Workers are putting teeth into a job search
More Americans are turning to dentures to get a job, or to keep one.
Some areas that have the highest unemployment rates in the U.S. also fare worst in a health measure that can keep job seekers from being hired: missing teeth.
Missing teeth are not just a problem for the elderly. Nearly one in five working-age adults in some areas have lost six or more teeth, according to the Commonwealth Fund.
People missing many or all of their teeth tend to become reclusive and unemployed. They don't apply for jobs, says Frank Tuminelli, president of the American College of Prosthodontists, experts in replacing and restoring teeth. If you give them teeth, they feel good about themselves and can go out and get a job.
Problems begin early in life. Terry Dickinson, executive director of the Virginia Dental Association and founder of its Mission of Mercy program, recalls a 19-year-old who had all of his teeth extracted at the clinic. Many 20-year-olds are doing it as well.
More than two-thirds of working adults do not have dental insurance and this number rises in relation to poverty, according to Commonwealth. In fact, tooth loss is a symptom of poverty.
The overwhelming need helped inspire the creation of Benchmark Dental Manufacturing Co., a Virginia firm that makes durable, customizable dentures in about an hour. These quickie teeth can get people started on a job search, but they don't last. Ultimately, they need a more fitted and refined appliance.