Why Don't We Care About Global Dental Health?

by Alanna Shaikh · 2009-04-03 10:37:00 UTC
Topics:

Why don't we ever worry about global dental health? Mental health is finally starting to get some attention' relief programs are addressing it and we're seeing some good research. But dental health - nothing. It's like human beings don't even have teeth.

Maybe it's because wealthy countries neglect dental health, too. In the US, Medicare doesn't cover teeth. A 12-year old in Maryland actually died of infected teeth. The British are famous for gnarly teeth; it's hard to get dental care through NHS and they are apparently now removing their own teeth with pliers.

Maybe it's because dentists and physicians still cooperate as much as one would expect, and international health is dominated by doctors. Or maybe it's because we think of it as an aesthetic thing. Bad teeth are so ugly, that we don't really think about the other consequences.

Unfortunately, bad dental health isn't just about looks. The bacteria that accumulates can cause heart disease by spreading through the bloodstream. Abscessed teeth are pockets of infection that can go systemic, and even cause death - like that poor kid in Maryland. Good tooth care can help control diabetes. Gum disease can lead to some kinds of cancer. In children, bad teeth can lead to problems with eating, drinking, and learning to speak. Losing all your teeth - common among the elderly in many developing countries - really messes with your nutritional intake.

There are NGOs and programs devoted to just about every health condition and body part out there. But not for teeth. And I really wonder why.

Alanna Shaikh
PREVIOUS STORY:
Recommended Reading - April 3
NEXT STORY:
A letter from Bettina Siegel, "Pink Slime" petition creator

COMMENTS (6)

    Comment Policy

    · All fields are required to comment.

    [X]

    Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the campaign on Change.org. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments which, as determined solely in our discretion: (1) are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; (2) include content solely intended to personally attack the campaign creator, (3) are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them; and/or (4) violate our terms of service and/or privacy policy. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion. Please also be advised that: (A) we do not actively curate and/or monitor in any manner whatsoever the comments made on the Change.org platform, and (B) the creator of each campaign on Change.org may remove any comment at her/his/its discretion.