A recent survey commissioned by Oral Health America and sponsored by Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait and Procter & Gamble for the third annual Fall for Smiles campaign revealed that Americans are more likely to take a painkiller for a toothache than to consult a dentist.

And of those who don’t regularly see a dentist, most (73 percent) give financial considerations as the reason. It’s a sad truth that Dr. Michael Dickerson, lead dentist of the Aspen Dental practice in Troy, Ohio, knows all too well.

Following an interview last year with the Dayton Daily News for an article focusing on the recession’s impact on dental care, Dr. Dickerson wrote the following in a post for this blog:

“In this difficult economic environment, keeping up with dentist visits is often the first health care decision delayed. Most people just don’t consider staying up with their dental care to be a life or death situation. Unfortunately, falling behind on your regular visits to the dentist can turn out to be both an expensive and unhealthy mistake. Preventive care costs so much less than reconstructive treatment, and decaying teeth can dramatically affect a person’s quality of life. Tooth decay can hurt your appearance, is a major cause of bad breath, and along with gum disease has been linked to heart disease and stroke.”

Aspen Dental is a proud supporter of OHA’s third annual Fall for Smiles campaign, a grassroots communications campaign that aims to remind the American public about the importance of dental self-care, healthy food choices, regular dental visits and avoiding tobacco. Running through October 31, Fall for Smiles encourages families to think about their mouth health during the back-to-school season.