WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Cosmetic procedures -- dental implants and facial aesthetic procedures -- outpace all other surgical procedures in the United States, a report said Wednesday.
The numbers of dental implants and facial aesthetic procedures are growing at more than 15 percent a year compared to to non-cosmetic procedures, which are growing at less than 5 percent, the Millennium Research Group's U.S. Surgical Procedure Volumes 2008 report said.
Aesthetically conscious Americans are demanding cosmetic procedures due to a strong societal focus on good looks and an increased public acceptance of cosmetic enhancement procedures, the report said.
Dental implant procedures will expand at an annual growth rate of more than 18 percent from 2008 to 2011 due to patients' desire for aesthetically pleasing and healthy teeth, technological improvements of dental implant devices and practitioners who can perform dental implants.
"Facial aesthetic procedures will grow more than 15 percent over the next five years," Jaya Classen, a senior analyst at Millennium Research Group. "While non-cosmetic procedures are typically limited to those who are afflicted with a disease or infirmity, cosmetic procedures face no such demographic barriers to growth. The number of people seeking to improve their looks seems endless."
