Excerpt:

The CDC’s Oral Health Surveillance Report shows that as a whole, the prevalence of cavities among adolescents aged 12 to 19 has not changed significantly over a five-year period (the percentage of those affected stands at 57%). The prevalence is higher among Mexican American (69%) and poor and near-poor teens (65%) compared to non-Hispanic white teens (54%) and those from families that are not struggling economically (49%). The good news is that the overall prevalence of untreated tooth decay has decreased in recent years, with the largest decline (8 percentage points) being seen in Mexican-American teens. Oral health specialists fear, however, that improvements made may be reversed owing to the current health situation.

*Excerpted from The Current Health Crisis Threatens to Increase Disparities in Teen Oral Health in the U.S., https://www.thenewleam.com/2020/09/the-current-health-crisis-threatens-to-increase-disparities-in-teen-oral-health-in-the-u-s/