Useful Resources
Dental Disease: "Silent Epidemic"
December 16, 2008
In 2000, the U.S. Surgeon General's office released a report declaring America's high prevalence of dental disease a "silent epidemic." The report aimed to raise awareness that oral health is an integral part of overall well-being and that no distinction should be made between oral and general health. Yet, many people in the United States have inadequate access to dental care and suffer from untreated dental disease. Untreated dental disease is the top reason children miss school, according to the Surgeon General's report. And it can be deadly, as demonstrated by the 2007 death from a brain infection of a 12-year-old Maryland boy with an untreated tooth infection. Community water fluoridation remains one of the most cost-effective public health interventions in America, yet it still faces significant opposition. Updated March 2010
Resource Links
Blogs
Discusses recent research and issues in oral health
Guidance for Consumers
This state agency has created a page with information on community water fluoridation.
Advocacy
This nonprofit advocates for recognition of oral health as "one of the lifetime factors critical to overall health"
This nonprofit advocates for policies that improve children's access to dental care
This nonprofit organization supports community water fluoridation
This foundation conducts research on children's oral health and advocates for expanding access to dental care
Public Policy
Good overviews of oral health issues, specifically among rural populations across the U.S.
HRSA's Web site provides an overview of Medicaid and oral health
This membership organization, the largest dental association in the nation, represents dentists' interests to the public and policymakers. Current major policy issues include the meager number of dentists who accept Medicaid and the ADA's opposition to expanding dental hygienists' scope of practice. Each state also has its own dental association.
The NCSL site provides an overview on oral health issues and how states are addressing them.
Statistics, Trends and Research
The Institute provides information on specific diseases and treatments, as well as data and statistics and information on clinical trials
The agency's Web site has a section dedicated to dental health research on access to care and practice. As in medicine, there is a growing movement to adopt more evidenced-based practices in dentistry.
The center compiles oral and dental health statistics
This agency publishes statistics on which states provide dental services through Medicaid and the rate of usage by beneficiaries
Understanding Dental Disease
The CDC Web site has a section dedicated to oral and dental health, including an entire page on community water fluoridation
The Medline Plus site has an overview page of dental health with links to useful resources
The Surgeon General's report and its office on oral health provide good background information. The statistics in the report are slightly outdated, but the core issues remain.
