SHOCKING STATISTICS
ABOUT DENTAL DISEASE
·
More than 64
million Americans have moderate to severe periodontal disease,
not counting occasional bouts of mild gingivitis.
·
Dental
disease is the most common chronic disease in children, five times more prevalent
than asthma.
·
About 1
in 5 children in the U.S. go without dental care each year. This pool of
untreated kids is estimated to contain about 17 million children from
low-income families.
·
Every year children
in the U.S. miss approximately 51 million school hours due to dental problems
and treatment appointments.
·
Adults
lose almost 164 million work hours for the same reasons.
·
More than one
quarter of Americans age 60 or older are edentulous.
·
More than 25%
of American adults have untreated tooth decay. The rate among low-income
adults is twice that of adults with more income.
·
Between 2000 and 2010, the number of dental-related emergency room visits
doubled from just over 1 million per year to more than 2.1 million per year.
ER dental-related visits cost the U.S. health care system up to $2 billion
annually according to the ADA Health Policy Resource Center.
·
Dental disease is almost 100% preventable.
In a recent copy of Dental
Product Shopper, I came across an eye-catching infographic from DentaQuest,
a company dedicated to the prevention of dental disease by educating the public
about the oral health crisis in America. Many of the facts stated above are
printed on their infographic, an attractive piece to be used for social media
postings and handouts in your office. Go to Oral
Health Matters: Check Out Our New Infographic to find the graphic and other
information. Also, peruse the ADA website for facts that can be added to the
educational section of your practice website. Statistics such as these,
presented in a colorful, brief format, can be used effectively to alert the
American public to chronic oral health problems. Post such facts on your
practice social media sites and discuss them with patients. After all, education
is the key to prevention and treatment acceptance.
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