Statistics

Posted in Cavities From A To Z

  • Below are some statistics from the CDC on caries rates in US children and adults

Statistics on Childhood Caries

Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Although dental caries (tooth decay) is largely preventable, it remains the most common chronic disease of children aged 5 to 17 years - 4 times more common than asthma (42% versus 9.5%).(Link)

According to the CDC

  • 28% of children ages 2-5 have already had decay in their primary (baby) teeth
  • 50% of children have experienced tooth decay by age 11
  • 68% of 19 year olds have experienced tooth decay in their permanent teeth. More than two-thirds!
  • Low income children are twice as likely to experience decay than children of higher income families
  • 52,000,000 school hours are lost each year due to dental disease

 

Statistics on Caries in Adults

Many adults also have untreated dental caries

  • 27% of adults ages 20-39 years have untreated dental caries
  • 21% of adults ages 40-59 years have untreated dental caries
  • 19% of adults ages 60+ years have untreated dental caries