Canadian Pharmacy Warns Public of Untreated Cavities

More than one in every five Americans has untreated cavities, which lead to toothache. Patients buy Advil cheap to eliminate the pain especially if it happens at night wherein a dentist cannot immediately attend to the patient’s needs. 

"Untreated tooth decay is prevalent in the U.S.," said report co-author Dr. Bruce Dye, an epidemiologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. "It appears that we haven't been able to make any significant strides during the last decade to reduce untreated cavities." 

"This is information that has been known for a while," said Dr. Lindsay Robinson, a spokeswoman for the American Dental Association. "More people are on Medicaid and more and more states, in an attempt to balance their budgets, have eliminated dental benefits." 

There needs to be more investment in dental care to cover those who rely on Medicaid, Robinson said. "Only about 2 percent of Medicaid dollars go to dental care. In the private system it's triple that," she explained.

"Even people with dental benefits are afraid of any extra out-of-pocket costs," Robinson added. That is why generic Advil Canada is very beneficial to those who are on a budget. 

Usually there is a difference in income when it comes to health care, but in this case children were getting about the same dental care regardless of family income, Dye noted. 

For poorer children, this is most likely due to government programs such as Medicaid and CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program), Dye said. Among adults, the poor have a rate of untreated dental problems twice that of others, he noted. 

To reduce the odds of developing cavities, Dye recommended brushing and flossing daily and going to the dentist at least once a year. In addition, cutting down on sweets and surgery drinks and eating a healthy diet can also help, he said. 

Going to the dentist is important, Robinson agreed. When problems are caught and treated early, it saves money, and for people with chronic diseases such as diabetes it can help avoid hospitalizations, she added. 

"It is possible to not get cavities," Robinson said. "It's amazing how many people think it's just going to happen." 

Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or a cavity, is an infection, usually bacterial in origin, that causes demineralization of the hard tissues (enamel, dentin and cementum) and destruction of the organic matter of the tooth, usually by production of acid by hydrolysis of the food debris accumulated on the tooth surface. If demineralization exceeds saliva and other remineralization factors such as from calcium and fluoridated toothpastes, these tissues progressively break down, producing dental caries (cavities, holes in the teeth). The two bacteria most commonly responsible for dental cavities are Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus. If left untreated, the disease can lead to pain, tooth loss and infection. Today, caries remain one of the most common diseases throughout the world. Cariology is the study of dental caries. 

The presentation of caries is highly variable. However the risk factors and stages of development are similar. Initially it may appear as a small chalky area (smooth surface caries), which may eventually develop into a large cavitation. Sometimes caries may be visible direct. However other methods of detection such as radiographs are used for less visible areas of teeth and to judge the extent of destruction. Lasers for detecting caries allow detection without radiation and are now used for detection of interproximal decay (between the teeth). Disclosing solutions are also used during tooth restoration to minimize the chance of recurrence.