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Breaking the culture of dental disease

A smile matters a lot. In a recent TEDx talk, Dr. Steven Lin, reports that “smiling has been shown to decrease blood pressure, boost your immune system, and release mood-lifting endorphins.” Thus, when someone is unable to smile, due to either dental disease or tooth loss, their self-esteem and overall well-being are negatively affected. Why then does society often separate oral health from general health? After all, the mouth is the gateway to the rest of the body. Dr. Lin proposes that by changing the way we think and talk about oral health, we can break society’s culture of dental disease.

In the past, dental treatment was excruciatingly painful. It was not until the mid-20th century when chemists developed an effective local anesthetic that the field became much less painful. As a result, society’s perception of dentistry continues to be associated with pain and suffering when, in actuality, dental treatment can be painless with proper local anesthesia technique and sedation.  As Dr. Lin says, “modern dentistry carries a stigma, and this stigma results in dental avoidance.” The first step in changing society’s perception of dentistry, therefore, is through education and awareness.

One strategy is the use of social media and technology to boost the public’s dental IQ and emphasize early prevention of dental disease. Online resources such as the ADA’s mouthhealthy.org and Dr. Lin’s DentalHub provide key information to the public about the link between oral health and general well-being.  In fact, gum disease has been linked to life-threatening diseases, including stroke and diabetes. Much of dental disease is preventable by simple habits, including flossing once a day. As Dr. Lin says, “we live in a society that uses technology more for banking, online shopping and ordering a taxi more than we do for our health.” We have the opportunity to change that.

By increasing online discussions about health care, the public can make a significant change in government policies. Only until society places health as a priority will the government do the same. To break the culture of dental disease, it takes a combination of early prevention and increasing care for the underserved. According to Dr. Lin, “it’s community conversations and cultures like this that create swells that incentivize the government to invest into infrastructure and access to services to those that cannot afford it.”

With the holiday season approaching, give your family and friends the gift of health. Remember Hermey the Elf from the movie “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” who dreams of becoming a dentist instead of a toy-maker? Like Hermey, you can introduce your friends and family to good oral habits and change our culture of dental disease to a culture of healthy smiles.

~Tiffany Hsu, San Francisco ’15, chair, Council on Communications

Tiffany Hsu

Tiffany is a fourth-year dental student at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She also serves as chair of ASDA's Council on Communications.

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1 Comment

  1. Jonathan says:

    Nice article, thanks for sharing..

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