Oral health is often taken for granted, but is an essential part of our everyday lives. Good oral health enhances our ability to speak, smile, and kiss; smell, taste, touch, chew, and swallow; and convey a world of feelings and emotions through facial expressions. However, mouth and throat diseases, which range from cavities to oral cancer, cause pain and disability for millions of Americans each year.

* Tooth decay (cavities) is a common problem for people of all ages. For children, untreated cavities can cause pain, dysfunction, absence from school, difficulty concentrating on learning, and poor appearance—problems that greatly affect quality of life and ability to succeed. Children from lower income families often do not receive timely treatment for tooth decay and are more likely to suffer from these problems. Tooth decay also is a problem for many U.S. adults. Adults of some racial and ethnic groups experience more untreated decay.

* Periodontal (gum) disease is an infection caused by bacteria under the gum tissue that begin to destroy the gums and bone. Teeth become loose, chewing becomes difficult, and teeth may have to be extracted. Gum disease may also be related to damage elsewhere in the body; recent studies point to associations between such oral infections and diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and preterm, low-weight births. Research is underway to further examine these connections.