Importance of Dental Health in the United States and Around the World

On the world stage as well as in America, oral health is not a highly pushed key agenda. If I had to rank dental health on the world stage health agenda, I would rank it as a two. Other air and water-borne diseases, as well as tropical infections resulting from poor sanitation are placed significantly higher on the scale because of the sheer number of people they affect and the detrimental and deadly results they can have.  In fact, these tropical diseases affect 1 in 6 people in the world (Besser, 2013). As a result, the world stage simply has more pressing matters to address than oral health, including proper nutrition and sanitation issues and deadly sexually transmitted diseases, such as HPV incidences. Poor sanitation issues result in contamination of air, food, and water sources, killing and affecting individuals every day. While dental health is important, it is not likely that poor dental health will lead to death. While oral health can reduce premature mortality, the world health agenda is more acutely focused on the diseases and infections that have more immediate deadly effects (Petersen, 2003).

In America, the ranking is higher because there are fewer deadly diseases to contend with as a result of sanitation efforts and required vaccinations. I would still rank dental health as a 5 as it relates to its significance compared to other health issues.  Americans have better access to oral health care information compared to the world stage. Despite this increased access overall, lack of resources, communication, and supplies creates disparities in health care even in the United States (USDHH, 2000). As a result, while oral health is important, there are much more pressing matters to address on both the national and world stage.

References

Besser, R. (2013). Tropical Diseases Infect 1 in 6 People Worldwide. ABC News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/04/02/tropical-diseases-infect-1-in-6-people-worldwide

Petersen, P. (2003). The World Oral Health Report. The World Health Organization. Retrieved from https://extranet.who.int/iris/restricted/bitstream/10665/68506/1/WHO_NMH_NPH_ORH_03.2.pdf;

USDHHS. (2000). Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General-- Executive Summary. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health.