USA - Oral health epidemic persists

Oral health epidemic persists, former surgeon general says.
Atlanta, GA - Twelve years after issuing a landmark report that offered a framework for improving access to oral health, formerSurgeon General David Satcher says profound oral health problems still exist for large portions of the population and has issued a renewed call to expand access to oral health care, especially to the millions of children expected to gain dental benefits through the Affordable Care Act in 2014.

Poor oral health can lead to serious health consequences later in life, including diabetes and heart problems. Satcher emphasizes that oral health can dramatically affect how we speak, eat, or smile. He also stresses that children, minorities and the poor are disproportionately affected by the oral health care crisis:

• 37 percent of African American children and 41 percent of Hispanic children have untreated tooth decay, compared with 25 percent of white children

• American Indians and Alaska Natives have the highest rate of tooth decay of any population: five times the national average for children ages 2 to 4.

• Seventy-two percent of American Indian and Alaska Native children ages 6 to 8 have untreated cavities - more than twice the rate of the general population.

• More than a third of all poor youngsters ages 2 to 9 have untreated cavities, compared with 17 percent of children who are not poor.


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