‘Billions’ worldwide facing oral health problems
by Guy Hiscott
More than half the world’s population – 3.9 billion people – are suffering from untreated dental problems, according to a new report.
The global burden of disease is moving away from severe tooth loss to periodontitis, caries, and untreated cavities, it claims.
The findings were announced as part of the findings from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2010 study, carried out by an international team of researchers.
They found that untreated tooth decay and dental cavities (caries) are the most common of almost 300 diseases assessed, affecting some 35% of the world’s population.
‘This total does not even include small cavities or mild gum diseases, so we are facing serious problems in the population’s oral health,’ explained lead researcher, Prof Wagner Marcenes, of the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary, University of London.
