“Taking into account the above-mentioned results, it is not surprising that being a company owner was related to enjoying the fewest missing teeth in old age, according to 16% of survey participants, closely followed by CEO (15%) and manager (7%).
“All three positions are highly paid, which directly corresponds with the perception that income is the leading factor for tooth loss.”
According to Wits University’s Community Oral Health Outreach Project (COHOP) — a community-based programme in the School of Oral Health Sciences — “the most common oral diseases, such as dental caries [tooth decay and cavities] and periodontal [gum] disease are amenable to prevention and yet they continue to affect the quality of life of individuals of all ages.
“In SA, more than 60% of our primary schoolchildren suffer from dental decay. More concerning is that more than 80% of these children remain untreated for the disease due to the overburdened oral health system and poor health-seeking behaviour,” said the COHOP.
“In terms of the elderly residing in Johannesburg, the prevalence of missing teeth is 85% and about 33% of these people are edentulous [lacking teeth] and in need of dentures.”
