The impact of poor oral health on general health Essay

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Oral Health
Oral health is a vital part of general health and oral cavity is considered as a mirror to the health of individuals and communities.(1, 2) World Health Organization (WHO) defines oral health as "a state of being free from chronic mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral sores, birth defects such as cleft lip and palate, periodontal disease, tooth decay and tooth loss, and other diseases and disorders that affect the oral cavity".(3)
The latest definition of Oral health comes from American Dental Association (ADA-2014) which further specifies the interconnection of oral health with general health and quality of life. As per ADA "Oral health is a functional, structural, aesthetic, physiologic and psychosocial state of well-being and is essential to an individual's general health and quality of life" (4)
The common oral issues include Dental Caries and Periodontitis, these conditions if initiated once, do not revert itself and may result in severe pain, tooth loss, abscess formation and severe complications requiring surgical intervention. Other oral health issues include oral cancers, birth deformities such as cleft lip and palate, infections, soft tissue and bony lesions and maxillofacial injuries.(5)
Poor oral health has a great impact on general health and several oral conditions are found to be associated with heart and lung diseases(6, 7), diabetes(8, 9), low-birth-weight and premature births(10, 11). Oral conditions also affect the quality of life through affecting speech, eating, education, facial appearance, confidence and social interaction.(12) Oral diseases hamper activities at work, at school and at home resulting millions of school and work hours to be lost each year globally.(5, 13) World Health Organization (WHO) also acknowledges the interconnection between oral health, general health and quality of life.(14)
1.2 Poor Oral Health a Global Concern
Oral health issues persist in developed and developing countries both, especially among underprivileged communities.(5) The oral health issues are much more severe among communities in developing countries, because of lack of promotive, preventive, palliative and curative services.(15)
As per estimates by WHO, around five billion people suffer from dental caries globally and around 60 to 90% of school children have dental caries and around 30% of people aged 65-74 years have no natural teeth. (16) The oral cancer incidence has been continuously increasing and ranges from one to 10 cases per 100,000 in majority of countries. Congenital anomalies like cleft lip and palate occur in about one case per 500 to 700 births. Worldwide, 16-40% of children in the age 6 to12 years old are affected by dental trauma due to unsafe playgrounds, unsafe schools, road accidents, or violence. Noma (a gangrenous lesion) poses a threat to young children living in extreme poverty mainly in Africa and Asia and around 90% of the children with Noma die if not treated. (3)
As per an analysis of a study 'Global Burden of a Diseases (GBD) 2010' untreated dental caries was found to be the most prevalent (35%) and severe periodontitis the sixth most prevalent of all 291 conditions studied.(17)