Dentistry in crisis ?: Dental health is neglected

    

    

Doctors newspaper online, 19.07.2019

    

        
        
        

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Dentistry in crisis?

Around half of the world's population suffers from problems with their teeth, without global health policies responding adequately, researchers say. They call for a rethinking.

Mouth open: Dental health is neglected, complain researchers.

© Karin & Uwe Annas / Fotolia

HEIDELBERG / LONDON. Researchers demand a radical rethinking in dealing with oral and dental diseases. Around 3.5 billion people worldwide have caries, gum disease and oral cancer – largely ignored by global health care and policies. "Dentistry is in crisis," says Professor Richard Watt of University College London (UCL), one of the authors of a series of articles on these topics in the British journal "The Lancet" .

In highly developed countries, modern dentistry, for example, focuses too much on treatment rather than prevention, he criticizes, and twelve other international experts. The scientists from ten countries, including Great Britain and Germany, also complain that dentistry has been decoupled from traditional health care for far too long.

Beverage industry in focus

The scientists also critically assess the role of the sugar, food and beverage industries. Their influence could, for example, lead to a focus on commercial products such as toothpaste with fluoride, mouthwash or sugar-free chewing gum instead of dealing with the actual causes of tooth decay. Thus, the consumption of sugar, the main cause of the destruction of teeth, is rapidly increasing, especially in less developed countries.

There is also need for action in Germany, says co-author Stefan Listl, who conducts research in the field of health economics at the University Hospital in Heidelberg. Although it is the world's most widely used for dental treatment.

Many people continued to suffer from the avoidable consequences of such diseases. The resulting loss of productivity amounts to more than twelve 12 billion euros annually. "Too much emphasis is placed on high-tech rather than precaution."

It also continues to be the case that people from lower educational backgrounds have dental problems much more often. "With the supply model in this country you can get very far, but how can you reach those who never go to the dentist?" Listl said. Many people are unaware of the importance of dental and oral hygiene. (AP)

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