The Two Main Factors that Impact Dental Health

Good oral hygiene and avoiding tobacco use are the two main factors that affect dental health. Tooth decay and periodontal disease are the two most common dental diseases of public health importance worldwide, although there are several others that have both clinical and public health importance.

Oral hygiene

is an essential part of overall health and well-being, and it is important to learn proper habits such as brushing teeth, flossing, and limiting sugar intake early on to avoid costly dental procedures and long-term health problems. Community water fluoridation, salt fluoridation, milk fluoridation, and the placement of fissure sealants in schools are some of the extensive community measures that have been tried to prevent dental diseases such as tooth decay.

This highlights the need for policymakers to increase oral health education and prevention services in order to adequately prepare dental clinics for the expected number of acute cases. Poor access and low utilization of dental services due to high prices, painful treatments, and long waiting times are common in government dental centers in Africa. Diet and nutrition also have an important influence on oral health, as they can affect the development and progression of oral diseases such as tooth decay, periodontal disease, erosion, and others. Because tooth decay affects 60 to 90 percent of schoolchildren and many adults, industrialized countries consider it a major health problem.

A retrospective review of 5,012 medical records of dental patients who came to the University Hospital Dental Unit within a certain period was carried out. More men than women went to the unit, which is likely due to the profile of the university population or men's predisposition to dental problems due to a poor attitude towards oral health.