined or exciting.

Beyond offering more innovative (and better marketed) oral care products like those previously mentioned, consumer companies are also exploring new business models that bring care closer to home. As an example, mobile dentistry could be just as profitable as a private practice business model in coming years, providing more convenient and accessible care directly. Onsite Dental is trying to deliver oral care just a walk or ride away. Teledentistry can be beneficial for those in remote areas or with constraints that make it difficult to access traditional oral care, allowing them to receive consultations and treatment plans faster without travel. Startups like SmileSnap allow orthodontists to provide assessments after reviewing patient photos or conduct virtual consultations with patients without having to go through the hassle of scheduling in-office time.   

In-office dental care

Ignorance can be bliss for many things in life, but not for visiting the dentist. Around 80% of Americans experience some anxiety around dental treatment and 9-15% are so anxious that they avoid the dentist entirely. It’s understandable if the thought of visiting a dentist for some is associated with discomfort, pain, and bad news. 

Knowing this, there’s an opportunity for dental practices to offer modern and spa-like experiences for people across the comfort spectrum. Wally and Tend are two examples of practices that are leading the way here by creating luxurious and relaxing environments to help combat dental anxiety. 

The demand for cosmetic dental services is increasing as well, with straightening and whitening services gaining popularity. In addition to the at-home options, businesses such as The Gleamery are jumping on this trend by focusing on "smilecare,” or bundling teeth cleanings with whitening treatments (aiding in both preventative care and increasing whitening results). This development marks a shift towards more accessible cosmetic dental services, outside of what’s historically been available. 

Traditionally, teeth straightening has been associated with metal braces, which are expensive and inconvenient when patients need to go to the orthodontist every four to eight weeks to get them tightened. New treatment options like Two Front and Impress are making the process faster and cheaper while being less noticeable than metal in your mouth. A number of brands have also taken to making custom night guards, such as Otis Dental and Remi, that remove the step of seeing your doctor. 

AI

Similar to many other industries, AI is revolutionizing dentistry by increasing diagnostic accuracy rates, planning and mapping treatments, and improving care experiences for patients. Consumers will be on the receiving end of new developments in AI dental assistants like Pearl that help optimize health outcomes with features like interpreting x-rays and radiographs. People may find comfort in the use of AI in their professional dental care. A study revealed that when informed that AI could detect irregularities on a X-ray that the naked eye couldn’t, 60% said they would more likely take the dentist’s recommendation. 

From opportunities in new innovation around at-home dental care options to improved services and experiences with dental care out-of-home, the category will continue its transformation in the years to come, with and without AI.