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University
of Illinois at Chicago Office of Public Affairs (MC 288)
601 S. Morgan St., Chicago, IL 60607-7113, (312) 996-3456, www.uic.edu/depts/paff
SURGEON
GENERAL'S FIRST REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE NATION'S ORAL HEALTH
ATTN:
NEWS ASSIGNMENT EDITORS AND HEALTH SCIENCE REPORTERS
WHO/
WHAT:
According to
the Surgeon General's first report on the state of the nation's
oral hygiene, there is a "silent epidemic" of dental and oral diseases
affecting certain population groups, especially ethnic and racial
minority groups, the poor of all ages, and medically compromised
patients.
The project
director and managing editor of the report, Dr. Caswell Evans,
is giving a talk at UIC entitled "A Critical Opportunity for
Action - The Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health."
WHEN:
Friday,
Sept. 29
Noon
- 1 p.m.
WHERE:
Auditorium
Molecular Biology Research Building 900 S. Ashland Ave. (enter from
S. Marshfield Ave. - the west side of the building)
DETAILS:
Important new
biomedical research is emerging that demonstrates the link between
oral health and general health. The very meaning of dental health
has come to encompass far more than cavities and gum disease. Dental
health now incorporates a scientific recognition, as the Surgeon
General's report puts it, that the mouth is a "mirror of health
or disease" that can help diagnose disorders such as diabetes, leukemia,
heart disease or anemia. Unfortunately, dental care is often not
provided by the nation's health care system, so the benefits of
this revolution in thinking about oral health have not reached enough
Americans. An estimated 25 million Americans live in areas lacking
adequate dental care services. Not surprisingly, the poor, the aged,
the rural and the disadvantaged have substantially less access to
dental health care than they need or deserve.
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