In the United States, people are more likely to have poor oral health if they are low-income, uninsured, and/or members of racial/ethnic minority, immigrant, or rural populations who have suboptimal access to quality oral health care. As a result, poor oral health serves as the national symbol of social inequality. Keeping a healthy smile is also an important part of social and emotional health. Poor oral health is linked to diabetes, heart disease, adverse pregnancy outcomes, stroke and respiratory conditions. The main diseases that affect oral health are tooth decay, gum disease and oral cancers. Many people living in rural areas, or other communities where dental services are hard to find, depend on Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) for regular dental care. Oral health disparities among US children and adolescents (aged 2 to 19):The prevalence of untreated cavities (tooth decay) in the primary teeth of children (aged 2 to 5) from low-income households is about three times higher (17%) than that of children from higher income households (6%) from a reported by the CDC. BELL Organization partnered with the Bronx Borough President and NYU Dental Anesthesiology Club to host an Oral Care Wellness Event for the many families of the Bronx, NYC.
