Oral Health Pandemic: Why It’s Vital to Protect Against Oral Diseases
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Loading... - Brandon Stevens
- 22 Feb 2023
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The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a 120-page report detailing the oral health crisis going on in the world today. According to the Global Oral Health Status Report published in November 2022, there are 3.5 billion people currently affected by one or more oral diseases. More than 1 billion new cases of oral disease have been recorded over the past 30 years. Let’s dive in to find out what this means and how you can protect your oral health.
The mouth is the portal to your body. The health of the mouth is directly related to the overall health of a person. When oral diseases are present, it can affect other parts of the body as well. The WHO defines oral health as the state of the mouth, teeth, and orofacial structures that enable a person to perform essential functions, such as eating, breathing, and speaking. Oral health affects not only how a person lives day to day, but also how a person interacts with the world around them. Our oral health is one aspect that can change over time.
Common oral diseases
Today, more than half the world’s population is affected by some form of oral disease. Many oral diseases are completely preventable through home care and education. In 2019, oral diseases were the most widespread conditions affecting humanity. In fact, oral diseases have been the largest condition affecting the world since oral disease data was first collected in 1990.
The most common of these oral diseases are untreated dental caries (cavities), periodontal disease, edentulism (total tooth loss), and oral cancers. Untreated oral diseases have a huge impact on the overall health systems. Let’s dive more in-depth into these 4 oral conditions.
Untreated dental caries
Dental caries, also known as cavities or tooth decay, have become a huge issue in both primary teeth (baby teeth) and permanent teeth (adult teeth). It is estimated in many areas of the world, close to half the population has dental decay that is untreated. Tooth decay is directly linked to specific types of bacteria in the mouth. These bacteria produce byproducts that weaken the tooth. Once this happens, the bacteria can then form a cavity, or hole, in the tooth.
Many factors can affect the prevalence of cavities in a person. Things like socioeconomic status, access to dental care, high sugar consumption, and oral hygiene home care increases the risk of developing dental decay. Untreated dental caries can negatively impact a person throughout their life. It is common for untreated caries to cause the following:
- Dental pain;
- Difficulty chewing;
- Poor sleep;
- Missing work;
- Missing school;
- Tooth loss.
