MSN Health News reported in the first quarter of 2011 that St Louis is the most dentally challenged city in the country. Other sources don’t rank St Louis quite that poorly, but a little research corroborated what could be a legitimate reason to educate our residents more on the importance of dental care and its relationship to overall health.
Missouri ranks third for consumption of cola and all that sugar and artificial coloring can wreak havoc on your teeth. When you combine the soda consumption with the fact that Missouri ranks #46 for dental visits (meaning among the lowest in the nation), you can understand how the overall dental condition of Missouri-ans is poor.
The best first step in any dental improvement program is to increase checkups. The regular cleanings alone will improve gum health and the regular dental exams can detect problems before they become expensive or painful to address.
