Health and Well-Being
The U.S. Surgeon General Provides Report on the Status of Oral Health in America—The Good News and the Bad News
Here's the good news: the United States has progressed from a nation where toothaches, oral disease, and tooth loss were the norm, to a nation where most people are smiling about their oral health.
Now for the bad news. Many poor Americans, especially children and the elderly, still suffer from untreated oral diseases. Racial and ethnic minorities, and those with handicaps, disabilities and complex medical conditions, have also been left behind in the nation's marathon toward improved oral health. All of these groups are at risk for developing serious oral diseases.
First-ever report shows "huge disparity"
The Surgeon General's report—the first ever to focus on oral health—describes the "silent epidemic" of preventable and/or curable oral disease that is sweeping through specific segments of our society.
Nearly one-half of all African Americans and Latinos living at or below poverty level have untreated tooth decay.Over one-third of low-income children suffer from untreated tooth decay in at least one tooth by the time they are nine years old.Once these kids reach age 17, over 43 percent of them have untreated tooth decay.Children depend on their parent or guardian to see to it that they receive adequate dental care. But if the adult is forced to choose between housing or food, and having a cavity filled in one of their child's teeth, which do you think they'll choose?Eighty percent of the children eligible for Medicaid don't receive dental care; federal and state assistance programs for oral healthcare are extremely limited in scope, and the reimbursement for the dentist is typically much lower than the usual fee.Children whose families don't have dental insurance are two and a half times less likely to have regular dental checkups than children whose families have insurance.Older Americans, who may have had dental insurance when they were employed, lost that insurance when they retired; often, they then can't afford the out-of-pocket expense for dental care.Those with physical disabilities or handicaps, or who are medically compromised, often find it difficult to make it to the dentist for regular oral care. Unfortunately, these are the people usually at greater risk for developing oral disease, and in turn, the oral diseases they develop further jeopardize their already compromised health.Those living in communities that do not add fluoride to the drinking water have significantly more tooth decay than those who drink fluoridated water."Great progress has been made in reducing the extent and severity of common oral diseases," said Donna E. Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services. But, she added, "the terms oral health and general health should not be interpreted as separate entities. Oral health is integral to general health; this report provides important reminders that oral health means more than healthy teeth and that you cannot be healthy without oral health."
"Ignoring oral health problems can lead to needless pain and suffering, causing devastating complications to an individual's well-being, with financial and social costs that significantly diminish quality of life and burden American society," Shalala said.
"Serious oral disorders may undermine self-image and self-esteem, discourage normal social interaction, and lead to chronic stress and depression as well as incurring great financial cost," said Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D. , Ph.D.
"They may also interfere with vital functions such as breathing, eating, swallowing and speaking. The burden of disease restricts activities in school, work, and home, and often significantly diminishes the quality of life," he said.
"Together, we can effect the changes we need to maintain and improve oral health for all Americans," Shalala said.
Source - "Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General" - National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD