Using the very latest science and technological advances promising "be cavity-free for life" boldly comes after literally centuries of the dental decay causing disease, Dental Caries, in a world Pandemic proportion. It is reported to be in 98% of third world countries. From various sources, it has been suggested that here in the United States, 95% suffer Dental Caries. It is described as "epidemic" amongst toddlers, 78% incidence amongst 17 year olds with a stated, 92% from ages 20 to 65 and then becomes, as some have described the "Tsunami of oral disease" and approaching pandemic proportions amongst the senior citizens. A Utah insurance company stated that before the age of 45, 99% experience dental decay. The costs of dental care in the nation have been reported to be $1.9 billion in 1960 and in a recent report from the ADA (American Dental Association) that "the Feds predict dental spending to reach $167.3 billion in 2015."
Is it just me, or does there seem to be a huge contradiction so far???
"Economic projections for the health care industry are certainly of great interest to dentistry" according to Dr. Al Guay, ADA chief policy adviser. I'll bet it is! It didn't mention that it should be "of great interest" to patients, though !
We patients seem to be very silent on the matter, but this is, after all, a report from the ADA to dentists, not a report from a patient organization to patients. (where is that at?...see future blogs about Patients' Own wellness association coming)
It was interesting that they mention several possible influences on this future dental care costs prediction such as: the consumer price index and GNP, supply and demand, the aging of our society, and the "expensive and unpredictable nature of new technologies and more but not once was it even insinuated that the patients themselves have any influence on this future scenario. The article did mention the need for "society to confront the underlying questions of supply and demand" but no further details. Not even a mention about the ultimate answer to rising costs.....reduce or eradicate disease!
I am anticipating the announcement in the near future that "Dental Caries has been wiped off the face of the earth". You and I need to consider the methods that were used!?
PATIENTS HAVING TAKEN THE INITIATIVE to apply "cure" and "prevention"?
OR
GOVERNMENT MANDATES!?
(I wonder who will make that choice???)
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We now need to have a very important discussion! It needs to be honest and accurate!
Up to the early part of 2000, what is now called "traditional dentistry" was and still is heavily influenced by the "odontopathic plaque" theory, or usually called the "plaque theory". It's author has been suggested to be Dr. Willoughby Miller from 1889. Scientific progress has been constant, usually influenced by the level of development of research methods and especially technology. When the "plaque theory" was proposed, the microscope was just coming into use in understanding very rudimentary microbiology and was comparatively very primitive compared to the use of DNA sequencing and the newest generation of super microscopes we now have. The huge paradigm change in dental health science, as a result, has given new and more accurate analysis of the cariogenic biofilm called Dental Caries disease. Much of what we had considered as "facts" have been changed to the "myths" of dental health much to the shock of dentists and patients alike.
(This article is found at the web site of http://www.carifree.com/ under "Facts vs Myths")
"placement of fillings has been ineffectual", "you can't brush the disease away", "fluoride" is not effective in curing Dental Caries in adults, it is the pH of the biofilm, not sugar, which causes dental caries etc.
There is an alarming tendency for dental patients to be indifferent to the announcements that Dental Caries is both curable and preventable. This indifference has resulted in a huge amount of disease damage but also at least $48.7 billions of dollars in dental care expense that could have been unnecessary had patients simply heeded the announcements from the most reputable sources possible. We, as patients, will either begin to PAY ATTENTION OR PAY MONEY !!!
2003: The U.S. Surgeon General announced that we had "safe and effective measures" to PREVENT........Dental Caries and that this was a "WAKE-UP CALL". Then dental care expenses were $71.2 billion. This year it approximates $119.9 billion with the aforementioned statistics. That is a difference of $48.7 (possibly a $1 million bonus to 48,700 dental offices, paid by patients!......does this pass your "sniff" test?, did patients respond to a "wake-up" call from the highest government authority for the health of the nation, the Surgeon General??????).
Patients were totally empowered in the 2007 announcement that Dental "Caries was both CURABLE and preventable...".(2007 CAMBRA Consensus Statement: www.cdafoundation.org/journals for November, 2007). The top clinicians, scientists and educators in the nation endorsed this "consensus". The costs of dental care in 2007 was then up to $96.3 billion. The difference between then and today is (only) $23.6 billion.....(only) $26,600,000. possibly another million dollars per year bonus to 26, 900 dental offices, paid by patients who still are looking for "lower prices" and "more insurance" and "government assistance", but obviously remain resistant to applying effective "cure" and achieve being "cavity-free for life".
So, back to the original question of "success or failure" of the eradication of Dental Caries from the earth (starting with you) and: when it does happen, will the government have to step in and
"mandate" patients to apply the simple methods to cure, and prevent, Dental Caries, once and for all time.
The scientists are on the patients' side and we have been given all the information and opportunities to be pro-active, to actually take only a couple of minutes,, and pennies-on- the-dollar to start curing and preventing Dental Caries NOW?
OR
ignore a wake-up call and just hit the snooze button and pay millions more into the hands of traditional, drill-and-fill dentists? ........and complain......
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