Among the findings, a reported 91% of Americans 20-years-old and older have had one or more cavities. Of this population 27% have known cavities that have not been treated.
Adding insult to injury – or decay in this case – the American Dental Association’s (ADA) Health institute found that as of three years ago, the number of people utilizing available dental care options had reached an all-time low since 1996 when the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey began keeping a record.
Of those polled, people cited cost as the number one reason why they do not plan to visit a dentist within the next year. The number two reason given for forgoing an annual visit was a belief that dental care is not necessary.
Further findings highlight that rates of untreated dental cavities are significantly higher among African and Hispanic Americans.
The ADA feels that greater outreach to those populations is a good start, but that in order to truly address and improve the state of dental health in our country more needs to be done to effectively communicated the importance of prevention.
According to ADA President Dr. Maxine Feinberg, prevention is the ultimate answer to eliminating the vast majority of dental disease.
To learn more, visit Roselle Park Dental online or call us 908-998-4698 to schedule your annual check-up and cleaning!
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