According to new information released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of Americans aged 30 and up have some form of periodontal disease. The presence of this silent epidemic's numbers become even more alarming when accounting for those who are aged 65+, pregnant or already suffer from chronic disease.
The Facts:
64.7 Million Adults 30 years & older suffer from gum disease. That's nearly half the population.
In adults over 65, that percentage jumpt so 70.1%.
56.4% verses 38.4% Periodontal disease is more common in men than women.
Of those diagnosed with gum disease: 8.7% have mild periodontitis, 30% have moderate periodontitis, 8.5% have severe periodontitis.
95% of Americans with diabetes also have periodontal disease.
People with periodontal disease are twice as likely to suffer from heart disease, coronary heart disease or a fatal heart attack.
Expectant mothers with periodontal disease are 7x more likely to have premature or low birth weight babies.
Other candidates with increased risk of periodontitis:
64.2% current smokers, 65.4% living below federal poverty level, 56.4% less than high school education
Sources: http://www.perio.org/newsroom/periodontal-disease-fact-sheet,
http://www.adha.org/resources-docs/7228_Oral_Health_Total.pdf,
http://www.everydayhealth.com
