The "Silent Epidemic" You Might Not Know About If you fail to take care of your teeth, you might end up in the emergency room.
And the reason won't necessarily be heart disease or diabetes or any other condition that can be linked to poor dental health.
It may be because of your teeth.
Back in 2000, the U.
S.
Surgeon General's office identified poor dental health as a "silent epidemic" in the United States - a situation has that not improved over the course of the past decade.
In fact, a study released last year by Harvard University researchers in the Journal of Periodontal Disease revealed that a large number of people are showing up in the emergency room with dental problems.
The study stated that every year, there are more than 85,000 visits to the emergency room with the type of issues that would ordinarily be treated by a dentist or, in the most extreme cases, an oral surgeon.
Surprisingly, over half of these dental emergency room visits are for gingivitis - which is the mildest form of gum disease and can easily be treated by a dentist.
Other reasons for these e.
r.
visits range from more advanced types of periodontal problems to dental abscesses, which are serious and can even, in extreme cases, be fatal if left untreated.
Of course, taking care of dental problems in the emergency room instead of the dentist's chair can be costly.
According to the survey, the cost of these 85,000-plus yearly E.
R.
dental visits totals over 33 million dollars.
That's more than 33 million dollars every year, much of which could be saved with regular, proper dental care.
Unfortunately, according to the study, over half of all adults in the USA are failing to get that needed basic dental care.
Most adults don't even visit their dentist once a year, let alone the recommended two or more visits.
And while in some cases, this can be blamed on financial or cultural issues, in many others it can be blamed on neglect, or even fear of the dentist.
Regardless of what type of dental problem a person might have, a hospital is not the ideal place to address it.
Hospitals don't have dentists or hygienists - or anyone who is specifically trained in the intricate workings of the chewing system, teeth and gums - on their staffs.
They don't have the proper equipment or experience.
And when it comes to caring for teeth, there is always a better way.
That better way is to see your dentist regularly, so that small problems like gingivitis can be stopped simply and relatively inexpensively before they get worse.
And so that big problems can be dealt with as soon as possible, before they develop into a full-blown medical emergency.
And the reason won't necessarily be heart disease or diabetes or any other condition that can be linked to poor dental health.
It may be because of your teeth.
Back in 2000, the U.
S.
Surgeon General's office identified poor dental health as a "silent epidemic" in the United States - a situation has that not improved over the course of the past decade.
In fact, a study released last year by Harvard University researchers in the Journal of Periodontal Disease revealed that a large number of people are showing up in the emergency room with dental problems.
The study stated that every year, there are more than 85,000 visits to the emergency room with the type of issues that would ordinarily be treated by a dentist or, in the most extreme cases, an oral surgeon.
Surprisingly, over half of these dental emergency room visits are for gingivitis - which is the mildest form of gum disease and can easily be treated by a dentist.
Other reasons for these e.
r.
visits range from more advanced types of periodontal problems to dental abscesses, which are serious and can even, in extreme cases, be fatal if left untreated.
Of course, taking care of dental problems in the emergency room instead of the dentist's chair can be costly.
According to the survey, the cost of these 85,000-plus yearly E.
R.
dental visits totals over 33 million dollars.
That's more than 33 million dollars every year, much of which could be saved with regular, proper dental care.
Unfortunately, according to the study, over half of all adults in the USA are failing to get that needed basic dental care.
Most adults don't even visit their dentist once a year, let alone the recommended two or more visits.
And while in some cases, this can be blamed on financial or cultural issues, in many others it can be blamed on neglect, or even fear of the dentist.
Regardless of what type of dental problem a person might have, a hospital is not the ideal place to address it.
Hospitals don't have dentists or hygienists - or anyone who is specifically trained in the intricate workings of the chewing system, teeth and gums - on their staffs.
They don't have the proper equipment or experience.
And when it comes to caring for teeth, there is always a better way.
That better way is to see your dentist regularly, so that small problems like gingivitis can be stopped simply and relatively inexpensively before they get worse.
And so that big problems can be dealt with as soon as possible, before they develop into a full-blown medical emergency.