Oral Health: Americans Score Badly

MouthHealth.org is a new website launched by the American Dental Association (ADA) aimed at improving Americans oral health.  In a recent survey conducted by the new site, the average score of those participating in the survey was a “D”.  It appears that Americans really need to clean up their act when it comes to oral health.

Dr. William R. Calnon,DDS,  ADA president and a practicing dentist in Rochester, New York, stated, “The results of the survey were quite shocking and really show how important it is for people to become more involved in their own oral health.”

According to the ADA, approximately 1,500 people nationwide took place in the survey.  Some of the results of the survey are posted below.

• 90% of people thought you should brush after every meal when the ADA recommends cleaning your teeth twice a day.
• 81% of people believe cavities are caused by sugar, when actually cavities are caused by germs in the mouth that feed on the sugar and produce acids that attack the enamel on teeth, which, overtime, wear the enamel down and, thus, allow cavities to form.
• 75% of those surveyed had no idea at what age a child should be seen by a dentist for the first time.  The ADA recommends that a child should be seen by a dentist either by his first birthday or within six months after his first tooth appears.
• 65% thought that a tooth brush should be replaced every six months, when in actuality it should be replaced every three months.
• 59% of people had no idea that germs that cause tooth decay can be passed from person to person.

All questions and answers to the survey can be found on MouthHealth.org, as well as features on dental tips and the ten top dental symptoms for all age groups, how to deal with dental emergencies, dental health videos and other valuable dental tips and activities.