Image from http://www.ada.org
You know the drill: stay away from high fructose corn syrup, sugary drinks and too much chocolate. Too many of these certain foods, drinks and treats combined with poor dental habits, the warnings go, can have a disastrous effect on our teeth.
That may be why the country’s top dentist association — the American Dental Association — launched a dentist awareness campaign called “Action for Dental Health: Dentists Making a Difference” to help Americans get to dentists. An ADA survey of 1,200 adults indicates that there is a financial, cultural and racial divide for who is visiting dentists regularly:
- About 70 percent of middle-to-high income earners have had a dentists visit in the past year, while nearly 50 percent of those in lower income brackets have not.
- Adults 18+ earning higher incomes are less likely to have their teeth removed (3 percent) than those with low incomes (7 percent).
- About 40 percent of low-income adults think the Obama Administration’s Affordable Care Act will help them get dental care. In fact, it’s unlikely, the ADA notes, as the Affordable Care Act provides almost no relief to those without current dental coverage.
The ADA is hoping the campaign brings more awareness to adults around the country to visit dental providers like Kool Smiles and reduce the numbers of untreated mouth, teeth and gum diseases. It’s up to us to take care of our teeth, as much for ourselves as for our children.
Use this helpful video from the ADA to figure out how best to find your local dentists, and which questions to ask based on your personal situation. As you get underway to see a dental provider, consider the tips within.
