Abstract
Gingival Black Triangles (GBTs), or gingival embrasures, are aesthetically displeasing even when they are not severe enough to require periodontal treatment. Multiple treatment modalities exist, including veneers, composite and other prosthetic modalities, with few, if any, treatments covered by insurance. Demand for GBT treatment is likely to increase with the aging of Baby Boomers, whose use of cosmetic dental procedures exceeds their predecessors.
Highlights
Cosmetic dentistry has increased in demand in recent years, with revenues in the US expected to grow from $16 billion in 2015 to almost $28 billion by 2024 [1]
We propose that the use of Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSC) or gingival stem cells for Gingival Black Triangles (GBT) treatment may have clinical, economic, and patient preference advantages that can fill a treatment gap, literally and figuratively
Based on the anticipated differences for stem cell treatment of GBTs compared with usual care, we propose approaches for quantifying benefits from the patient perspective and from an economic standpoint
Summary
Cosmetic dentistry has increased in demand in recent years, with revenues in the US expected to grow from $16 billion in 2015 to almost $28 billion by 2024 [1]. Almost three-fourths of cosmetic dentists reported offering a third-party financing service; most felt that it helped with patients’ decision to have treatment [1] Taken together, this means that there is a growing interest in cosmetic dentistry but that potential patients remain sensitive to costs. Surgical and non-surgical management of GBTs may include, but is not limited to, preserving or reconstructing the affected soft tissue including the interdental papilla and alveolar bone; restorative techniques (including the use of veneer prostheses and gingival-colored ceramics); orthodontic treatment; or regeneration using tissue engineering and volumizers. Each of these approaches has clinical, economic, and patient preference advantages and disadvantages. Researchers can shorten the path to a full understanding of the economic and patient-reported outcomes and those findings can complement rather than trail behind clinical outcomes if they are included in studies even while potential clinical benefits are still being evaluated
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