One Out Of Five Americans Probably Have A Toothache

A new government report shows that more than one out of every five Americans has untreated cavities.

With all the advances in health and technology, it's surprising to some that we haven't been able to improve the statistics when it comes to oral hygiene.

As always the main reason for the high cavity number is money.  Out of pocket costs cause most people to eliminate dental care from their budget, and it's having a huge effect on peoples picket fence smiles.

Other findings in the report include:

• Among children and adolescents, 27 percent had at least one dental sealant. In that age group, 30 percent of whites had sealants, compared to 23 percent of Mexican-Americans and 17 percent of blacks.
• Among blacks, 38 percent had all of their teeth, compared with 51 percent of whites and 52 percent of Mexican-Americans.
• Among those aged 65 and older, 23 percent had no teeth, but most likely had dentures.