Why Teeth Matter

Did you know that dental disease is entirely preventable?

Despite this, 83% if children experience tooth decay. If tooth decay is left untreated it can lead to pain, tooth loss, and more serious illnesses. As children with tooth decay grow, they become self-conscious about their teeth and they lack self-confidence and self-motivation. This leads to gaps in academic achievement and can create gaps in the ability to become employed, to function in society, and to achieve success in the workplace.

Tooth decay can lead to poor nutrition and impaired cognitive development

Getting a cavity is no small thing. If a cavity is left untreated, it can decay to the point where the tooth has to be removed. It can also impact neighboring teeth. Losing several teeth, or even just one tooth, can lower a child’s self-confidence, impair speech development, and impact the type and amount of nutrition a child receives. Research shows that poor children nutrition negatively effects children’s cognitive development and school performance. It can limit their ability to concentrate and perform complex tasks. Long term, it can effect behavior and productivity in adulthood.

Poor oral health impacts future employment

As children with tooth decay get older, they may lack self-confidence and self motivation. As they become adults, this can impact their ability to become employed, to function fully in society, and achieve success in the workplace. In fact, the entire workforce is negatively impacted by dental disease. Each year, employed adults lose more than 164 million hours of work because of oral health problems. However, when low-income children and adults receive proper dental treatment and maintain good oral health, research shows that this enhances their employability and increases the likelihood that they will get a job, keep that job, and achieve independence from the welfare system.

Poor oral health impacts national security

Did you know that 42% of Army recruits are undeployable due to oral health problems? In fact, one-in-four reservists called to active duty after September 11, 2001, were undeployable because of poor oral health. Dental treatment must be given before recruits and reservists can be deployed. This uses up valuable time that could be better spent in the field.

Oral health impacts overall health and the cost of health care

In 2007, twelve-year-old Deamonte Driver died after bacteria from his tooth spread to his brain. His family did not have the money to take him to a dentist. The $80 cost of extracting his diseased tooth ballooned to a public cost of $250,000 for a 6-week hospital stay. If he had had access to affordable dental care, his death could have been prevented.

Deamonte Driver’s death is an extreme case; however, poor oral health does impact overall health in other ways. For instance, inpatient hospital admissions are 16% higher for people who do not receive dental services. And imaging costs are 12% higher for people who need periodontal treatment than for those who receive preventive dental services. In fact, overall health care costs are 4% lower for people who receive preventive dental visits. Regular dental visits can improve your overall health and decrease the overall cost of your health care.

Poor oral health can even impact the health of unborn children. Women with periodontal diseases may have an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. A recent study found that women with periodontal disease were at greater risk for having low birth weight and preterm birth babies than those with healthy teeth. But when pregnant women receive treatment for periodontal disease, it can actually reduce their risk of delivering preterm.

Preventive care is less expensive than restorative care

Research shows that taking care of your teeth and preventing tooth decay is much less expensive than the cost of restorative treatment. In Minnesota in 2005-06, there were 10,385 visits to 7 Twin Cities’ hospital emergency rooms for dental emergencies at a cost of $4.6 million. That translates to $453 per visit compared to an average dental visit cost of $123-$142. Difficulty in accessing dental care results in more emergency room visits for non-traumatic preventable dental disease. The cost of these services is substantially higher than in private practice dental offices and the treatment received is often incomplete. That’s why services such as those provided by Molar Express Minnesota are so important. We need to ensure that all children receive affordable comprehensive dental care and preventative dental education. Catching and treating dental problems early and preventing new ones is cost-effective and can dramatically improve the overall health of our children.

For the specific research citations used in this article, please contact Trish Foster.