National Oral Health Initiative Released

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<arnoldgore

National Oral Health Initiative Released

 

 

Subj: National Strategy Seeks To Improve America's Oral Health

4/30/2003 8:02:29 AM Eastern Standard Time

<A HREF= " NYSCOF " >NYSCOF</A>

caru

 

(Caries, not fluoride, mentioned in this news release

from US Dept of Health and Human Services.)

 

National Strategy Seeks To Improve America's Oral Health

Source: U.S. Newswire

Publication date: 2003-04-29

 

 

WASHINGTON, April 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Department of Health and Human

Services today released a National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health

aimed at improving oral health and preventing disease for all Americans.

 

" This action strategy serves as a model of how the nation's health can be

improved when we work together to achieve common goals, " HHS Secretary Tommy

G. Thompson said. " Oral health is integral to overall health. It's critical

that we all work together to improve the nation's oral health, especially

among children. "

 

Surgeon General Richard Carmona released the report at the 2003 National

Oral

Health Conference in Milwaukee. Many Americans suffer from poor oral health.

For example, 22 percent of adults reported some form of oral-facial pain in

the past six months.

 

Pain is a common symptom of craniofacial disorders and interferes with vital

functions such as eating, swallowing and speech. Among children, dental

caries (tooth decay) is the single most common chronic childhood disease.

Oral and pharyngeal cancers, which are primarily diagnosed in the elderly,

are diagnosed in about 30,000 Americans annually and 8,000 die from this

disease each year. Oral diseases and disorders are progressive and

cumulative

and become more complex over time. If current trends persist, millions of

Americans will needlessly lose teeth, endure pain, and develop oral

infections that can contribute to worsened chronic diseases, compromising

their overall health and well being.

 

" The prevention message we've been emphasizing all over America is as

applicable for ensuring oral health as it is for avoiding other chronic

conditions, " Surgeon General Carmona said.

 

" American students miss millions of hours of school and adults miss millions

of hours of work each year due to dental disease or visits. By improving our

nation's oral health, we improve our nation's overall health. "

 

Nationally, children lose more than 51 million school hours and adults lose

more than 164 million work hours each year due to dental disease or dental

visits. The nation's total bill for dental services was estimated to be

$70.1

billion in 2002 and this figure does not take include indirect expenses of

oral health problems or the cost of services by other health care providers.

 

The National Call to Action marks the latest in an ongoing effort to address

the country's oral health needs in the new century. The National Call to

Action builds on Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General

(May

2000) and the Healthy People 2010 oral health objectives. The new plan seeks

to expand these efforts by enlisting the expertise of individuals, health

care providers, communities, and policymakers at all levels of society.

 

The National Call to Action identifies five action areas: -- Change

perceptions of oral health care; -- Overcome barriers to care by replicating

effective programs and proven efforts; -- Build the science base and

accelerate science transfer; -- Increase oral health workforce diversity,

capacity and flexibility -- Increase collaboration. --- Note: All HHS press

releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at

www.hhs.gov/news http://www.usnewswire.com Publication date: 2003-04-29

 

New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation

http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof

<A HREF= " http://tinyurl.com/ad9k " >http://tinyurl.com/ad9k</A>

 

Fluoride Action Network

<A HREF= " http://www.fluoridealert.org/ " >http://www.fluoridealert.org</A>