USA - A Nation in Decay

A Nation in Decay
Posted on : Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:28:00 GMT | Author : Delta Dental Plans Association
News Category : PressRelease
OAK BROOK, Ill., March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The tragic death of a Maryland boy from a common cavity made headlines across the country recently, raising questions about how this could happen in the world's most prosperous country.
"The truth is that this child died because our dental system failed him, and it continues to fail millions of other children," said Kim Volk, president and CEO of Delta Dental Plans Association. "Our nation is in the midst of a growing oral health crisis that is largely ignored, and it's claiming children among its primary victims."
In fact, no disease in America is as widespread as childhood cavities. Cavities are almost entirely preventable and the cost of prevention is relatively minimal, yet millions of children suffer the social and physical burdens of the disease. By the time American teens reach the age of 17, nearly 75 percent of them have been affected by tooth decay.
Not much has changed in the seven years since the U.S. Surgeon General declared dental and oral diseases a "silent epidemic." In a report released in 2000, Surgeon General David Satcher concluded that, despite tremendous strides made in the past few decades, "profound and consequential disparities" exist in the oral health of our nation's citizens.
Socioeconomic factors play a role in these disparities in terms of the burden of dental disease and access to care. Additional reasons exacerbate the disparities, including lack of community programs like water fluoridation and low public awareness of the importance of oral health, as well as an inability to pay for care. ........

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