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Oral health diseases are mainly caused by poor lifestyle choices, which may be linked to various socioeconomic factors, such as income and education. For instance, early discovery through regular visits to the dentist’s office can prevent a large percentage of dental and oral health issues. Unfortunately, however, not everyone is privileged to have access to dental care. According to Greenpoint dentist, Dr. Culpepper, children born to low-income and lower-educated parents have worse oral health than those in higher-earning families.
Indeed, dental care should be compulsory for everyone, including the rich and the poor. This is because the consequences of poor oral health include tooth decay, discomfort, crooked smile, facial structure, and even death for both parties. Unfortunately, though, there seems to be a disparity in the levels of oral care and health between these two parties. In this article, you’ll learn more about how income affects a family’s dental health and possible solutions to the pandemic of poor oral health.
Low, middle-income families and oral health
1. Living below the cost of living
Families who live below the cost of living and are struggling to make ends meet may have a more challenging time taking care of their oral health and dental hygiene. Visiting a dentist’s office is not on the top of their priority list since they don’t make enough to afford out-of-pocket dental needs. There is not enough access to dental care in countries with prevalently middle and low-income earners.
2. Lack of education
Most low-income earners also have a limited amount of education and may not know better. For instance, a regular low-income family which has never had access to dental education or information about oral hygiene might give little or no care to their mouth and teeth. Here’s a perfect example of how this plays out. Mrs. J. constantly worries about her child’s thumb-sucking habit and doesn’t know what to do to make the child stop this habit. The child continues, and after a few years, they develop dental malocclusion. The best thing to do would be to visit the doctor or dentist, but since she has little education about the subject matter, she leaves it to the hands of “fate.”
3. Inadequate exposure to fluoride
Fluoride is an active component in toothbrushes and is necessary to prevent tooth decay. This chemical is also present in treated water in recommended quantities for the same reason.
Many low-income earners try their best to cut costs, which may include buying cheaper toothpaste that does not include fluoride. The absence of this chemical can lead to tooth decay(dental caries), complete loss of teeth, and discomfort.
4. Affordability of foods with high sugar content
Foods high in sugar, such as carbonated drinks, and even alcohol, can be cheaper than healthier alternatives, such as eating healthy whole foods that contain vegetables for a balanced meal. Microorganisms responsible for a host of dental diseases feed on sugar. Therefore, the more sugar consumed, the higher the chance of getting an oral health disease such as tooth decay and infections.
High-income families and oral health
Most high-income families are educated and thoroughly sensitized on the importance of good dental hygiene. They can also afford personal dental care, which reduces the risk of a relatively minor dental issue leading to a larger one. This puts people who are well-to-do in a position of privilege.
Although money can get you the best dental care, other factors can contribute to oral health problems regardless of how much they earn.
1. Lifestyle
People with higher incomes might be wealthier but are also prone to consuming more products with higher sugar content since they can afford them. Eating loads of chocolate, fizzy drinks, and alcohol does more harm than good for oral hygiene. More sensitization needs to be done in rural, suburban, and urban communities about the health consequences of consuming too much sugar.
Regular tobacco and cigarette consumption have also been linked to several health diseases, and this habit is among people of different incomes.
2. Nonchalance
Some people know the importance of regular dental checkups but still do not visit the dentist because they don’t feel any pain or aren’t in any form of discomfort. The truth is, everyone should pay the dentist regular visits and not go to the dentist once a year or even never.
3. Living busy lifestyles
People who spend most of their time working may not have much spare time and may forget or even miss dentist appointments. Seeing your dentist is as important as seeing your physician as excellent oral health improves the overall quality of time.
People in this category can also use virtual dental services, especially if their dentist’s office is far away from their homes.
Conclusion
Finally, Public and private individuals should do more work to bridge the socioeconomic gap in access to dental services through equal distribution of expert professionals. The government also has a unique role to play by providing little or no costs to people with less privileged access to dental care and making dental care education a part of elementary, high school, and college curricula.
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