Comment by inglor_cz

Teeth are still susceptible to mechanical wear, and as life expectancy is inching towards 90 (at least among wealthier people in wealthier countries), dentists will have a lot of work to do anyway.

The societal standard matters more than raw incidence of cavities etc. Three generations ago, it was considered absolutely normal to have dentures in your fifties. Nowadays, middle class people tend to die with (heavily fixed, but still their) teeth and some implants in their mouths.