Why does overall dental spending continue to decline in inflation-adjusted terms? Three big factors compound. First, dentistry is increasingly perceived as a discretionary expense rather than essential healthcare. Patients defer dental work when budgets tighten because they can, in ways they cannot defer urgent medical care. Second, prevention has worked dramatically over decades. Fluoride in water, widespread tooth brushing and flossing habits, electric toothbrushes, regular cleanings, and unintended prevention from medications like statins that reduce systemic inflammation have all combined to reduce the absolute volume of dental disease in younger cohorts. People under 45 who had real prevention growing up simply [...]