What do the edentulous US population statistics actually show about unmet dental need? A massive and growing population of patients who could benefit from comprehensive treatment but are mostly outside the dental system. US Surgeon General data shows roughly 21 million adults, nearly ten percent of the adult population, are completely edentulous. Eleven million of those are over age 65. Twelve million are missing all their maxillary teeth. Another 50 million are missing posterior teeth in one to four quadrants. The percentage of edentulous adults is gradually decreasing, but the absolute numbers are increasing as the population grows. State variation is [...]