Interesting Facts About Worldwide Oral Health
Math is often referred to as “the universal language”. It’s hard to argue that even hard numbers struggle to communicate as clearly as a smile! The meaning behind the pleasant sight of a genuine smile will be apparent no matter where you are or whom you’re with.
Unfortunately, not every country can claim their smiles are on the same level. Oral health varies greatly from one corner of the globe to the next. Here are some basic statistics that you might find interesting:
Which Country Can Claim The Best Oral Health?
It’s a bit difficult to determine which country holds the title of “best teeth in the entire world”, but there’s enough hard data to give us a rough idea. Based on the findings of some dedicated dental bloggers working within the field of dentistry, Japan may have the best oral health overall. There are over 200,000 dental hygiene professionals working throughout the country. There are just as many dentists working within Japan as there are in the United States, a fact that’s truly staggering considering how much larger the US population is overall. That said, dental care is still common enough in the US to make it a strong contender. The same can be said of Canada, South Korea, and Denmark as well.
Interestingly, there’s also some credence to the idea that Great Britain may have the world’s best teeth. This may seem odd at first given the stereotype that their oral hygiene is actually quite poor. That is little more than a myth these days, however, especially considering 7 out of 10 British citizens recently reported having been to the dentist over the past year. By contrast, only 4 out of every 10 Americans could say the same!
Which Country Has The Poorest Oral Health?
It’s fair enough to assume that the countries with the poorest oral health are those that are simply lacking in dental resources. Some of the prominent examples may surprise you, however. The World Health Organization has reported that there are a number of widespread dental health concerns throughout many Latin American and Asian countries.
There’s something of an oral health crisis in The Philippines in particular. The College of Dentistry at the University of The Philippines has statistics showing that over 90 percent of Filipinos are suffering from tooth decay. Nearly 100 percent of the country’s children between the ages of 3 and 5 suffer from cavities. These findings are more general than exact, but it’s estimated that as many as 75% of the country’s citizens have never seen a dentist at all.
Additional Findings
By the same token, it’s also obvious to assume that first world and well-developed countries have the best oral health given more access to dental care. Some of the poorest countries in Africa have shown impressively low rates of cavity development, however. This is largely based upon the cleaner diets of those regions and their lack of processed sugar. The more some countries progress in an economic sense, the higher their chance to develop widespread tooth decay may become. Some first world countries such as Australia actually have the most regular occurrence of cavities anywhere!
After reading all of this, you’re likely wondering how well you’re keeping up with your own oral health. Can you flash your pearly whites with pride, or does your smile actually need some work these days? If you haven’t been visiting the dentist regularly, now is the perfect time to start. Visit your local dental care provider as soon as you’re able!
