|
Why is Oral Health Important?
95% of all Americans are afflicted by oral disease. Oral Cancer is more common than leukemia, melanoma of the skin, Hodgkin's disease and cancers of the brain, liver, bone, stomach, thyroid gland, ovaries or cervix.
Each year over 164 million hours are missed from work and 52 million hours from school due to dental problems.
Tooth decay is the single most common chronic disease of childhood.
Almost half of U.S. children ages 5 - 17 have experienced tooth decay in their permanent teeth.
25% of children and adolescents (typically from families with low incomes and minority populations) experience 80% of all dental decay occurring in permanent teeth.
Lost work due to dental problems equates to 164,000 American workers off the job for the entire year.
Among migrant children age 10 - 14, dental care is the most common health problem, and age 15 - 19; it is the second most common health problem.
140 million Americans do not have dental insurance as opposed to 43 million without medical insurance.
Upon retiring, 85% of Americans have no dental insurance
Dental Aid stands ready to assist those in need. In tough economic times the need for assistance to those without dental insurance or the means for care becomes more and more crucial. Please consider making a donation to Dental Aid today.
|
Sign up for email updates.
Dental Aid Supports Community Fluoridation
Dentists and staff at Dental Aid believe that community water fluoridation and topical fluorides contribute greatly to oral health in the areas we serve. According to Dr. Darby Hammond, Dental Aid's Chief Pediatric Dental Advisor, fluoridation has a profound impact on the oral health status of children seeking care at Dental Aid. "We often see children in our pediatric clinic whose parents have chosen to avoid fluoridated tap water and who do not use fluoridated toothpaste. There is a significant increase in the number and severity of cavities found in these children. A short time ago, we referred a child whose family did not utilize fluoridation for treatment at The Children's Hospital. The girl had severe cavities in all of her upper teeth and in eight of her lower teeth. She was in pain and needed to be treated at the hospital in order to have significant amounts of decay treated under general anesthesia. We hate to see children suffer unnecessarily when it is easy to prevent severe decay with the use of fluoride and good dental hygiene," says Dr. Hammond.
Fluoride.pdf
For more information please contact:
Karen Cody Carlson
303-665-8228
kcodycarlson@dentalaid.org
|
