Tooth decay on rise, says WHO

FIVE billion people worldwide suffer from tooth decay, with many failing to realise that caring for your mouth can lead to a longer, better life, the UN health agency said.

“Poor oral health can have a profound effect on general health and the quality of life,” Dr Poul Erik Petersen, co-ordinator of the World Health Organisation’s Global Oral Health Programme, said.

“The experience of pain, endurance of dental abscesses, problems with eating, chewing and missing, discoloured or damaged teeth, has a major impact on people’s daily lives and well-being,” he said.

Tooth decay and gum disease as well as oral and throat cancers are a global health problem, the WHO warned in a 38-page report.

The agency added the loss of teeth usually leads to malnutrition, with people being unable to chew many foods vital to their health, and subsequently a host of other problems.

“Worldwide, losing teeth is seen as a natural consequence of aging, but in fact it is preventable,” said WHO’s Dr Catherine Le Gales-Camus.

“There is a perception that tooth decay is no longer a problem in the developed world, but it affects 60-90% of schoolchildren and the vast majority of adults,” she said.