An Overview of Oral and Dental Health

This article provides an overview of oral and dental health, discussing the importance of maintaining good oral health and the impact of poor dental health. It explores the economic costs associated with dental health issues and analyzes two alternative programs - water fluoridation and educational programs. The economic impact of water fluoridation is also discussed, highlighting its cost-effectiveness and benefits to communities. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for proper response to poor dental health and its global impact.

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Economics
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An overview of oral and dental health
According to the World health organization (2018), oral health is one of the
major determinants of general health livelihood. Oral health therefore refers to a
condition where an individual lives free oral infections such as throat cancer, chronic
mouth pain, tooth decay and so many other infections. According the study by
W.H.O, half of the world’s population was found to be suffering from oral infections
with tooth decay being the most pronounced infection of all. In countries such as
Australia, the adverse effects brought about by oral infections are said to be worse in
a year as compared to those concerned with cases such as breast and lung cancer.
However, it clearly stated that such information has not been updated in over a
period of ten years (Russell, 2014). Most importantly, the burden of poor dental
health in Australia is enormous with tooth decay as the critical concern (Russell,
2014).
Butten et al (2019), states that oral health is not part of the health care system
irrespective of the fact that a public dental care system is in place. According to this
study in Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, Australia, it was discovered that
the population in Queensland was economically frustrated where over 76.6%of
families had an annual income less than 37500 dollars. This therefore implies that
access to dental services such as clinical checkups, fillings for decayed teeth and
cleaning was very limited. However, the state of Queensland provided a number of
incentives to the population in which programmes such as the school dental services
through which children and adolescents were attended to. This type of arrangement
according to the State health department was to be carried out at least once every
two years.

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These papers will however procedures to address the social and economic
costs associated with poor dental health to the community and individuals.
Additionally, the paper will also discuss the economic theories of inadequate fluoride
use, an analysis of increased fluoride use though water fluoridation and public
education programmes. An overview concerning the costs and benefits associated
with these programmes will be highlighted as well (Louise and Elizabeth, 2011).
Costs and benefits associated with poor dental health.
To begin with, the major resounding cost associated with poor dental health is
that which is concerned with huge financial burden. This cost is majorly pronounced
through the need to meet the necessary resources required for one to obtain proper
dental services. Some of the services involved in this process include cleft lip and
palate lip services, maxillofacial surgeries, and periodontal services, among others
(Australian institute of health and welfare, 2019). In terms of per-capita income
analysis, an average of over 416 dollars ($) were spent on the provision of health
dental services to the community. Household expenditure on the other hand was
estimated to be at an average of 7.62 dollars per week spent on dental fees within
the 2015–16 period of time (Australian Institute of Health, 2019).
Figure 1Graph showing Dental services per-capita expenditure(Australian
Institute of Health, 2019).

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Poor dental health complications have the capacity to bring about social and
psychological tortures to individuals experiencing them. These consequences can
either be long or short–term in nature and their effects can be devastating to the
individual. These consequences are said to include situations such as physical pain,
tooth loss, inferiority complexes and so many more (National Advisory Council on
Dental Health, 2012). The social impact of this problem can further be expounded
through tendencies such as alterations in appearance, and impairments in speech.
This consequently affects a person’s ability to socialise, education and in
employment (National Council on Health, 2012)
Graph showing 1994–2013 recommended treatment cost prevented (National
Council on Health, 2012)

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Analysing the two alternative programmes
An analysis of the two major programmes adopted by the government in
solving the impact of poor dental health concerns will be based on the two chosen
alternatives. This analysis will bring into account variables such the cost constraint
associated with each of them. Fluoridation of water can be defined as the process of
addition of fluorine powder in community water so as to enable it reach the level that
can minimise tooth decay (The State of Queensland Government, 2019). Water
fluoridation however works more effectively if it is combined with regular use of
fluoride toothpastes, dental checkups, and feeding on proper deities among others
(The Queensland State of Government, 2019). There are therefore three major ways
through which fluoride works. These include making teeth more resistant to decay,
getting rid of early tooth decay before it becomes permanent and lastly fight against
acid producing bacteria which results into tooth decay.
The alternative option that the Australian government can undertake to attend
to poor dental health is though use of educational programmes to the community.
Perhaps the most effective way of doing this is through sub–dividing the roles of all
stakeholders in society. In this approach, bodies such the government, educational
institutes, and professional bodies have to play their individual roles. The
government for example has to put into place dentists in schools so as to provide
dental services to school children and also provide them with oral services (Radha et
al, p 70-77, 2016). Additional practices in this approach can be to include practices
such as building capacity and providing technical assistance to communities that
need urgent assistance (World health organization 2018).

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The economic impact of fluoridation
The economic impact of water fluoridation in Australia was among the most
cost effective and sustainable measures in solving issues concerned with poor
dental health. Studies showed that the use of water fluoridation played a significant
role in preventing diseases such as cavities as well as effectively reducing the cost
(Reece, 2013). The cost greatly reduced for both households and the health care
system as at large. With this approach, it was estimated that communities that
consisted of over one thousand people had the savings that exceeded the
anticipated costs of the programme. This therefore bought about an average per
annum savings of about 20 dollars for every dollar invested (Centres for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2013). A Closely related research further shows that
children living in places with fluoridated water supply were affected by tooth decay as
compared to their counterparts in communities without fluoridate water supply.
The use of fluoride in proportionate amounts of fluoride in water and other
educative programmes has brought about benefits to communities in both social and
economic aspects. For example, diseases such as dental cavities have been kept
low through taking in fluoridated drinking water. Additionally the other benefits are
derived from educational programmes that provide educational services to
communities. It is as a result of the above incentives that dental health amongst the
children and elderly people has been improved over the years (Britnell, 2015).
Although there a number of associated costs with the above two approaches,
the need for proper response to poor dental health in Australia and in the state of
Queensland is immensely required. Regular attendance to children’s’ dental health is
very fundamental in shaping the quality of health in adulthood stages of maturity.

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Economists continuously review the problem of poor dental health in Australia
in terms of total annual expenditure (Reece,2013). This is done basing on an
average basis where an assessment showing how the different categories of people
incurred costs in relation to dental attention. For example research shows that about
19% of insured adults paid their own dental fees. Out of these adults, about 4.15
claimed that this payment caused a great financial drain. Such information clearly
reflects the degree of difficulty brought about by poor dental health. Consequently
such statistics have an implied negative impact on the per-capita income of
individuals since it eventually leads to cost of living (Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare, 2019).
Poor dental health among individuals is without doubt an adverse economic concern
worldwide. For example the report by the Global Burden of Disease Study, shows
that about 50% of the entire population of the world is affected by dental carries and
this has made it one of the most health problems that people are currently
experiencing. Additionally the there is a great economic negative impact faced in
both the developed low developed countries. This is so because there an estimated
5% national expenditure on treatment of dental infections and a further 20%
individual expenditure spent on the same problem for high income countries (World
health organization, 2018). In Australia as a country, about 7.857 billion dollars were
spent on maintaining proper dental health in the years of 2010–11 (Russell, 2014).
Therefore the economic impact of dental complications does only affect Australia as
a country but it is rather a global challenge. This is an infection with lasting impacts
on both the social and economic well being of people. Poor dental heath stands a
huge threat that needs to be handled with great care for its outstanding unfavourable
outcomes.

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References
Australian institute of health and welfare. (2019). ‘Oral health and dental care in
Australia’, retrieved from
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dental-oral-health/oral-health-and-dental-
care-in-australia/contents/private-health-insurance
Butten. K., Johnson, W., N, Hall. K.K., Toombs, M.,king. N., and o’grady, k.( 2019).
Impact Of Oral Health On Australian Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander
Families:’ A Qualitative Study’ retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6378750/
Britnell, M. (2015). In Search of the Perfect Health System. London: Palgrave. p. 53.
ISBN 978-1-137-49661-4.
Centres for disease control and prevention (2013). ‘community water fluoridation;’
retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/statistics/cost.htm
Louise, F, M., Elizabeth, A, P. (2011). Introduction to Public Health. Elsevier
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Nagashree. S,R., Pallavi, S,k., rekha, R., radha, G., and parmar, P.( 2017).
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Queensland government. (2019). ‘Water fluoridation,’ retrieved from
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Russell. M. L (2014).’ Closing The Dental Divide,’ ‘The Medical Journal Of Australia’.
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divide
Russell. M. L. (2014). ‘How to fill the gaps in Australia’s dental health system’
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Reece, N. (2013). "Hanging on to Medibank is a national health hazard". The Sydney
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Australian government’ retrieved from

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http://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/
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The World Health Organisation (2018). ‘Oral Health,’ retrieved from
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