Introduction
Periodontal gum disease refers to an infection in the gums. It is caused by bacteria that attack the gum and the teeth. The disease has been linked to serious conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Dental conditions are very common these days. In children who are between the ages of 2 to 5 years, one in every four children will experience tooth decay. The number goes up in older children who are between the ages of 12 and 15 years, half of the children will have tooth decay problems.
Research has shown that the minority communities and especially those from the low socio-economic classes have high cases of untreated tooth decay. Research has shown that 40% of the children aged between 5 and 9 years among the Mexican Americans have untreated tooth decay compared to only 25% of the Whites. Advanced or severe cases of gum disease occur usually in the adult population. Half of the population who have severe gum disease are people who usually smoke. In fact, people who smoke are at the higher risk of getting gum disease than other people. Those adults who are over the age of 65 years have lost their teeth. Oral health can lead to death. Each year in America, around eight thousand people lose their life due to oral cancers.
Review of current Programs
Studies have shown that the current oral health care policies and programs are not accessible to all Americans when it comes to their socio-economic levels and minority races. The current policies should look into preventive strategies early. Organizations can offer dental education in the public schools especially in the low income environs.
The Community DentCare Network program operates in the Manhattan area where it provides screening, dental sealants and oral prophylaxis in addition to the dental education. There is a shortage of dentists in the country so ensuring that the undeserving masses access healthcare is a bit of a challenge. Research conducted showed that there are 59.5 doctors for every 100,000 people in the population. It has been estimated that in 2020, the number of dentists will have dropped to 51. Programs should therefore aim to teach the paediatrician how to provide dental care to the children (Formicolla, 2005)
Dental therapists should be able to reach the remote populations in the society. This is an approach that the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium is using. They aim to reach the Alaskan Natives who live in areas accessible by plane or water through dental therapists. In the meantime the State should put up the necessary infrastructure and workforce to ensure that there are dental solutions in place that fit the specific populations. Research has shown that many people of colour do not receive the dental health care that they need. This is regardless of whether they are insured or not. In the dental profession, it has been noted that only 3% and 2.8% of the dentists in the country are African American and Hispanics. Yet these two populations are a growing segment of the overall population. Programs and policies should ensure that there are opportunities to diversify the workplace by the inclusion of the minority races in the dental profession. The Robert Wood Johnson Community Based program works with the dental schools to ensure that they enrol more students of colour. Each school receives a grant of $1.5M for the activities of this initiative.
Oral Health Programs and Policies
There are several programs in the country that are involved in dental care. The CDC is a countrywide initiative that is involved in supporting 19 states with financial and technical support for their oral programs. The CDC also helps them in the water fluoridation programs and the dental sealant programs in the schools. The CDC helps the states develop quality programs and have the required expertise for their prevention programs. There are also web-based or online platforms where the CDC collects information on oral health which is accessible to the dental professionals and the consumers. The Natural Oral Health Surveillance system provides information on the web that can be used for research and program evaluation (CDC, 2011)
There are also countrywide programs that are driven by the government. The Australian government has a policy or program that covers the years 2004 to 2013. The government wants the general population to understand that oral health is an important and integral part of an individual’s health. The government aims to ensure that fluoridised water reaches the general population. There will be natural health survey programs in the country for both the adults and the children to assess the status of oral health in the country. There is a central database to disseminate information to the public on oral policy, programs and policies. The government also works with insurance firms to get rebates for the programs which have great preventive policies. The government works with the local and community programs to assist them in their oral health promotion (National Advisory on Oral Health, 2004).
There are also initiatives to work with schools in training them on having dental programs to have check-ups for the children and adolescents. The government also works with recreational and sport centres as they give rise to high risk situations that can lead to dental health problems. The government ensures that they incorporate nutrition and oral health advice in their programs.
Future trends in Oral Health
The future trends in dentistry show that the health professionals are moving towards holistic dentistry. Instead of the dental professionals concentrating on treating the dental issues alone, they are concentrating on the whole body (Thakur, Bagewadi and Keluskar, 2011). The professionals are looking at the head, the spine, jaw and the neck. It is an approach that recognises the connection between ill health in the mouth and the rest of the body. It is a preventive approach. The dentist uses physiologic and electronic methods to locate chronic diseases in the individual that would be hard to ascertain using the usual methods (Bodecker and Loren, 1958) Holistic dentistry incorporates various techniques such as hypnosis, aromatherapy, nutrition and herbology (Leger, 1986)
The health professionals also use acupuncture and physical therapy. The patients are advised to use herbal toothpaste that is a more effective method to protect the dental parts. The patients are also advised on the dietary needs to ensure that they feed well. The holistic dentists believe that people experience stress and emotional distress due to poor dietary habits. The holistic dentists do not just focus on dealing with the current dental problem, they also go ahead to work with the patient to prevent incidences in the future.
Conclusion
Oral health is an important area of the overall health of an individual. The programs in place are mostly curative and preventive however a holistic approach is better in the long run. Gum disease has been linked to other chronic diseases indicating that the people should be concerned about their overall health and nutrition.
Works Cited
Bodecker, Charles and Loren R. “Use of hypnosis in dentistry: An overview”. J Am
Dent Soc Anesthesiol, 5.8(1958) 22-24.
CDC. Oral Health. Preventing Cavities, Gum Disease, Tooth Loss, and Oral Cancers
At A Glance. 2011. Web. 11th November, 2011.
Formicolla, Allan. Addressing Oral Health Care Disparities: Major Issue for the Dental
Profession in the 21st Century. December, 2005. Web. 11th November, 2011.
Leger, J. “Aromatherapy in dentistry”. Chir Dent Fr, 56 .343.(1986):43-7
National Advisory on Oral Health. Australia’s National Oral Health Plan. 2004-2013.
July 2004. Web. 11th November, 2011.
Thakur, Nidhi, Bagewadi, Anjana and Keluskar, Vaishali. “Holistic Dentistry: Natural
Approaches to Oral Health”. Journal of International Oral Health, 3.2(2011):976-1799.
