Oral Health Basics
Oral health affects our ability to speak, smile, eat, and show emotions.
It also affects self-esteem, school performance, and attendance at work and school. Oral diseases—which range from cavities to gum disease to oral cancer—cause pain and disability for millions of Americans.
They also cost taxpayers billions of dollars each year.
Cavities (also called tooth decay) are one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States. By age 34, more than 80% of people have had at least one cavity.
In 2015, more than 40% of adults felt pain in their mouth.
The nation spends more than $124 billion a year on costs related to dental care.
On average, over 34 million school hours are lost and over $45 billion is lost in productivity each year due to unplanned (emergency) dental care.
Oral health has been linked with other chronic diseases, like diabetes and heart disease.
It is also linked with risk behaviors like using tobacco and eating and drinking foods and beverages high in sugar.
Public health strategies such as community water fluoridation and school sealant programs have been proven to save money and prevent cavities.
Disparities in Oral Health
Oral health disparities are profound in the United States.
Despite major improvements in oral health for the population as a whole, oral health disparities exist for many racial and ethnic groups, by socioeconomic status, gender, age and geographic location.
Some social factors that can contribute to these differences are lifestyle behaviors such as tobacco use, frequency of alcohol use, and poor dietary choices.
Just like they affect general health, these behaviors can affect oral health. The economic factors that often relate to poor oral health include access to health services and an individual’s ability to get and keep dental insurance.
Disparities in Oral Health
Some of the oral health disparities that exist include the following:
Overall.
Non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians and Alaska Natives generally have the poorest oral health of any racial and ethnic groups in the United States.
Children and Tooth Decay.
The greatest racial and ethnic disparity among children aged 2–4 years and aged 6–8 years is seen in Mexican American and black, non-Hispanic children.
Adults and Untreated Tooth Decay. Blacks, non-Hispanics, and Mexican Americans aged 35–44 years experience untreated tooth decay nearly twice as much as white, non-Hispanics.
Tooth Decay and Education. Adults aged 35–44 years with less than a high school education experience untreated tooth decay nearly three times that of adults with at least some college education.
In addition, adults aged 35–44 years with less than a high school education experience destructive periodontal (gum) disease nearly three times that of adults with a least some college education.
Adults and Oral Cancer. The 5–year survival rate is lower for oral pharyngeal (throat) cancers among black men than whites (36% versus 61%).
Adults and Periodontitis. 47.2% of U.S. adults have some form of periodontal disease. In adults aged 65 and older, 70.1% have periodontal disease.
Periodontal Disease is higher in men than women, and greatest among Mexican Americans and Non-Hispanic blacks, and those with less than a high school education