World Health Organization: About dental cavity harm

The first WHO report on oral health in the world paints a bright little of this important part of public health. Indeed, according to the report, tooth decay is probably the most widespread disease, but not the most innocuous. In many developing countries but also in industrialized countries, it still affects 60 to 90% of the population.

Five billion people worldwide are concerned. The treatment of oral diseases represent 5 to 10% of health spending in industrialized countries and is beyond the reach of many developing countries. This is clear from this first report published last week by WHO, which focuses on risk factors such as hygiene, but also on socio-economic and cultural determinants, including poor living conditions and the low level of education.

What is tooth decay?

Dental caries is a disease that destroys the hard tissue of the tooth. It occurs because of poor oral hygiene, including through the formation of bacterial plaque, thin white layer that sticks to teeth that we do not brush. The bacterial level it converts sugar from food into acids that attack tooth enamel would like battery acid on the tiled floor. If not detected and treated, the cavities will go through several stages more or less quickly depending on the terrain, ie according to the defenses of the individual (role of a sufficiently balanced diet).
The attack on the outer envelope the hardest, enamel, is silent, only the consideration to the dentist can detect the. Once the breach consisting of enamel, caries attacks ivory or dentin is the phase of pain caused by sugar and liquid hot or cold. Left to itself, bunt led to the pulp of the tooth is the phase of spontaneous pain and often violent nocturnal, it is "rabies tooth." At this stage, the pulp supposed to feed the tooth no longer feeds the microbes and is no longer a dangerous outbreak of bacteria that can, through a failure of the body's defenses, suddenly swarming around n ' matter what body part, stage of serious and fatal complications (rheumatic fever, endocarditis, kidney failure, etc.).. A significant if not much heart and kidney disease requiring heavy and expensive care in our hospitals and abroad due to an ordinary tooth decay badly treated.

A preventable disease

Tooth decay seen its impact and cost of care for dental and unfortunately still frequent complications is a real economic and social problem. Yet it is the perfect example of a condition quite preventable by simple measures of hygiene. A proper brushing teeth can eliminate plaque containing the association dangerous microbes-sugars.
Although it is quite clear that prevention remains the only effective weapon against this disease, it is clear that in our country, the statistics confirm its extreme division in the population at any age. In the words of Professor Chouiter, the state Oral population is dramatic. Without a program of oral health, particularly health education appropriate long claimed by the previous National Committee of Oral Health headed by Professor Chouiter, the population has been left to fend for itself while ignoring mechanisms disease and its prevention. A draft program of oral health has been proposed for this purpose, targeting children from first grade suggesting even make the visit to the dentist a prerequisite for enrollment as is vaccination. A measure to the seriousness of this disease and its consequences on public health.