Benevis, a leading dental healthcare and orthodontics delivery organization committed to providing quality care to underserved communities, announces the release of its report, “The Impact of Neglected Adolescent Dental Care on Adult Health.” In support of World Oral Health Day this March 20, 2024, the paper highlights pertinent research and data on the continuing need for clinical providers and families to reinforce positive dental health habits and orthodontic care from the ages of 12 to 19 years old to influence oral health into adulthood to critically impact overall health and well-being across all patient populations.
Many oral diseases and harmful health behaviors managed by adults begin in adolescence. About 57% of adolescents have had tooth decay in their permanent teeth, a preventable disease. Not only does it affect permanent teeth from early childhood into adolescence, but decay also negatively impacts the ability to eat and speak, which is critical to physical and psychosocial health. Older adolescents ages 16 to 19 are more likely to experience cavities, and those from lower-income households are twice as likely to have untreated decay as those from higher-income families. Harmful behaviors with implications for adverse oral health outcomes, like dietary habits, smoking, vaping, and substance use, also become more common in adolescent years.
Source: Benevis Report Emphasizes the Need to Prioritize Adolescent Dental Health / Dentistry Today