According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of childhood. A quarter of children between the ages of 2 and 5 and half of children between the ages of 12 and 15 suffer from dental caries. Nearly 25% of adults ages 65 and older have lost all of their natural teeth, which can lead to compromised nutrition and other complications. Tooth decay is an infectious disease which, if left untreated, can result in tooth loss, abscess, jaw bone loss, and systemic infection. In severe cases, these infections may lead to death. Patients’ oral health impacts their overall health and well-being.
The American Dental Association (ADA) defines health literacy as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate oral health decisions.” According to the ADA, improved health literacy offers patients better oral health stewardship, increased knowledge comprehension and minimized risk of miscommunication.
The primary goal of launching our blog “Ask Parkview Dental Associates” is to provide accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive explanations based on clinical studies and systematic dental literature reviews in a conversational style that patients can easily comprehend. We hope to increase patient engagement in accessing dental knowledge (submit questions), to motivate our patients to take better care of their oral hygiene, and to help our patients make informed decisions about their oral health.
Our blog posts will primarily encompass the following areas:
● Oral health and its relation to the overall health (periodontal disease and its relation to other chronic diseases)
● Routine and Preventative Care.
Oral disease is preventable through effectively incorporating oral self-care into your daily routine.
● Risk Management Education
For patients at higher risk for gum diseases and caries due to medical history, current medications, and other health conditions, our dental team at PVDA will make personalized recommendations to prevent irreversible damage.
● In-depth discussions of the pros and cons of common restorative procedures.
● In the news
There is a constant stream of dental related new products, fads and DIY hacks. Do they actually work? What is the science behind it? Hear from our expert dental professionals!