Consider these three statistics about the state of dental health in the U.S. today:
One out of every Five children has some amount of dental decay that hasn’t been treated, according to government data. It’s very clear that many low-income families can’t afford dental care or don’t have insurance plans, meaning that kids often go without regular cleanings and never really learn the importance of proper dental hygiene and cleaning. This is definitely one of the biggest problems with dental health issues in the U.S. today, because adults are more likely to have untreated dental decay if they never had good dental care when they were young.
It’s estimated that anywhere between 5% and 20% of all American adults suffer from a condition called bruxism, i.e., teeth grinding. Bruxism is a very difficult sleep disorder to diagnose, and the estimates of people who suffer from bruxism are so vague because many people don’t even realize that they have the disorder (until it starts causing a bunch of other health problems). This is definitely one condition that can really take a toll on your dental hygiene if it goes untreated, but luckily there are many simple and affordable ways to treat bruxism effectively.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 48% of all American adult females and 52% of American adult males suffer from some form of gum disease. Gum disease often shows up in the form of plaque, gum sensitivity, bleeding in the gums, and inflammation/ redness. Gum disease is also very treatable with regular dental cleanings and at-home dental hygiene products, like toothbrushes and mouthwashes. When gum disease goes untreated for too long, it can cause other problems for your oral health, and can even play a role in overall heart health issues.
The real point we’re making here is that everyone pretty much already knows that it’s important to keep their teeth clean, but few people really know just how serious the side effects can be if they don’t practice good dental hygiene. Additionally, it’s important to realize that treatments don’t have to be complicated and expensive; when it comes to dental health, in many cases, simple at-home cleaning products and habits will ensure that your teeth and gums are as healthy as possible.