dental bulletin  #4

dental hygiene facts

RHA has come across some thought-provoking dental hygiene facts from the Centers For Disease Control and the Surgeon General’s report on Oral Health in America. We thought these health tidbits would be of interest to you and hope you enjoy the article.

The intent of the Surgeon General’s first Report on Oral Health was to: "alert Americans to the full meaning of oral health and its importance to general health and well-being." Two of the major conclusions from the study were that: "the mouth reflects general health and well-being and that oral diseases and conditions are associated with other health problems."

Specifically, the mouth provides health care providers and individuals with a window on their general health status. The mouth can serve as an early warning system for diseases such as HIV infection, other immune system problems, and signs of general infection and stress. Interestingly, as the number of substances that can be reliably measured in saliva increases, it may well become the diagnostic fluid of choice, enabling the diagnosis of specific disease, and possibly the genetic analysis needed to uncover disease risks and predict outcomes of medical treatments. The full executive summary of the study can be found here: http://www.nidr.nih.gov/sgr/execsumm.pdf

Other interesting facts reported by the Center of Disease Control and the Surgeon General were:

• Fewer than one-third of Americans know the proper brushing recommendations and only 34% floss daily.

• Nearly half of Americans spend less than the recommended minimum two to three minutes brushing their teeth.

• Tooth decay is one of the most common childhood diseases, five times as common as asthma.

• Nearly 7 in 10 adults aged 35 to 44 years have lost at least one permanent tooth.

• The nation’s yearly dental bill is roughly $60 billion.

• On average, 46% of Americans visit the dentist the recommended two times a year.

• Flossing helps loosen food particles in the mouth so they can be easily removed. But interestingly 42% of men rarely or never floss.

• Retail Toothpaste sales are approximately $1.8 billion on annual basis.

• By age 17, 78 percent of young people have had a cavity, and 7 percent have lost at least one permanent tooth.

• Thankfully, nearly 23% of Americans would definitely throw a toothbrush away if it fell on the floor.

• Almost three-fourths say they are less likely to date or marry someone who doesn’t have good teeth and/or a nice smile.