Prevalence
Statistics speak to the prevalence of poor oral health:
- Dental caries is the most common chronic disease of childhood
- More than half of children have had dental decay by age 7.
- One in five adults has untreated dental disease
- Two in five adults have periodontal disease, which can lead to infection, pain, and tooth loss
- Every year there are more than 58,000 cases of oral cancer diagnosed, and more than 12,000 people die from oral cancers
Adult Caries
Periodontal Disease
References
American Cancer Society. Key Statistics for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers. Accessed June 26, 2024. Available at:Â https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/oral-cavity-and-oropharyngeal-cancer/about/key-statistics.html.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Periodontal Disease in Adults (Age 30 or Older). Accessed June 26, 2024. Available at:Â https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/periodontal-disease/adults.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Dental Caries (Tooth Decay) in Children Ages 2 to 11 Years. Accessed June 26, 2024. Available at:Â https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/dental-caries/children.
Bashir N. Update on the prevalence of untreated caries in the US adult population, 2017-2020. Journal of the American Dental Association, 153(4), 300-308, April 2022.