A landmark new report released by the National Institutes of Health has provided a comprehensive review of the state of oral health in the United States. The report shows that strong oral health is directly linked to overall health and wellbeing. Moreover, the report found that strong progress has been made in the last two decades in treating oral health conditions. However, there is still room for improvement, including developments in access to care.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health have released a landmark report which has provided a comprehensive review of the overall state of oral health in the United States.
The report, called Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges [1], has provided a direct follow-up to a 2000 report titled Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General [2]. Both reports involved substantial research.
The main objective of the new report is to provide a road map on how oral health within the United States can improve in the next few years. Therefore, the findings from this report should help to improve treatment outcomes for oral health conditions.
The State of Oral Health in 2000
As mentioned, the last time that a major study took place was in 2000 [2]. The 2000 study found that between 1950 and 2000, “great progress” had been made with oral health, especially in regards to tooth decay and gum disease [2].
The report concluded that strong oral health could be “achieved by all Americans” [2]. However, the authors did find that there was an inequality in terms of some Americans not receiving the same degree of oral health [2].
As a result, many people were still experiencing pain and suffering, despite treatments being available. The report also highlighted that this was lowering the quality of life for many people [2].
Finally, the authors wanted to ensure that oral health isn’t limited to just teeth. Instead, oral health also includes conditions like gum disease, birth defects and throat cancer [2].
The 2021 Report
The focus of the 2021 report is to primarily highlight the importance of oral health, along with its impact on our overall health and well-being [1].
The research found that oral health treatments have improved dramatically in recent years. This has been made possible through various innovations, technological advancements, and improved knowledge of conditions.
The improvements in oral health treatments have led to better oral health for many people. The authors cite lower rates of tooth decay, more treatment options being available, and increased knowledge of dental condition causes as examples of where improvements have been made [1].
Crucially, the report concluded that oral health is heavily connected to physical health [1]. Oral health and physical health conditions commonly share risk factors. Therefore, looking after our oral health has physical health benefits too. Heart disease, strokes and chronic infections are all potential physical health consequences of poor oral health [1].
Healthy behaviour can improve and help to maintain an individual’s oral health, the report found. But these “behaviours” can be reliant on social and economic conditions [1]. For instance, the researchers found that substance abuse and mental health conditions negatively affect oral health [1].
The report mainly found improvements had been made. However, issues still remain in terms of achieving equity in all Americans receiving the required dental care [1]. The main problems with this are access to care, insurance issues, and then the costs involved [1].
What next?
The Acting Director of the National Institutes of Health, Lawrence A. Tabak, called the report “very significant” [3]. He went on to say that the report presented “the most comprehensive assessment of oral health currently available in the United States” [3]. Tabak went on to mention that the report shows “unequivocally, that oral health plays a central role in overall health” [3].
Improvements are possible though. The authors make a few different recommendations to improve oral health in the United States. This includes the need for healthcare professionals to work together “to provide integrated oral, medical and behavioral healthcare in schools, community health centers, nursing homes, and medical care settings, as well as dental clinics” [3].
The report also found that there is a need to improve access to care, which will involve “addressing the rising cost of dental education, expanding insurance coverage, and improving the overall affordability of care” [3]. This has been an ongoing issue for many years, with millions of Americans still unable to access dental care, with cost an issue for many [4].
But the authors do give a positive outlook for the future. Rena D’Souza, of the National Institutes of Health, sees a future where “systemic inequities that affect oral health and access to care are more fully addressed, and one in which dental and medical professionals work together to provide integrated care for all” is possible [3]. This will certainly be the aim in the next few years.
In the future, this will be seen as an important report that gave a snapshot to the oral health situation in the United States. It can be used in the future as a basis to measure improvements made.
Thinking points…
- 1) One of the main takeaways from this report is how oral health can affect physical health, and vice versa. With this in mind, if you are currently having physical health problems, could this potentially be related to oral health? If so, think of how you can improve your oral health, you may see a positive effect on your physical health.
- 2) The best way to see the overall state of your oral health is to book a check-up with your dentist. They will be able to give you a thorough update on the state of your oral health, and provide a treatment plan if necessary. We recommend booking a check-up as soon as possible.
- 3) The authors of this report noted that the Covid-19 pandemic has been impacting dentistry, which is true. However, most dental clinics have re-started offering routine appointments. It is understandable to be apprehensive about returning to the dentist, but consider doing so, as any problems can be detected and acted upon.
What we offer at Savanna Dental
Savanna Dental is a Calgary dental clinic that offers many services, including regular check-ups, cavity fillings, root canals and some cosmetic services.
It is important for dental problems to be addressed early. Any oral-based problems will be identified at check-ups. This helps to prevent the problem getting worse. If and when further treatment is needed after a check-up, our patients receive a clear treatment plan.
The best way of avoiding extra treatment is to have strong oral hygiene. This includes brushing our teeth at least twice a day, flossing regularly, and getting a dental check-up at least twice a year. Avoiding sugary foods and drink and not smoking also helps.
In addition, all of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.
We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca.
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