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Dental experts from Saskatchewan are letting residents know that oral health problems are being noticed at an alarming rate, including tooth decay.
Since 1993, decay amongst children has been increasing. Back then, 20 percent of children had cavities, while 27 percent had cavities in 2008-2009.
The reason for these oral health issues is neglect, according to Dr. Gary Uswak, dean of the college of dentistry at the University of Saskatchewan. According to Dr. Uswak, the rates of decay are rising in certain groups of children, particularly children from poor families.
Tooth decay can be prevented, but like many other children from poor families around the world, good oral health isn’t stressed or valued enough.
Dr. Uswak promotes preventive dental treatment so people don’t have to worry about oral health problems. The reason is that although many families don’t have to enough money for regular dentist visits, the money spent now to prevent problems won’t be as much as it would be to fix the problems when they arise. The best thing parents can teach their children is to avoid sugary and acidic food and drinks.
The overall problem is that people in general don’t realize that good oral health correlates to being healthy overall. It’s possible that poor oral health can lead to other health issues, like diabetes, heart disease and strokes. Children may also not fare as well in school with dental problems because of the pain caused by the dental issues. They may also have to miss time in school as a result.
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