• Overview
• Definition
• Incidence, prevalence and trends
• Risk factors
• Health consequences
• Costs
• Contributors

Health Consequences

Health consequences of poor oral health are wide-ranging and pervasive. They include not only biological manifestations of disease, but also the social impacts.

The strong correlation between several oral diseases and non-communicable chronic diseases is primarily a result of the common risk factors. Many general disease conditions also have oral manifestations that increase the risk of oral disease which, in turn, is a risk factor for a number of general health conditions. This wider meaning of oral health does not diminish the relevance of the two globally leading oral afflictions - dental caries and periodontal diseases. Both can be effectively prevented and controlled through a combination of community, professional and individual action.

Dental caries

Dental caries (also known as tooth decay) can both cause pain and infection as well as eventual tooth loss. Dental caries is still a major oral health problem in most industrialised countries. Dental caries affect 60-90% of schoolchildren and the vast majority of adults.

Periodontal disease

Diseases of the periodontal tissues and supporting structures of the teeth (also known as gum disease) affect a large proportion of the population and become more common with increasing age. In England, 54% of adults aged over 16 years had moderate signs of periodontal disease in one or more teeth in 1998. ¹ More severe periodontal disease was found in 5% of the population, most over 65 years, which leads to the loss of the supporting structures holding teeth in position.

Gum disease may contribute to cardiovascular disease, pre-term birth and low birth weight. ²

Oral disease

Oral disease is associated with aspiration pneumonia, hepatitis C, HIV infection, infective endocarditis, otitis media, and nutritional deficiencies in children and older adults. ²

Oral cancer

Oral cancer is a malignant tumour of the mouth and accounts for 4% of all cancer cases in the UK. In 2000, there were nearly 2300 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity.

A study published in 1992 by US researchers concluded that although there is low social impact individually from dental visits and oral conditions, at the societal level such problems and treatments appear to have a greater impact among disadvantaged groups. ³