Oral Diseases Research Paper

Gingival disease is more prevalent than we think. In developed countries like the US, more than half of the adult population has some form of gum concerns. They may be localized or generalized. Therefore, one can only imagine how prevalent gum problems are in the Philippines, a land where there is still widespread poverty and the lack of decent dental insurance for the impoverished. Any Filipino dentist will tell you that he or she advocates prevention over cure. DO not wait until you have bleeding gums to seek dental care. Brushing and flossing properly, at least twice daily, can work wonders and prevent both caries and gum concerns. And most importantly, a bi-annual oral prophylaxis or deep cleaning should be performed to remove harder deposits.

Conversely, poor oral health can have detrimental consequences on physical and psychological wellbeing. Yet, the high burden of oral diseases represents a widely underestimated public health challenge for almost all countries worldwide. Oral diseases are often hidden and invisible, or they are accepted as an unavoidable consequence of life and ageing. However, there is clear evidence that oral diseases are not inevitable, but can be reduced or prevented through simple and effective measures at all stages of the life course, both at the individual and population levels. Untreated tooth decay is now known to be the most prevalent of the 291 conditions studied between 1990 and 2010 within the frame of the international Global Burden of Disease Study. This is the most authoritative estimation of global disease burden and serves as a basis for health policy planning and resource allocation. Severe periodontitis, which is estimated to affect between 5 and 20 percent of populations around the world, was found to be the sixth most common condition. Oral cancer is among the 10 most common cancers in the world, and even more prevalent in the Philippines, with numbers expected to rise due to increasing tobacco and alcohol

Gingivitis, or bleeding gums, affects 50-90 per cent of the population worldwide. It is caused by microorganisms in the oral biofilm that adheres to the tooth surfaces. If gingivitis is not treated in time, it may progress to periodontitis, tooth loss. The progression of periodontitis is slow and often takes place over several years without any apparent symptoms. Professional intervention is necessary to treat periodontitis, otherwise the process will continue and eventually lead to loosening and subsequent loss of teeth. 5-30 per cent of adults suffer from periodontitis. Oral disease continues to be a serious public health problem in the Philippines. The prevalence of dental caries on permanent teeth has generally remained above 90% throughout the years. About 92.4% of Filipinos have tooth decay (dental caries) and 78% have gum diseases (periodontal diseases) (DOH, NMEDS 1998). Although preventable, these diseases affect almost every Filipino at one point or another in his or her