Just How Healthy are the Nation's Teeth
and How do Yours Measure Up?

April is National Oral Health Month, a good time for Healthy Living
to take a state-of-the-nation look at Canada’s current dental health.
Our research reveals some thought-provoking figures that indicate
future trends and urge us to protect ourselves from tooth loss.

When it comes to our oral health, some positive news is emerging that suggests the vast majority of Canadians are keeping more of their teeth for longer.

According to Statistics Canada (www.statcan.gc.ca), only 6.6% of Canadian adults aged 20 to 79 now claim to have no teeth of their own. The really good news is that this figure has continued to drop over the past 20 years: in 1990, a staggering 17% of the population said they were ‘edentulous’, that is, they had no natural teeth left.

Clearly, better access to dental care, combined with the widespread use of fluorides, is having a beneficial effect on our oral health. Of course, keeping our teeth longer can improve our overall wellbeing, as tooth loss can lead to changes in eating habits, which can in turn lead to vitamin and nutrient deficiency, as well as significant weight loss, speech difficulties and loss of self-esteem.

These latest results assessing the state of the nation’s oral health cover the research period from 2007 to 2009. “Complete loss of natural teeth is found mostly in adults aged 40 and older,” says StatCan. “Less than 1% of the population aged 20 to 39 have lost all their teeth. Among people aged 40 to 59, 4.3% of men and 4.4% of women have no natural teeth. The rate rises steeply for people aged 60 to 79, with 22.3% of men and 21.1% of women having no natural teeth.”

The Canadian Dental Association’s National Oral Health Month campaign focuses on the theme of ‘Oral Health - Good for Life’. With the emphasis on early detection, diagnosis and treatment, the CDA urges people to visit their dentist for regular checkups and to seek dental care at the first sign of bleeding or tender gums. “The reality is that oral health problems could be a sign of something serious such as oral cancer.”

Approximately 3,200 Canadians are diagnosed with oral cancer every year, the CDA points out, with 1,050 deaths resulting from the disease. Because it is often diagnosed late, oral cancer currently reports a low survival rate, but the CDA stresses that early detection can make a big difference.
Oral disease can also lead to other health problems, the Association says. “Research shows there is a relationship between oral disease and other health problems such as diabetes and certain kinds of pneumonia. There may even be a link between oral diseases and heart disease and stroke, as well as premature and low birth-weight babies.”

The CDA also warns that more people are suffering from dental erosion, where the hard part of the tooth wears away as a result of direct contact with acid. The cause may be stomach acid problems and eating disorders, as well as the preference of many people for acid-strong foods such as sport drinks and soft drinks.
The message is clear: if we want to keep our teeth for life, we need to establish a program of dental care early on and stick to it!

Get Snack Smart with Your Kids

• Limit the number of times a day your child eats or drinks sugars
• Avoid sugary treats that stay in the mouth for a long time like hard candy or lollipops
• Avoid soft, sticky sweets that get stuck in your child’s teeth
• Serve sweets for dessert while there is still plenty of saliva in your child’s mouth to wash away the sugars
• Serve juice and milk during or at the end of mealtime. Drink water between meals
• Serve vegetables, cheese, nuts or seeds for snacks

Source: Canadian Dental Association
www.cda-adc.ca

Tooth Decay Facts: Did You Know?

• It is the second most common cause of school absenteeism
• It is five times more common than asthma in children aged 5 to 17
• It can be transmitted by sharing a spoon with young children or licking their pacifier
• It is preventable in almost all cases

Source: Ontario Dental Association.
www.oda.on.ca