Oral Health Conditions

Oral Health Conditions
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Oral Health Conditions
Section 1
The Healthy People 2030 initiative is a government agenda aimed at improving the health of its citizens. It relies on the use of health indicators in various domains in order to monitor and track the progress of the initiative. The Healthy People 2030 recognizes that oral health is an essential component of overall well-being and aims to improve the oral health status of individuals across the United States. Consequently, the initiative has an oral health indicator that monitors and tracks several key aspects of oral health. In order to achieve its objectives the intuitive has certain objectives that must be met. First, it aims to promote oral health education and awareness. Public education is used to create awareness about the important of oral hygiene practices, such as regular brushing and flossing, as well as the impact of diet and lifestyle choices on oral health (Healthy People 2030a, n.d). Second, the indicator emphasizes the importance of access to dental care services. The initiative recognizes that that many individuals face barriers to receiving necessary dental treatment, such as lack of insurance coverage, financial constraints, and limited availability of dental providers (Hannan, Ricks, Espinoza, & Weintraub, 2021)). As such, there is a need to address the barriers and ensure that individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status, have access to preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services. Third, the indicator focuses on preventing and controlling oral diseases. Prevention efforts involve promoting measures, such as community water fluoridation, dental sealants, and regular dental check-ups, to reduce the incidence and severity of oral diseases through early detection. Thus, the indicator targets the improvement of oral health through a variety of primary prevention of diseases including but not limited to promoting proper dental care.
Section 2
There are several groups of people in the country that are at risk of poor oral health outcomes. The risk may be posed by their biology, physiology or even access to dental care. For example, children are one of the most affected groups of people by poor oral health. They are usually at risk of developing dental caries and other long-term oral health problems (Romano & Silk, 2023). In particular, early childhood caries is a common dental problem among young children, particularly those from low-income families with limited access to preventive dental care. The problem has persisted for a long period lasting several decades. Similarly, geriatric patient are also at risk of poor dental health. Elder patients experience dry mouth, tooth loss, and gum disease. Such conditions are likely to cause poor oral health problems. In addition, older people also have problems accessing healthcare because some may experience challenges such lack of a caretaker at home or transportation services among others. Another group that is at-risk of poor oral health is pregnant women. Pregnancy increases the risk of oral health problems, including gum disease and dental decay. First, hormonal change...