Prevalence
Statistics speak to the prevalence of poor oral health:
- Dental caries is the most common chronic disease of childhood
- 1 in 5 children aged 5-11 years have at least one untreated decayed tooth
- Periodontitis (deep gum disease) affects almost 50% of U.S. adults
- 50,000 oral cancers are diagnosed annually
- 9,700 deaths annually in U.S.
- 1.1 death per hour!
Adult Caries
Steven Lepowsky, DDS
Periodontal Disease
Robert Henry, DMD, MPH
References
Dye BA, Xianfen L, Beltrán-Aguilar ED. Selected Oral Health Indicators in the United States 2005–2008. NCHS Data Brief, no. 96. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2012. Â
Eke PI et al. Prevalence of periodontitis in adults in the United States: 2009 and 2010. Journal of Dental Research. 2012 Oct;91(10):914-20.
National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results ProgramÂ