There is a dental health crisis in America and most of the proposed solutions are largely considered too narrow in scope. The President of the American Dental Association, Dr. Robert Faiella, recently wrote a guest article on the Huffington Post detailing solutions he feels address the complexities of the crisis.
Dr. Faiella draws on startling statistics to demonstrate the depth of the situation. “Nearly half of lower-income adults say they haven’t seen a dentist in a year or longer. Overall, more than 181 million Americans didn’t visit the dentist in 2010. Nearly half of adults over age 30 have some form of gum disease, which can lead to bone and tooth loss,” he said.
His solutions?
1. Provide care now to those suffering with untreated disease
2. Strengthen and expand the safety net to provide more care to more Americans
3. Bring dental health education and disease prevention into communities
Read the full Huffington Post article to hear Dr. Faiella detail these points, which all bring him to conclude that, though great progress has been made in regards to dental health, there remains a gaping divide between those who enjoy good oral health and those who do not. “Our mission is to close that divide, and we call on regulators, elected officials, health policy organizations and other community leaders to join us in bridging the dental divide and giving all Americans the opportunity to enjoy good oral health.”