Your mouth reflects your general health and well-being. It is a readily accessible and visible part of your body. It senses and responds to the external world and at the same time reflects what is happening deep inside the body. Your mouth can show signs of general infection and stress as well as indicating nutritional deficiencies that serve as early warning signs for various diseases.

Why is Oral Health Important?

Oral diseases and conditions are associated with other health problems. Oral signs and symptoms are often part of a general health condition; oral conditions can be the source of systemic infections in people with weakened immune systems. Reports link chronic oral infections with other health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Almost all oral diseases can be prevented, yet mouth and throat diseases cause pain and disability for millions of America. They range from cavities to cancer. Cavities are a common problem for children. In fact, tooth decay affects more than one-fifth of U.S. children aged 2-4, 50% of children aged 6-8, and 60% of children aged 15. Untreated cavities may cause pain, dysfunction, absence from school, underweight, and poor appearance and are especially problematic for low-income children.

Tooth decay is also a problem for adults and affects 95% of adults. Tooth decay leads to advanced gum disease (affecting 1 in 4 adults) and tooth loss, with 25% of adults over age 60 losing all of their teeth. Tooth lost can contribute to nutritional problems due to limiting the types of food a person can eat.

Another serious concern is oral cancer. Approximately 28,000 American adults are diagnosed with mouth and throat cancers each year; nearly 7,200 die each year of these diseases.

What is Being Done

The Centers for Disease Control is taking action and is the lead federal agency responsible for promoting oral health through public health interventions. With $11 million in funding in 2005, the CDC is focusing on helping states to strengthen their oral health programs; reaching people hit the hardest by oral diseases; and expanding the use of effective prevention methods. Some of their focused efforts include:

• Encouraging Effective Use of Fluoride – a CDC study found that communities with more than 20,000 residents saved $38 eat year from fewer cavities treated for every $1 invested in community water fluoridation. They are also working to educate people on the appropriate use of fluoride products.
  
  
• Promoting Use of Dental Sealants - Dental sealants are a plastic coating that is applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. They are considered to be a safe, effective way to prevent cavities among schoolchildren. They can even stop tooth decay that has already started in some cases. Because sealants significantly reduce a child’s risk for having untreated cavities, Healthy People 2010 calls for half of all U.S. children to have dental sealants by 2010. Currently, fewer than one-third of children aged 6–19 do.
  
  
• Promoting Adult Oral Health – many adults think of dental issues as a children’s problem, so efforts are focusing to increase awareness among adults on common oral conditions, risk factors, and healthy behaviors to promote good oral health.
  

Sources: Centers for Disease Control; Oral Health in America: a Report of the Surgeon General (May 2000), Department of Health and Human Services