Untreated tooth decay is a problem for more than 2.4 billion people worldwide, with some 190 million new cases forecasted each year, finds a new study in the Journal of Dental Research.
Experts say this is a worryingly large number for a problem that is both well known and highly preventable.
“It is alarming to see prevention and treatment of tooth decay has been neglected at this level,” says the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Wagner Marcenes.
Scientists conducted a global survey of 378 studies looking at nearly 5 million people from 1990 to 2010. The results showed that 2.4 billion people suffer from untreated tooth decay in their permanent teeth, with 621 million children facing untreated decay in their early, temporary teeth.
Untreated tooth decay can engender cavities, infections, abscesses, oral pain and diseases. Ignored, it can impede a child’s growth and cause work absenteeism and unproductivity in adults. Dental decay is an effect of mouth acids dissolving the exterior teeth layers.
Scientists impute dental decay to high consumption of sugar, cautioning the public that children are not the only offenders.
“What is clear is that this is a major public health problem,” added global oral-health expert Professor David Williams of the Queen Mary University of London.
[BBC]
More Must-Reads from TIME
- How the Economy is Doing in the Swing States
- Democrats Believe This Might Be An Abortion Election
- Our Guide to Voting in the 2024 Election
- Mel Robbins Will Make You Do It
- Why Vinegar Is So Good for You
- You Don’t Have to Dread the End of Daylight Saving
- The 20 Best Halloween TV Episodes of All Time
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
Contact us at letters@time.com