WHY ORAL HEALTH?
Roughly 3.58 billion people worldwide worldwide suffer from oral disease. Of that number, 350 million children have untreated tooth decay. Oral disease is one of the world’s most pervasive health issues, yet it is one of the most overlooked and underpublicized. The oral health crisis persists as a result of a lack of access to and affordability of quality dental care, particularly for vulnerable populations.
What Is Oral Disease?
An oral disease is an illness that negatively impacts one’s mouth and teeth. They are often caused by plaque, which results from a build-up of bacteria in the mouth. Poor oral hygiene, neglect, diet, personal habits, tobacco use and alcohol consumption can also be root causes to oral diseases. Some of the most common oral health diseases are cavities (tooth decay), gum disease (periodontal disease), and oral cancer.
Oral disease can negatively impact one’s health and quality of life as it suggests underlying health issues and also can impact other functions throughout the human body.
Oral disease is considered the fourth most expensive disease to treat. Because of that socioeconomic status poses a significant impact on oral health as only two-thirds of the world’s population has access to oral care and resources. In the United States, minority groups are disproportionately impacted by oral disease and related systemic health problems. In other countries, poor oral health impacts those living in rural, and remote villages.
Oral disease can affect anyone, anywhere, at any age.
At Unspoken Smiles our aim is to create a more equitable future in dental care by providing access to quality dental education and care to children, and dental training to women, to promote improved oral health outcomes, sustainable careers in dentistry, and economic security to disadvantaged communities.
