Oral Health

Author(s):  
Myron Allukian ◽  
Alice M. Horowitz

Oral diseases are often called a neglected or silent epidemic. They are largely due to social injustice in which private wealth overrides the public’s health. Although oral diseases affect almost everyone, prevention of them and access to dental services have not been high priorities in the United States. This chapter, after defining oral health, describes the neglected epidemic of oral diseases and then discusses the roles that the food and tobacco industries play in contributing to oral disease and poor oral health. Although organized dentistry has done much to improve oral health, it also has limited access to dental care for millions of Americans. The chapter discusses health literacy and social inequality, national issues concerning oral health, state and local issues, school programs, the dental public health infrastructure, and the dental workforce. It discusses what needs to be done. A text box addresses oral health in low- and middle-income countries.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 69-74
Author(s):  
Rachael England ◽  
Andrew Paterson ◽  
Adam Jones

Oral disease continues to be a public health burden, affecting almost half of the global population, and disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable communities.1 Development organisations use different approaches to tackle this through short-term volunteering programmes in low- and middle-income countries, to address oral health needs in a variety of ways. There is evidence that volunteering requires a high level of cultural competence to avoid negatively impacting on local healthcare systems.2-4 The oral health care needs of communities in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) differ markedly from those in the developed world, posing challenges for volunteering organisations to provide effective programmes in circumstances where there is a lack of resources, equipment and infrastructure.


2021 ◽  
pp. 113-128
Author(s):  
Amira S. Mohamed ◽  
Peter G. Robinson

Dental public health is concerned with preventing oral disease, promoting oral health, and improving the quality of life through the organized efforts of society. Oral diseases including dental caries, periodontal disease, oral neoplasms, and dentofacial trauma are common, have a significant impact on individuals and wider society, and are largely preventable. While the prevalence and severity of these most common and costly dental diseases have fallen in most developed countries, oral health inequalities exist in relation to socioeconomic status, ethnicity, or region. The links between oral and general health indicate that strategies to improve both sets of problems and reduce inequalities should be integrated within the framework advocated by the Commission for the Social Determinants of Health. Of particular relevance to oral health are increasing the availability of fluoride and ensuring universal access to quality dental services. Factors influencing oral health in the future include tighter financial pressures, changes in disease prevalence, the deprofessionalization of dentistry, the role of consumerism in oral health, and the need for a better evidence base.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1158-1163
Author(s):  
S. A. Hamza ◽  
S. Asif ◽  
S. A. H. Bokhari

Aim: Smoking induces changes in salivary inflammatory biomarker levels associated with oral diseases. This study status and explored association among salivary Interleukin-1β, oral diseases and smoking. Methods: Data of male smokers of a private institute recruited for a randomized clinical trial is analyzed for this paper. Demographic and systemic information were collected. Oral disease status was examined and saliva sample collected for IL-1β levels. IL-1β levels and other study variables were analyzed with respect to smoking status categorized into smoking years and cigarettes per day. The student's t-test and one-way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis using SPSS version 22) with significance level of p≤0.050. Results: Analysis of baseline data of seventy-eight smokers showed elevated levels of IL-1β with increasing smoking, higher BMI. Smoking was higher among aged, married and low-income individuals. Pearson partial correlation analysis, after controlling age, marital status, education, income, and BMI, demonstrated a positive significant relationship of smoking per day with smoking years; dental caries with missing teeth and calculus; gingivitis with missing teeth and calculus; periodontitis with dental caries, calculus and gingivitis. Conclusion: This analysis demonstrates that levels of IL-1β were raised in smokers, however; there was no association with oral disease parameters. Large studies may be conducted to observe status and association of smoking, oral disease and salivary biomarkers. Keywords: Smoking, Oral Health, IL-1β, Males


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carole. A. Palmer ◽  
Zhangmuge Cheng

Oral diseases are among the most prevalent diseases affecting global health. In his report on the crisis in oral disease in America, the Surgeon General warned that one cannot be truly healthy without oral health. Oral health means freedom from all oral health problems; tooth decay (dental caries), periodontal diseases, tooth loss, oral-facial pain, oral cancer and the effects of its treatment, oral infections, craniofacial birth defects and more. The relationships between oral conditions and systemic health and disease are many and synergistic, and most involve dietary and/or systemic nutritional factors. Diet and nutrition can play important roles in the etiology, prevention, and/or management of oral conditions, as they do in overall health and disease. Today, all health professionals and educators need to be aware of and consider oral issues and their possible diet/nutritional implications as a component of optimal health care and education. This review article provides a brief overview of how diet and nutrition impact and are impacted by oral conditions, and offers general guidelines and resources for providing meaningful interventions throughout the life cycle. This review contains 3 figures, 3 tables, and 57 references Key Words: biofilm, cariogenic, dental caries, dental plaque, ECC-early childhood caries, lactobacillus, mucositis, non-cariogenic, periodontal disease, Streptococcus mutans


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shyh Poh Teo

During the 74th World Health Assembly, a resolution was passed aiming to achieve better oral health as part of universal health coverage, with plans to draft a global strategy and action plan. Oral diseases are a significant problem globally, with implications for older people’s health and quality of life. Oral health is important for healthy aging. Integration of oral health into primary care settings and use of a life-course approach have been shown to be effective in the 8020 campaign in Japan. Accurate data on prevalence of oral disease is required to monitor effectiveness of public health approaches, which should be segregated based on setting, sociodemographic status, and comorbidities. These public health approaches should also be adapted and tailored for implementation during the current COVID-19 pandemic. These considerations are essential to progress the agenda of oral health for healthy aging.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliet Ocwia ◽  
Ronald Olum ◽  
Pamela Atim ◽  
Florence Laker ◽  
Jerom Okot ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Dental health is often neglected by the majority of the population and has contributed to the global burden of oral diseases. We assessed awareness, utilization and barriers to seeking oral health care among adults in Nebbi District, Uganda. Methods A community-based, cross sectional study was conducted in the central division, Nebbi District in Uganda among adults between the age of 18 years or older. An interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection on socio-demographic characteristics, oral health awareness, oral health utilization, associated factors and barriers. Results A total of 400 adults with a median age of 32 years (interquartile range 24–43) years were enrolled. More than half (57.5%, n = 230) of the participants were female. Participants identified smoking (42.8%, n = 171) and consumption of sugary foodstuffs (29.0%, n = 116) as risk factors for oral disease. Not brushing was also identified by 260 participants (65.0%) as the cause of tooth decay and 95.8% (n = 383) believed brushing one’s teeth could prevent tooth decay. Of the 51.5% (n = 206) who had experienced a toothache or discomfort 12 months prior to the study but only about half (52%, n = 106) had sought healthcare from a dental clinic or facility. About 89.5% (n = 94) of the participants were able to see a dentist during their last visits. Dental carries (76.6%, n = 70) and gum bleeding (14.9%, n = 14) were the most frequent reasons for visiting a dental clinic, and 73.7% (n = 70) had their tooth extracted. Barriers to seeking oral healthcare were cost of treatment (47.5%, n = 190), and long waiting time (18.5%, n = 74). The odds of seeking oral healthcare was 2.8-fold higher in participants who were being married (Odds ratio (OR): 2.8, 95% CI 1.3–6.3, p = 0.011) and 3.5-fold higher among housewives (COR: 3.5, 95% CI 1.1–11.4, p = 0.040). Conclusion About half of the participants had sought healthcare following a dental condition. Cost of treatment seems to be an important factor affecting utilization of oral health services. Optimization of costs, and creating awareness regarding benefits of utilizing preventive dental services are recommended.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Anthony T. Fuller ◽  
Ariana Barkley ◽  
Robin Du ◽  
Cyrus Elahi ◽  
Ali R. Tafreshi ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEGlobal neurosurgery is a rapidly emerging field that aims to address the worldwide shortages in neurosurgical care. Many published outreach efforts and initiatives exist to address the global disparity in neurosurgical care; however, there is no centralized report detailing these efforts. This scoping review aims to characterize the field of global neurosurgery by identifying partnerships between high-income countries (HICs) and low- and/or middle-income countries (LMICs) that seek to increase neurosurgical capacity.METHODSA scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O’Malley framework. A search was conducted in five electronic databases and the gray literature, defined as literature not published through traditional commercial or academic means, to identify studies describing global neurosurgery partnerships. Study selection and data extraction were performed by four independent reviewers, and any disagreements were settled by the team and ultimately the team lead.RESULTSThe original database search produced 2221 articles, which was reduced to 183 final articles after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. These final articles, along with 9 additional gray literature references, captured 169 unique global neurosurgery collaborations between HICs and LMICs. Of this total, 103 (61%) collaborations involved surgical intervention, while local training of medical personnel, research, and education were done in 48%, 38%, and 30% of efforts, respectively. Many of the collaborations (100 [59%]) are ongoing, and 93 (55%) of them resulted in an increase in capacity within the LMIC involved. The largest proportion of efforts began between 2005–2009 (28%) and 2010–2014 (17%). The most frequently involved HICs were the United States, Canada, and France, whereas the most frequently involved LMICs were Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya.CONCLUSIONSThis review provides a detailed overview of current global neurosurgery efforts, elucidates gaps in the existing literature, and identifies the LMICs that may benefit from further efforts to improve accessibility to essential neurosurgical care worldwide.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Juhl

Despite the advances in dental sciences, innovative oral health programs, and efforts dedicated by oral health professionals,globally, unmet oral disease, and the economic loss it causes, is growing. In the present, oral health care delivery systemsurgently need improvement. The introduction of dental hygienists as essential members of the health care team can contributeto improved and cost-effective health care outcomes. This paper provides definitions of dental hygienists from both, aninternational and the United States (U.S.) and describes their education, functions, and contributions to the health care team.


2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 655-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Schmitt

By most measures, the United States is the most unequal of the world's advanced capitalist economies, and inequality has increased substantially over the past 30 years. This article documents trends in the inequality of three key economic distributions—hourly earnings, annual incomes, and net wealth—and relates these developments to changes in economic and social policy over the past three decades. The primary cause of high and rising inequality is the systematic erosion of the bargaining power of lower- and middle-income workers relative to their employers, reflected in the erosion of the real value of the minimum wage, the decline in unions, widescale deregulation of industries such as airlines and trucking, the privatization and outsourcing of many state and local government activities, increasing international competition, and periods of restrictive macroeconomic policy.


Author(s):  
Sudeep Uprety ◽  
Obindra B. Chand

The current expanded policy on the Global Gag Rule by the United States (US) government and President Donald Trump has led to wider debate and discussions among the non-government organization (NGO) sector, especially in low and middle income countries (LMICs) such as Nepal that are heavily reliant on US funding for health research and intervention projects. Debates and discussions are also shaped by how the media shapes the narrative. Using the securitization theory, this chapter attempts to unfold the trend and the nature of stories reported in Nepali media on the Global Gag Rule declaration, meticulously unfolding the impact it has had in Nepal.


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