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Earlier this month, the American Dental Association (ADA) launched a new campaign in an effort to target the so-called “dental divide” in America. According to ADA president, Dr. Robert Faiella, the country has made great strides in ensuring that each generation enjoys better oral health than the one previous, however there is still quite a disparity between those with access to dental care and those without. The Action for Dental Health campaign was simultaneously released with a study conducted by the ADA that provided the following data.
- Close to 50% of lower-income adults claim they haven’t seen a dentist in over a year, compared to only 30% of their middle and higher-income counterparts.
- Lower-income adults are twice as likely to have had all of their teeth removed.
- Almost 20% of lower-income adults admit to visiting an emergency room for dental pain. Only 7% of middle and higher-income adults say the same.
According to data collected by the ADA and reported in a recent news article, 181 million Americans did not visit a dentist in 2010, and nearly half of adults over the age of 30 suffer from some form of oral disease. Additionally, one in four children under the age of five already has cavities. The Action for Dental Health campaign is aiming to address these staggering statistics by providing care to those currently suffering from untreated disease, help more Americans receive more dental care, and by bringing dental health education and disease prevention into communities across the nation. For more information on how the association plans to accomplish these goals and to learn more about the campaign, check out this ADA website.
