Informative Essay

Annika Ziemer

Ms. Mancini

English 12A

11/3/15

Oral Diseases Globally

Teeth are something that some people may not think about, but for others it is an everyday thing.  There are plenty of stories out there that when people are missing teeth or have infections, they feel vulnerable and lack confidence.  They barely open their mouth when talking and will rarely smile for a picture.  They most likely would rather hide their teeth from the public because there is a social norm to have good teeth and they feel like they would be judged for not having it.  Dental care and coverage comes rare nowadays and people are hurting because of it.  According to Garcia, “Around 17 million low-income children living in the United States received no dental care this past year (2).”  Globally, almost all children show signs of gingivitis, or gum diseases (Peterson 10).

Oral diseases can affect the most basic human needs such as eating, drinking, swallowing, and communicating.  There are a variety of oral diseases known, but a handful of them are more common globally.  Three of the most common oral diseases are dental caries, oral cancer, and periodontal diseases.   Dental caries, more commonly known as cavities, are four times more prevalent than asthma globally (Garcia 2).  Dental caries begin in early life.  Eighteen percent of preschoolers in the United States have already experienced tooth decay, and by the age of 6 more than half of experienced cavities (Garcia).  Another common oral disease is oral cancer, which is the “eighth most common cancer and is found more commonly in the male population (Peterson 10)”.  Every year it is estimated that 28,900 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer (Garcia 3). Globally, over 15% of the African countries populations struggle with oral cancer (Peterson 10).  Qat is a popular leafy narcotic found in Eastern African countries consumed in the form of tea, smoked like tobacco, and by chewing fresh leaves (Peterson 10). Qat can lead to...